Richmond, Virginia
- This article is about Richmond, Virginia, USA. For other Richmonds please see Richmond.
Richmond, Virginia | |
|---|---|
| File:DenseRichmondskyline.jpg | |
| Nickname: River City | |
| Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra | |
| Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia | |
| Country State County | United States Virginia Independent City |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | L. Douglas Wilder |
| Population (2004) | |
• City | 192,494 |
| • Metro | 1,126,262 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Website | http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/ |
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States of America. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city, not part of any county (Richmond County is unrelated, and located in a different region of the state). Richmond is located on the fall line of the James River in the Piedmont region of Virginia and is at the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
Common colloquialisms for the city are: RIC (its airport code), The 804 (its area code) and RVA.
History
In 1607, King James I granted a royal charter to the Virginia Company of London to settle colonists in North America. After the first permanent English settlement was established later that year at Jamestown, Captain Christopher Newport and Captain John Smith set sail ten days after landing at Jamestown, traveling northwest up Powhatan's River (now known as the James River) to Powhatan Hill. The first expedition consisted of 120 men from Jamestown, and made the first attempt to settle at the Falls of the James, located between the 14th Street Bridge in modern downtown Richmond and the Pony Pasture (a recreational area along the banks of the river south of the City of Richmond). The settlement was made at this location as it is the highest navigable site along the James River.
Revolutionary War
In 1775, Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech in St. John's Church, during the Second Virginia Convention. This speech is credited with convincing members of the House of Burgesses to pass a resolution delivering Virginia troops to the American Revolutionary War. One year later, in the throes of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
In 1780, Virginia’s state capital was moved from Williamsburg to Richmond. In 1781, under the command of Benedict Arnold, Richmond was burned by British troops. Yet Richmond shortly recovered, and, in May 1782, was incorporated as a town "to be styled the City of Richmond." Richmond was incorporated as a city in 1842.
Civil War
The aversion to the slave trade was growing by the mid-nineteenth century, and in 1848, Henry “Box” Brown made history by having himself nailed into a small box and shipped from Richmond to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, escaping slavery to the land of freedom.
At the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, the strategic location of the Tredegar Iron Works was one of the primary factors in the decision to make Richmond the Capital of the Confederacy. From this arsenal came the 723 tons of armor plating that covered the CSS Virginia, the world’s first ironclad used in war, as well as much of the Confederates' heavy ordnance machinery. In 1861, Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America. One month later Davis placed Richmond under martial law. Two months after Davis’ inauguration, the Confederate army fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Civil War had begun. The Seven Days Battle followed in June of 1862. Four years later in April 1865 Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army captured Richmond, one week later, Robert E. Lee's retreating Army of Northern Virginia surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House symbolically ending the war. In 1865, on Evacuation Sunday, large parts of the city were destroyed in a fire set by retreating Confederate soldiers.
Monument Avenue was laid out in 1887, with a series of monuments at various intersections honoring the city's Confederate heroes. Included (east to west) were J.E.B. Stuart, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, and Matthew F. Maury. Richmond is the final resting place of both Stuart and Davis (see Hollywood Cemetery).
Richmond had the first successful electrically-powered trolley system in the United States. Designed by electric power pioneer, Frank J. Sprague, the trolley system opened its first line in January, 1888. Richmond's hills, long a transportation obstacle, were considered an ideal proving ground. The new technology soon replaced horse-powered streetcars.
Twentieth century
By the beginning of the twentieth century, the city's population had reached 85,050 in 5 square miles, making it the densest city in the Southern US.
In 1903, African-American businesswoman and financier Maggie L. Walker chartered St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, and served as its first president, as well as the first female bank president in the United States. Today, the bank is called the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company, and it is the oldest surviving African-American bank in the U.S.
In 1910, the former city of Manchester was consolidated with the city of Richmond. In 1914, the city annexed the Barton Heights, Ginter Park, and Highland Park areas of Henrico County. In 1914, Richmond became the headquarters of the Fifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank. In 1919, at the end of World War I, Philip Morris was established in the city. The Fan district also began to develop during the 1920s.
