05.22.2024

Today’s Forecast

89º | 7% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 5:55 a.m. | Sunset 8:18 p.m.

Thinking big about a new Mayo Bridge

What’s the future of the Mayo Bridge? Community leaders stress creativity

RICtoday_LivableMayoBridge_ManchesterMeeting2

Pedestrian and cyclist access to the bridge was a popular talking point. | Photo by RICtoday

The Mayo Bridge needs to be replaced, according to VDOT. For the Manchester Alliance and Shockoe Partnership, that means opportunity.

The neighborhood groups hosted a community meeting on Monday in partnership with Bike Walk RVA. Over 200 people had registered to attend the free event at Studio Two Three.

City leaders, engineers, and other stakeholders spoke to the opportunities presented by the bridge’s replacement, which has been a long time coming. After the speakers concluded, attendees were asked to peruse several poster boards and tables and leave initial feedback.

RICtoday_MayoIsland_Manchester_MayoBridge — The new bridge could be built on the same site or have a different path than the old bridge.
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Photo by RICtoday

Dr. John Kim, a city bridge engineer, spoke to VDOT’s process. Initially, the department thought the historic bridge would only require rehabilitation. Then it shifted to replacing the superstructure — then the entire bridge.

“With that, we have many options ahead of us,” Kim said.

City CAO Lincoln Saunders addressed the bridge replacement in relation to the city’s recent acquisition of Mayo Island. He also pointed to the soon-to-open Dock Street Park, Tredegar amphitheater, and Brown’s Island improvements as evidence of the city’s commitment to the James.

RICtoday_MayoBridgeReplacement_Bridgepark — Ted Elmore of BridgePark compared the future Mayo Bridge to projects like the High Line in New York City.
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Photo by RICtoday

Monday’s meeting came before the start of the official design process. Brantley Tyndall, director of Bike Walk RVA, stressed that the timing was intentional.

“Let’s think about what we actually want to accomplish without being constrained,” Tyndall said. “We’re trying to talk about what this bridge can be before decisions are made.”

At the meeting, attendees were invited to share thoughts on possible multi-modal connections the future bridge could offer — think the Fall Line Trail — as well as opportunities for riverfront access through Mayo Island and unique architecture and design possibilities.

A VDOT traffic study is in the works, and a survey is open to collect information on how Richmonders use the current bridge. Citizen input in the official design process will come later this summer or in the fall.

Quiz

What year was the current Mayo Bridge’s structure built?

A. 1882
B. 1899
C. 1905
D. 1913

Take a guess

Events

Wednesday, May 22

HYPE Happy Hour | Wednesday, May 22 | 5-7 p.m. | Blue Bee Cider, 4811 Bethlehem Rd., Richmond | $10 | Enjoy an evening filled with laughter, networking, and delicious cider.

Thursday, May 23

Music on Main | Thursday, May 23 | 5:45-8 p.m. | Main Street Station, 1500 E. Main St., Richmond | Free | Head to the patio for post-work tunes with Corey El and Sharon Rae North.
Renaissance Fair UnHappy Hour | Thursday, May 23 | 6-9 p.m. | The Poe Museum, 1914-16 E. Main St., Richmond | Wear your best Renaissance attire and enjoy the tunes of Tiara & Andrew and The Great Beforetimes, plus snacks from Oak & Apple BBQ.

Friday, May 24

IdleTimers | Friday, May 24 | 6-9 p.m. | The Lilly Pad, 9680 Osborne Turnpike, Richmond | Cost of purchase | Enjoy a meal and hear tunes from Neil Young and Bob Dylan to Patsy Cline and Dua Lipa.
Friday Cheers | Friday, May 24 | 6-9:30 p.m. | Brown’s Island, S. 7th St., Richmond | $10 | Get your tickets for a special RVA Music Night edition of the series with The Legendary Ingramettes, Woody Woodworth & the Piners, and Knifing Around.

Saturday, May 25

Big Tent: A Celebration of Heroes | Saturday, May 25 | 5 p.m. | Hickory Hill Community Center, 3000 E. Belt Blvd., Richmond | Free | The Youth Community Strings ensemble and Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra will play before the main performance by the symphony starts at 7 p.m.
“RRR” | Saturday, May 25 | 7 p.m. | The Byrd Theatre, 2908 W. Cary St., Richmond | $9 | Settle in for this action-packed epic that won the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Finance

Aspire to retire? This startup wants to help you plan.

grey haired man sitting on a bench in a park in the springtime, wearing a blue t-shirt and a green jacket, smiling at the camera

A financial advisor could help you save and invest for retirement. | Photo provided by SmartAsset

This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161M to help people plan for retirement.

