James River Recommendations Bill Street CRC James River Workgroup

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JAMES RIVER – TABLE OF CONTENTS Through regional collaboration, make the James River a centerpiece for

entertainment, recreation, and commerce

Slide Content

3 Goals - Summary

4 Overview of Strategies

5-16 Strategies Detail

17 Requests

18 Appendix

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JAMES RIVER GOALS Through regional collaboration, make the James River a centerpiece for

entertainment, recreation, and commerce

Development of Public Access Network

Coordination of Education, Promotion, and Celebration Events

River Preservation and Business Development

• Region-wide public access network • Variety of connections to the James River • Enhancement of existing elements (parks, trails, dining, etc.)

– Best practices: Boise River Greenbelt, ID; Port of Hood River, OR

• Everyone in region has an understanding of and appreciation for the James River

– Best practices: San Antonio’s Paseo del Rio; Milwaukee’s RiverWalk; Hood River’s Gorge Games

• Mechanisms to protect the river’s natural beauty, health, and unique character

• Mechanisms to promote and guide business development that enhances region’s connection to the river

– Best practices: Boise River Greenbelt, ID; Hood River, OR

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STRATEGIES – OVERVIEW

Regional James River Plan

Centralized Information

Consistent Signage

Increased Celebrations and Events

Produce a coordinated regional James River plan, endorsed by each jurisdiction, for the public access network and business development

Develop a central James River website to increase awareness and use of information related to river education, recreation, and celebration activities

Establish consistent and holistic signage for the James River throughout the Richmond Region

Identify opportunities to coordinate promotion of river events, to expand existing events regionally, and to assess potential for a signature region-wide river event

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1. An inventory of current river-related access points, trails and businesses

2. Recreation and commercial needs and sustainable use limits to optimize the experience at each network element considering all potential user groups

3. Identification of potential new access points, trails and businesses according to the needs and goals of each jurisdiction

4. Recommendations for mechanisms to encourage desired business development

5. An inventory of river features that are important to the quality of the experience along the public access network and recommendations for mechanisms to protect and maintain them

6. Identification of potential conflicts between competing river uses and recommendations to manage or avoid the conflicts

7. Recommendations for governance structures and financing mechanisms to implement the regional James River plan and to manage the regional public access network

STRATEGIES – REGIONAL JAMES RIVER PLAN Produce a coordinated regional James River plan, endorsed by each jurisdiction, for the public access network and business development

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STRATEGIES – REGIONAL JAMES RIVER PLAN Produce a coordinated regional James River plan, endorsed by each jurisdiction, for the public access network and business development

Possible Approaches Related Efforts Who Can Help

• Contract professional firm • Provide grant for a qualified

non-profit organization • Provide funding for RRPDC to

lead and develop plan • Utilize existing staff resources

at RRPDC, localities and NGO partners

• Utilize university planning professors and students

• Combine any of the above based on different components of the plan

• Richmond Riverfront Plan • Captain John Smith Trail -

James River Segment Plan • Envision the James (JRA,

National Geographic, Chesapeake Conservancy)

• Capital to Capital Trail

• RRPDC • Localities • VCU Urban Planning

Department • James River Association • Sports Backers • Chesapeake Conservatory • Chamber Members

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STRATEGIES – REGIONAL JAMES RIVER PLAN

Requests & Commitments

1. Each local government provide appropriate person to attend a kick-off meeting for the regional plan

2. RRPDC staff has offered to convene meeting of jurisdictions’ representatives

3. Bill Street and Doug Pick have committed to facilitate first meeting and follow up meetings

Produce a coordinated regional James River plan, endorsed by each jurisdiction, for the public access network and business development

Best Practices

Boise Greenbelt

• Contracted with professional consultant for comprehensive planning of utilization of the Boise River as an asset

• Connects parks, trails, and memorials

Port of Hood River

• Enterprise zone along waterfront abates property taxes for 3-5 years for business

• Repurposed existing industrial sites for public access recreational needs

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STRATEGIES – REGIONAL JAMES RIVER PLAN Richmond Riverfront Plan

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STRATEGIES – CENTRALIZED INFORMATION

1. Build on and promote existing related on-line resources

2. Utilize and promote through broader on-line initiatives (VA Tourism Corp., Capt. John Smith Trail, National Geographic, etc.)

3. Provide a coordinated source of education programs available in the region

4. Provide a comprehensive calendar of river-related events in the region

5. Provide information on the public access network including location, description, activities, services, amenities, restrictions, etc.