Also during the 1920s, several entertainment venues developed that remain today. The city's first radio station, WRVA, first began broadcasting in 1925. The Mosque (now called the Landmark Theater) also opened in 1925. The Byrd Theater and Loew's Theater (now the Carpenter Center) opened in 1928.
Modern city development
Between 1963 and 1965, there was a huge, "downtown boom," that led to the construction of more than 700 buildings in the city. In 1968, Virginia Commonwealth University was created by the merger of the Medical College of Virginia with the Richmond Professional Institute.
In 1984, the city completed the Diamond ballpark, a new home for the Richmond Braves, a AAA baseball team for the Atlanta Braves, replacing the old Parker Field. In 1985, Sixth Street Marketplace, a downtown shopping district, opened. Sixth Street Marketplace was closed and demolished in 2004-2005.
A multi-million dollar floodwall was completed in 1995, in order to protect the city and the Shockoe Bottom businesses from the rising waters of the James River. Also during 1995, a statue of Richmond native and tennis star Arthur Ashe was added amid controversy to the famed series of statues of Confederate heroes of the Civil War on Monument Avenue.
Recent renovations included the rebuilt James River and Kanawha Canal and Haxall Canal, now designed as a Canal Walk. The riverfront project has brought this 1.25-mile corridor back to life, with trendy loft apartments, restaurants, shops and hotels winding along the Canal Walk, along with canal boat cruises and walking tours. The National Park Service's Richmond Civil War Visitor Center, in the Tredegar Iron Works, brought three floors of exhibits and artifacts, films, a bookstore, picnic areas and more. The Cordish Company also began construction of Riverside on the James, a power plant development project with shopping and entertainment venues.
Geography and climate
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 162.0 km² (62.5 mi²). 155.6 km² (60.1 mi²) of it is land and 6.4 km² (2.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.96% water. The city is located in the Piedmont region of Virginia, at the highest navigable point of the James River. The Piedmont region is categorized by relatively low, rolling hills, and lies between the low, sea level tidewater region and the Blue Ridge mountains. Signioficant bodies of water in the region include the Chickahominy River, the James River, and the Appomatox River.
The Richmond-Petersburg Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the 46th largest in the United States, includes the independent cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg, as well as the counties of Amelia, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, King and Queen, King William, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, and Sussex. As of 2003, the total population of the Richmond—Petersburg MSA was 1,126,262.
Richmond is located within 200 miles of several major cities, including Newport News, Virginia (62 miles), Hampton, Virginia (73 miles), Portsmouth, Virginia (77 miles), Norfolk, Virginia (77 miles), Chesapeake, Virginia (87 miles), Alexandria, Virginia (91 miles), Washington DC (96 miles), Virginia Beach, Virginia (96 miles), Baltimore, Maryland (129 miles), Durham, North Carolina (132 miles), Roanoke, Virginia (137 miles), Raleigh, North Carolina (137 miles), Dover, Delaware (154 miles), Greensboro, North Carolina (166 miles), and Winston-Salem, North Carolina (183 miles).
Cityscape
The city is made up of a number of neighborhoods, including the Fan district, Oregon Hill, Shockoe Bottom, the West End, Northside, and Church Hill – site of Patrick Henry's famous speech.
Most of the roads in the downtown area are arranged in a regular grid arrangement, with alternating one way streets. Several major roads lead outward from the city, and are actually former Indian trails, leading to other towns and sites in Virginia. For example, Three Chopt Road, was so named as it was an Indian trail marked by three chops on trees near the trail. The major highways leading into the city of Richmond area I-64 and I-95. I-195 forms an "inner loop" around the downtown and fan districts of the city, and I-295, combined with the Chippenham Parkway forms an "outer loop", or bypass, around the metropolitan area. Virginia State Highway 288 connects I-64 and I-95 in the southwest quadrant of the area to complete a staggered loop around the city with I-295.