If you’re one of the whopping 110 million Americans over age 50 — or a wise millennial planning ahead — SmartAsset’s free quiz makes it easy to find vetted financial advisors who serve your area. Research suggests that people who work with a financial advisor could end up with 15% more money to spend in retirement.¹

Ready to kickstart your retirement plans?

Get your financial advisor matches today

¹ “Journal of Retirement Study Winter” (2020). The projections or other information regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of your future results. Please follow the link to see the methodologies employed in the Journal of Retirement study.

News Notes

Opening

Richmond’s first Taco Bamba will open at Willow Lawn on Tuesday, June 4 at 9 a.m. The regional chain will offer free tacos for a year to the first 100 guests.

Festival

Get excited for 804 Day by checking out the music lineup. The free celebration of all things local will take place on Aug. 2 at 17th Street Market. Performers will include Nickelus F., Høly River, Erin and the Wildfire, Kadencia, Ant The Symbol, and Weekend Plans. (Style Weekly)

Biz

A new gateway sign will soon welcome visitors to Carytown. The Carytown Merchants Association wants to replace the old wooden marker, which fell down last year. The Art Deco-inspired design will be suspended above the street with steel wires. It could be up as soon as August. (Richmond BizSense)

Outdoors

Chesterfield is opening its new six-field baseball and softball facility on Friday, June 7. The county used $4.1 million in funds to renovate the fields at Daniel Park, which have been renamed The Diamonds at Iron Bridge. Improvements include adding new dugouts, spectator seating, and a press box.

Kids

Beat the heat at Henrico parks this summer. The county’s spray parks at Dorey, Dunncroft, Eastern Henrico Rec Center, Short Pump, and Twin Hickory are now open for the season. Want more kid-friendly fun? Check out our guide to 30+ local activities.

Number

$71,000. That’s how much SOAR365 will receive to make enhancements to Camp Baker, its accessible summer camp in Chesterfield. The grant will support improvements including adding a wheelchair-accessible utility terrain vehicle, a concrete walkway for the fire pit, and a sensory room in the overnight residence.

Edu

There’s under a week left to bid on enviable experiences and support local public schools. The Celebrate RPS auction will wrap up on Tuesday, May 28 at 3:30 p.m. See what you could win.

Sports

Get your tickets for a major boxing event on Saturday, June 15 at the ACCA Shriners Center. The Summer Slam will include high-intensity boxing, fine dining, and an after-party at River City Roll.

Plan Ahead

Sip and celebrate the local, the handmade, and the homegrown at the 12th annual Rassawek Spring Jubilee, happening Saturday, June 1-Sunday, June 2. Enjoy tastings from 13 different wineries + cideries, live music, kids’ activities, and demonstrations by local craftsmen. Snag tickets.*

Try This

Want to get your brand in front of our readers? Check out our self-service advertising, a quick and easy way to get acquainted with our local audience through Display and Branded Content. Psst... Social Posts are now available. Get started today.

Health

Wild Health creates you a personalized 50-page report detailing your ideal nutrition, exercise, and recovery plan — all based off your genetics + biometrics. Get 20% off with code WH20.*

Shop

Find your local summer style

Happy Hauling: Thrift shops, flea markets, vintage, and resale shops in Richmond

Get some new-to-you warm weather clothes at Rumors. | Photo by RICtoday

Senior City Editor Robin here. I’m going on a last-minute hunt today to find some Pink Pony Club attire for the Chappell Roan show at Brown’s Island tomorrow.

With the weather heating up, there’s an easy way to revamp your wardrobe — check out our guide to Richmond’s array of local thrift and consignment stores.

Here are a few to get you started.

Ashby
Find new and local recycled fashion at this Carytown shop. The store also has a rotating selection of jewelry, accessories, and local artwork.

Rumors
Visit the flagship location of this artsy boutique to secure the trendiest ‘fits.

Diversity Thrift
If you’re looking for records, furniture, glassware, or books in addition to clothes, this is the place for you.

Fan Tastic Thrift
Browse clothes, housewares, and more at this staple Richmond store.

Click the button below for the full guide, including places to find everything from vintage furniture to outdoor gear.

Get in, we're going shopping

The Buy

Group A, The Buy 5.22.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Lululemon’s everywhere belt bag, which you truly can take everywhere, from errands to hikes to shopping. Points for being hands-free.

The Wrap

Robin Schwartzkopf in a red button down shirt

Today’s edition by:
Robin

From the editor

I still can’t get over the non-Richmonder who thought local artist RVA Coffee Stain’s rainbow cookies were clams. Good news: You can get a print to commemorate the misunderstanding.

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