Ever since the first electric trolley was installed in 1888, Richmond urban sprawl has been steadily expanding westward and southward. Development along Monument Avenue and Broad Street have led to the most affluent people moving farther and farther West, towards a part of the metro area known as the West End.
Climate
Richmond has a mild climate with four distinct seasons. Spring arrives in April with mild days and cool nights, and by late May, the temperature has warmed up considerably to herald warm summer days. Summer temperatures can be unpleasantly hot, often topping 90 degrees with high humidity. July is the wettest month. Days stay warm to mild until October, when hurricanes are less likely and fall is marked by nights once again becoming very chilly. Winters are mild, and December and January are the coolest months. Light snowfall can occur from the end of November, but most snow, if any, falls in January. The average yearly snowfall is only 12 inches.[1]
People and culture
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 197,790 people, 84,549 households, and 43,627 families residing in the city. A more recent census estimate indicates that the city's population has grown to 201,384. The population density was 1,271.3/km² (3,292.6/mi²). There were 92,282 housing units at an average density of 593.1/km² (1,536.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.30% White, 57.19% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.49% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. 2.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 84,549 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.1% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,121, and the median income for a family was $38,348. Males had a median income of $30,874 versus $25,880 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,337. 21.4% of the population and 17.1% of families were below the poverty line. 32.9% of those under the age of 18 and 15.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Richmond was until recently known as the 3rd largest city in Virginia behind Norfolk and Virginia Beach, but it is now the fourth largest, having been overtaken in the last census by Chesapeake, whose population is around 200,000. Ever since 1972, Richmond has been unable to annex land from its surrounding counties. As a result, Richmond's population within the city limits has experienced almost no population growth while the surrounding counties of Chesterfield (280,000 residents) and Henrico (260,000 residents) have experienced significant growth.[2]
Much of Richmond’s political and social history was influenced by its high society origins. In the 1920s, Ellen Glasgow and James Branch Cabell wrote novels that included thinly veiled mocking of elite institutions like the FFV, the Commonwealth Club, and the Richmond German débutante dance. Even today, Richmonders speak of “Come-heres” (carpetbaggers) versus “from-heres.”
Annual cultural events and fairs
The city is home to several annual cultural events. As the capital of the commonwealth of Virginia, the state fair is held at the end of September at the state fairgrounds, located just outside of the city near the Richmond International Raceway. In November, the Suntrust Richmond Marathon and 8K Race is held downtown, and the James River Writers Festival also takes place. During the month of December, the Grand Illumination takes place, in which the buildings of the downtown area light up for the Christmas holiday season. This usually occurs on the same weekend as the Richmond Christmas Parade, which travels along Broad Street.
In April, the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K race is held, as well as the "Easter on Parade" street festival. The James River Film Festival also takes place during this month, and the VCU French Film Festival is also becoming very popular, and features foreign films.
Other notable events during the year include the 2nd Street Festival and the Carytown Watermelon Festival. The monthly Artwalk takes place on the first Friday of every month between September and June, in the downtown gallery district.
Richmond hosts the National Folk Festival in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Museums, Galleries, and historical attractions
Richmond has a significant art community, and the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation. In addition to many art venues associated with the university, there are also several attractions nearby, including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Richmond Symphony, and the Richmond Ballet. The Byrd Theatre in Carytown is a classical movie theater from the 1920s era that still features movies on a regular basis, and has become popular among the college student population, particularly due to its low ticket price of $2.00.
The Science Museum of Virginia, is also located on Broad Street near the fan district. It is housed in the neoclassical Union Station, designed by Beaux-Arts-trained John Russell Pope in 1919. Adjacent to the Science Museum is the Richmond Children's Museum, a fun-filled museum for children with many hands-on activities.
As the former Capital of the Confederate States of America, Richmond is home to many museums and battlefields of the American Civil War. The Museum of the Confederacy, located near the Virginia State Capitol and the MCV Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, once served as the White House of the Confederacy, and today features a wide variety of objects and material from the era. Near the riverfront is the Tredegar Iron Works and Civil War Battlefields National Park Visitors Center. There is also a Slave Trail along the river as well.
Other historical points of interest include St. John's Church, the site of Patrick Henry's famous, "Give me liberty or give me death" speech, and the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, which features many of his writings and other things from his life, particularly when he lived in the city. The John Marshall House, the home of the former Chief Justice of the United States, is also located downtown and features many of his writings and objects from his life. Hollywood Cemetery is also the burial grounds of two U.S. Presidents as well as many other civil war officers and soldiers.
The city is also home to many monuments, most notably several along Monument Avenue in the fan district. Other monuments of interest in the city include the A.P. Hill monument, the Bill "Bojangles" Robinson monument, the Christopher Columbus monument, and the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The Virginia War Memorial is also located on Belvedere near the riverfront, and is a monument to Virginians who died in battle in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Iraq War. Located near Byrd Park is the famous World War I Memorial Carillon, a 56 bell carillion tower.
Richmond has sometimes been called a City of Churches. Early dominant influences were the Episcopalians and Methodists, but congregations of many faiths and denominations are prevalent today. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was penned in Richmond by Thomas Jefferson.
Media
The local daily newspaper in Richmond is the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The Richmond Free Press covers the news from a predominantly African American perspective. The independent magazine, RVA Magazine, focuses on the art, music, and culture of the city. The only Hispanic magazine in the state La Voz Hispana de Virginia provides significant cultural and news content in both English and Spanish.
Comcast is the primary cable television provider for the Richmond area. In Richmond city and the northern suburban counties, it is the successor to the franchise originally held by Continental Cablevision, then MediaOne, then AT&T Broadband, before Comcast acquired AT&T Broadband.
The metropolitan area is also served by a variety of television and radio stations, serving a wide variety of musical and other interests.
Radio ownership in Richmond is concentrated in four national companies: Clear Channel (WRVQ-FM, WTVR-FM, WRXL-FM, WBTJ-FM, WRNL-AM, WRVA-AM) Cox Radio (WKHK-FM, WKLR-FM, WDYL-FM, WMXB-FM), Radio One (WCDX-FM, WKJS-FM, WPZZ-FM), and Davidson Media (WLEE-AM, WVNZ-AM, WTOX-AM). A regional company, Main Line Broadcasting, owns WBBT-FM, WLFV-FM, and WWLB-FM, having purchased them in September 2005.
Richmond is also home to one of the largest LPFM stations in the country - WRIR Richmond Indie Radio. On the air since January 2005 and staffed completely with volunteers, it presents a mix of locally produced talk, NPR and Pacifica syndicated programs, and a wide variety of music.
Parks and outdoor recreation
The city operates one of the oldest municipal park systems in the country. The park system began when the city council voted in 1851 to acquire 7.5 acres, now known as Monroe Park. Today, Monroe Park sits adjacent to the Virginia Commonwealth University campus and is one of more than 40 parks comprising a total of more than 1,500 acres (6.1 km²).
Several parks are located along the James River, and the James River Parks System bike trails, hiking and nature trails, and many scenic overlooks along the river's route through the city. The mountain bike trail system in James River and Forest Hill parks is considered by professional riders to be one of the best urban trail systems in the country. The trails are used as part of the Xterra East Championship course for both the running and mountain biking portions of the off-road triathlon.
Richmond has the only urban whitewater rafting in the U.S. Two sections of the James River are runnable all year long. The rapids range from Class II - Class V, depending on the season and water level. Canoes, kayaks, and rafts are seen on the James throughout the year.
There are also parks on two major islands in the river: Belle Isle and Brown's Island. Belle Isle, at various former times a Powhatan fishing village, colonial-era horse race track, and Civil War prison camp, is the larger of the two, and contains many bike trails as well as a small cliff that is used for rock climbing instruction. One can walk the island and still see many of the remains of the Civil War prison camp, such as an arms storage room and a gun emplacement that was used to quell prisoner riots. Brown's Island is a smaller island and a popular venue of a large number of free outdoor concerts and festivals in the spring and summer, such as the weekly Friday Cheers concert series or the James River Beer and Seafood Festival.
Two other major parks in the city are Byrd Park and Maymont, located near the fan district of Richmond. Byrd Park features a one mile running track, with exercise stops, a public dog park, and a number of small lakes for small boats, as well as two monuments and an amphitheatre. Prominently featured in the park is the World War I Memorial Carillon, built in 1926 as a memorial to those that died in the war. Maymont, located adjacent to Byrd Park, is a 100 acre (400,000 m²) Victorian estate with a museum, formal gardens, native wildlife exhibits, nature center, carriage collection, and children's farm. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is also located in the city.
Other parks in the city include Bryan Park (with its many azalea gardens), Forest Hill Park (former site of the Forest Hill Amusement Park), Chimborazo Park (site of the National Battlefield Headquarters), among others.
Sports
Richmond does not have any major, professional sports teams. However, there are several minor league teams. The city is the home of the Richmond Braves, a minor league baseball team (the farm team of the Atlanta Braves). The Braves play at The Diamond. The Richmond Kickers, a United Soccer Leagues Second Division soccer team play at the University of Richmond Stadium. The Richmond Bandits are a minor league football team, and the Richmond Renegades represent the city in the Southern Professional Hockey League.
The Richmond Coliseum is the home of the Richmond RiverDogs hockey team, as well as a large number of concerts, festivals, and trade shows. The Colonial Athletic Association of college basketball has also hosted its annual tournament at the coliseum since 1990, and the 1994 NCAA women's basketball Final Four was held here.
Auto racing is also very popular in the area, and the Richmond International Raceway also hosts two annual NASCAR Nextel Cup races, as well as the Virginia State Fair and other community and sporting events.
Colonial Downs, located in nearby New Kent County also features a number of horse racing events, including the Virginia Derby.
Due to the close proximity to Washington, DC and North Carolina, many Richmonders have a strong identity with professional, major league teams in the Washington area, or Charlotte, North Carolina. Also, with many major colleges in Virginia, there are many fans of the University of Richmond Spiders, the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams, and the Virginia Union University Panthers; as well as fans of the nearby University of Virginia Cavaliers, Virginia Tech Hokies, and the George Mason University Patriots.
Religion
Richmond has a diverse and a rich heritage of faith communities, from Christianity to the Bahá'í Faith and from Hindu to Messianic Judaism, as well as many more. Richmond was home to the sixth earliest Jewish community in the United States.
Richmond has sometimes been called a City of Churches. Early dominant influences were the Episcopalians and Methodists, but congregations of many faiths and denominations are prevalent today. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was penned in Richmond by Thomas Jefferson.
Richmond has several historic churches. Because of its early English colonial history from the early 1600s to 1776, Richmond has a number of prominent Anglican/Episcopal churches including Monumental Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Richmond, Virginia and Saint Johns Episcopal Church. Methodists and Baptists made up another section of early churches, and First Baptist Church of Richmond was the first of these, established in 1780. In the Reformed church tradition, the first Presbyterian Church in the City of Richmond was First Presbyterian church, organized on June 18, 1812. On February 5, 1845, Second Presbyterian Church of Richmond was founded, which was an historic church where Stonewall Jackson attended and was the first Gothic building and the first gas-lit church to be built in Richmond.[3] Due to the influx of German immigrants in the 1840s, Saint Johns German Evangelical church was formed in 1843.
The first Jewish congregation in Richmond was Kahal Kadosh Beth Shalome. Beth Shalome was the sixth in the United States and was the westernmost Jewish congregation in the United States at the time of its foundation. By 1822 K.K. Beth Shalome members worshipped in the first synagogue building in Virginia. They eventually merged with Congregation Beth Ababah, an offshoot of Beth Shalome.
There are several seminaries in Richmond. Three of these have banded together to become the Richmond Theological Consortium. This consortium consists of a theology school at Virginia Union University, a Presbyterian seminary called Union PSCE , and a Baptist semiary known as Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
Economy
Historic development as a commercial center
Richmond's strategic location on the James River, built on undulating hills at the rocky fall line separating the piedmont and tidewater regions of Virginia provided a natural site for the development of commerce. For centuries, the native peoples of the powerful Powhatan tribe recognized the value of this site, rich in natural beauty. They knew it as a place to hunt, fish, play, and trade, and they called it "Shocquohocan,", or Shockoe.
The first European explorers came in 1607, from the Virginia Company of London. They discovered a fragrant weed grown by the natives, and tobacco became a lucrative commodity in the area. The trading post developed into a village, and by 1733 a town was laid out by William Byrd II and William Mayo. Its early buildings were clustered around the Farmers' Market, existing today at 17th Street.
Early trade grew rapidly, primarily in the agriculture sector, but also in the slave trade. Slaves were imported to Richmond's Manchester docks from Africa, and were bought and sold at the same market.
To facilitate the transfer of cargo from the flat-bottomed bateaux above the fall line to the ocean-faring ships below, George Washington helped design the James River and Kanawha Canal in the 1700s to bypass Richmond's rapids. The canal was later superseded by rail in the 1800s, and the railroads were laid on the original canal towpaths. In the 1900s highways were constructed in the air over the same area.
Throughout these three centuries and three modes of transportation, downtown has always been a hub, with the Great Turning Basin for boats, the world's only triple crossing of rail lines, and the intersection of two major interstates. (See also Transportation in Richmond, Virginia)
Industries that defined Richmond
Richmond emerged from the smoldering rubble of the Civil War as an economic powerhouse, with iron front buildings and massive brick factories. Innovation of this era included the world's first cigarette-rolling machine and the world's first successful electric street car system.
Freed slaves and their descendants created a thriving African-American business community, led by such influential people as Maggie L. Walker and John Mitchell, Jr. The city's historic Jackson Ward became known as the "Wall Street of Black America."
Law and finance have long been driving forces in the economy. Because of its "GLOBAL LEGAL SERVICE CENTRES" Richmond was named by Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC), as having minimal evidence of being a Global city.[4]
Since the 1960's Richmond has been a prominent hub for advertising agencies and advertising related businesses, including The Martin Agency. As a result of local advertising agency support, VCU's graduate advertising school (VCU AdCenter) is consistently ranked the #1 advertising graduate program in the country.
Richmond is one of the only cities to be the home of both a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and a Federal Reserve Bank, Many downtown office buildings today house major law firms, banks, and brokerages.
Business Rankings
In 2005, Forbes ranked the Richmond area as the #14 Best Place for Business and Careers, primarily due to its highly educated labor force and relatively low business costs. Other areas of the economy that have developed recently in the city include pharmaceuticals, insurance, advertising, biotechnology, education, tourism health services, or semi-conductors.
The Richmond Metro area is also the home of eight Fortune 500 companies (soon to be nine with the announced relocation of Connecticut based MeadWestvaco to Richmond), including electric utility Dominion Resources; consumer electronics retailer Circuit City, which also spun off the used car retailer CarMax, now a separate Fortune 500 company; Performance Food Group; LandAmerica Financial Group; Owens & Minor; and the Brink's Company, a security services outfit. Genworth Financial, the former insurance arm of GE, also has its headquarters here, and is also a member of the Fortune 500. Only five metro areas in the US have more Fortune 500 headquarters than the Richmond area.
Fortune 500 Companies and Other Large Corporations
Other Fortune 500 companies, while not headquartered in the area, do have a major presence here. These include Wachovia Securities headquarters (a subsidiary of Charlotte, North Carolina based Wachovia Corporation), SunTrust Banks Incorporated (based in Atlanta, Georgia), credit card agency Capital One Financial Corporation (officially based in McLean, Virginia, but founded in Richmond with its largest campus and most employees in the Richmond area), and the medical and pharmaceutical McKesson Corporation (based in San Francisco, California). Philip Morris USA (a division of Altria Group), one of the world's largest food, beverage, and tobacco companies, maintains their corporate headquarters in Henrico County just outside the city, and has several other facilities in the area. Universal Corporation, also in the tobacco industry, has its corporate headquarters here as well. Capital One and Phillip Morris USA are two of the largest private Richmond-area employers.
DuPont also maintains a production facility known as the Spruance Plant, and Infineon Technologies has a facility located at Elko Tract (a former WWII airfield and ghost town) near Richmond International Airport, and produces DRAM computer memory in the area.
Richmond is also home to the rapidly developing Virginia Biotechnology Research Park, which opened in the 1990s as an incubator facility for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Located adjacent to the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, the park currently has more than 575,000 square feet (53,000 m²) of research, laboratory and office space for a diverse tenant mix of companies, research institutes, government laboratories and non-profit organizations. The United Network for Organ Sharing, which maintains the nation's organ transplant waiting list, occupies one building in the park. Philip Morris USA also recently announced their plans to build a $300 million research and development facility in the park as well.
Richmond is also the home of the Ukrop's Super Market, a regional, family-owned chain of supermarkets, known for its remarkable customer service and friendly employees, as well as its sponsorship of community events, such as the Monument Avenue 10K, Easter on Parade, and the Ukrop's Christmas Parade. The Ukrop family has also been criticized by some for various conservative political actions, such as causing the ban on both GWAR playing concerts in Richmond and Howard Stern's show being syndicated on local radio. Despite their conservative stance on many issues, the Ukrop family are strong contributors to Democratic Party candidates.
Recent Business Developments
In recent years, Richmond has been reviving its downtown environment. Recent downtown initiatives include the canal walk, the new Greater Richmond Convention Center, the proposed Virginia Performing Arts Center and a proposed new baseball stadium for the AAA Class Richmond Braves.
In February, 2006, MeadWestvaco announced that they would move from Stamford, Connecticut to Richmond in 2008.[5]
Infrastructure
Government
Richmond city government consists of a city council with representatives from nine districts serving in a legislative and oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected, at-large mayor serving as head of the executive branch. Citizens in each of the nine districts elect one council representative each to serve a two-year term. The city council elects from among itself one member to serve as Vice-Mayor (Council President) and one to serve as Assistant Vice-Mayor (Council Vice President).
Richmond's government previously changed from a council-manager form of government to an at-large, popularly elected Mayor. During the election, mayor Rudy McCollum was defeated by L. Douglas Wilder, who previously served Virginia as the first and only black governor. In 2004, Virginia Commonwealth University named its School of Government and Public Affairs in honor of L. Douglas Wilder.
As of the November, 2004 election, the Richmond City Council consists of: L. Douglas Wilder (Mayor), Manoli Loupassi (Vice Mayor, 1st District), Jacqueline M. "Jackie" Jackson (City Council Vice President, 8th District), William J. Pantele (2nd District), Chris A. Hilbert (3rd District), Kathy A. Graziano (4th District), E. Martin "Marty" Jewell (5th District), Ellen F. Robertson (6th District), Delores McQuinn (7th District), and Eugene A. Mason, Jr. (9th District).
See also: List of mayors of Richmond, Virginia
Education
The city of Richmond operates 31 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and eight high schools, with a cosmopolitan student population of 25,000 students. Here is a listing of Richmond City Public Schools. The adjacent counties of Henrico and Chesterfield also have a large number of public schools.
There are also several schools of higher education, including the University of Richmond (private), Virginia Commonwealth University (public), Virginia Union University (private) and the Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education (private). Several community colleges are found in the metro area, including J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and John Tyler Community College.
Virginia State University is located about 20 miles south of Richmond, in the suburb of Ettrick, just outside Petersburg. Randolph-Macon College is located about 15 miles north of Richmond, in the incorporated town of Ashland.
Transportation
Richmond is served by the Richmond International Airport (IATA: RIC, ICAO: KRIC), located in nearby Sandston, seven miles southeast of Richmond and within an hour drive of historic Williamsburg, Virginia, RIC airport is served by seven airlines with non-stop flights to 21 destinations and connecting flights to destinations worldwide. In 2004, the airport served approximately 2.5 million passengers.
Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound Lines. Local transit and paratransit bus service in Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield counties is provided by the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC).
Richmond also has two railroad stations served by Amtrak. Each station receives regular service from north of Richmond from Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York. The suburban Staples Mill Road Station is located on a major north-south freight line and receives all service to and from all points south including, Raleigh, Durham, Savannah, Newport News, Williamsburg and Florida. The historic and recently renovated Main Street Station near downtown Richmond only receives trains bound for Newport News and Williamsburg at this time, due to its track layout. As a result, the Staples Mill Road station receives more service overall.
Richmond also benefits from an excellent position in reference to the state's transportation network, lying at the junction of east-west Interstate 64 and north-south Interstate 95, two of the most heavily traveled highways in the state, as well as along several major rail lines.
Utilities
Electricity in the Richmond Metro area is provided by Dominion Virginia Power. The company, based in Richmond, one of the nation's largest producers of energy, serving retail energy customers in nine states. Electricity is provided in the Richmond area primarily by the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station and Surry Nuclear Generating Station, as well as a coal-fired station in Chester, Virginia. These three plants provide a total of 4,453 megawatts of power. Several other natural gas plants provide extra power during times of peak demand. These include a facility in Chester, in Surry, and two plants in Richmond (Gravel Neck and Darbytown).[6]
Water is provided by the city's Department of Public Utilities, and is one of the largest water producers in Virginia, with a modern plant that can treat up to 132 million gallons of water a day from the James River.[7]
Wastewater: The treatment plant and distribution system of water mains, pumping stations and storage facilities provide water to approximately 62,000 customers in the city. The facility also provides water to the surrounding area through wholesale contracts with Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover counties. Overall, this results in a facility that provides water for approximately 500,000 people. There is also a wastewater treatment plant located on the south bank of the James River. This plant can treat up to 70 million gallons of water per day of sanitary sewage and stormwater before returning it to the river. The wastewater utility also operates and maintains 1,500 miles of sanitary sewer, pumping stations, 38 miles of intercepting sewer lines, and the Shockoe Retention Basin, a 44-million-gallon stormwater reservoir used during heavy rains.
Telephone service for the Richmond area is provided by two local exchange carriers: Verizon is the incumbent telephone company, and Cavalier Telephone is a competitive local exchange carrier.
See also
Sister cities
Richmond has seven sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
Olsztyn (Poland)
Richmond-upon-Thames (England)
Urawa, Aichi (Japan)
Windhoek (Namibia)
Zhengzhou (China)
Uijongbu (South Korea)- Saitama, Saitama (Japan).
References
- ^ "Quick Data View Richmond." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1971-2000.
- ^ Almeida, Berkley S. "A GIS Assessment of Urban Sprawl in Richmond, Virginia." Virginia Tech (Master's Thesis). May 10, 2005.
- ^ "History of Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond." Second Presbyterian Church.
- ^ [1]
- ^ O'Dell, Larry. "MeadWestvaco to Move Headquarters to Virginia." ABC News. February 15, 2006.
- ^ Dominion Virginia Power Website.
- ^ City of Richmond, Department of Public Utilities
External links
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The GaWC Inventory of World Cities