6. Promote river education and stewardship

7. Provide links to related businesses, organizations and resources

8. Develop and utilize a strong brand for the James River in the region

Develop a central James River website to increase awareness and use of information related to river education, recreation, and celebration activities

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STRATEGIES – CENTRALIZED INFORMATION Develop a central James River website to increase awareness and use of information related to river education, recreation, and celebration activities

Possible Approaches Related Efforts Who Can Help

• Contract with a professional website developer and PR firm

• Contract with National Geographic under their Geotourism Program

• Utilize existing web design capacity of localities and Chamber

• Convene a workgroup of willing PR firms for branding

• Options: Develop a James River specific website or make it part of a broader region website

• VA Tourism Corporation • Local tourism boards • JRAC • Sports Backers • Venture Richmond • James River Association • Richmond Convention and

Visitors Bureau • Chamber Members

• VisitRichmondVA.com • Richmond.com • RVARiverfront.com • SmithTrail.net • EnvisionTheJames.org • JamesRiverPark.org • map.jrava.org • Virginia.org

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STRATEGIES – CENTRALIZED INFORMATION Develop a central James River website to increase awareness and use of information related to river education, recreation, and celebration activities

1. CRC staff convene meeting of

appropriate content providers

2. Chamber representatives find firm to define project pro-bono

San Antonio’s Paseo del Rio

• Central website houses information on history, news, events, local tourism, and links to related businesses/websites

• Governed by a board of directors and managed on a day-to-day basis by an executive director with a staff of four

• Funded by river events and business taxes

Requests & Commitments Best Practices

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STRATEGIES – CONSISTENT SIGNAGE

1. Develop a region-wide unified way-finding signage system to all James River related public access points and trails

2. Develop a robust and consistent river interpretation system throughout the public access network that connects with the central James River website

3. Develop and utilize a strong brand for the James River in the region by convening creative and marketing experts from the region

4. Utilize this branding on signage through the region and the website, etc.

Establish consistent and holistic signage for the James River throughout the Richmond Region

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STRATEGIES – CONSISTENT SIGNAGE

Possible Approaches Related Efforts Who Can Help

• Standardized and integrated across the region

• Common elements but jurisdiction specific

• Grassroots

• City of Richmond preparation for 2015 cycling event

• City of Richmond River Front Plan

• John Smith Trail • Civil War Trail • Slave Trail • Liberty Trail

• RRPDC • Localities • Friends of James River Park • VA Department of

Conservation and Recreation • VDOT

Establish consistent and holistic signage for the James River throughout the Richmond Region

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STRATEGIES – CONSISTENT SIGNAGE

1. Chamber identifies highly regarded

brand specialists to lead an assessment phase pro-bono to develop a regional River brand that can be used as part of a unified regional signage effort

2. Local governments designate staff representative and PDC staff to convene a meeting of jurisdictional representatives to develop sign guidelines (location, height, size, etc.)

Hood River’s River Signage

• Signs are multi-language, • Portray identifiers for types of usage • Display hours of operation • Contain aerial photos with difficulty

indicators • List safety guidelines

Chattanooga’s Wayfinding Signage

• Color-coded wayfinding signage to help visitors reach the river walk

Establish consistent and holistic signage for the James River throughout the Richmond Region

Requests & Commitments Best Practices

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STRATEGIES – CELEBRATIONS AND EVENTS

1. Promote the river during the events

2. Expand existing events to involve more of the Richmond Region

3. Assess the potential for a signature river event for the Region

4. Utilize existing events that are more intentionally collaborative

5. Use celebrations to help enhance the vibrancy of the region (i.e. restaurants, access points,

why we want to live here)

6. Develop a smart phone app for events

Convene the primary groups that organize river-related events to identify

opportunities to coordinate and strengthen river-related events.

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STRATEGIES – CELEBRATIONS AND EVENTS

Possible Approaches Related Efforts Who Can Help

• Convene meeting of limited number of top event organizers

• Schedule a one day workshop with guest speakers from other regions

• Hold a larger meeting open to all interested groups

• Folk Festival • Dominion River Rock • James River Regional Cleanup • James River Parade of Lights • Cap2Cap Bike Ride • Dragon Boat Festival • James River Splash and Dash • Que Pasa • RVA Fireworks on the James • Rocketts Red Glare • Manchester Earth Day • Friday Cheers • Xterra East Championship

• Venture Richmond • Sports Backers • JRAC • James River Association • Richmond Convention and

Visitors Bureau

Identify opportunities to coordinate promotion of river events, to expand existing events regionally, and to assess potential for a signature region-wide river event

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STRATEGIES – CELEBRATIONS AND EVENTS

1. RTD/Richmond.com to convene a

meeting of major event organizers along the river to identify opportunities for promoting the James as part of their event

San Antonio River Walk

• Hosts 20+ annual celebrations including holiday events and cultural events

• Family friendly events coexist with adult events (e.g. pub crawls)

Nashville Riverfront

• 4th of July Signature event

• Brings in over 100,000 attendees

Identify opportunities to coordinate promotion of river events, to expand existing events regionally, and to assess potential for a signature region-wide river event

Requests & Commitments Best Practices

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REQUESTS AND COMMITMENTS SUMMARY

Regional Plan

Centralized Information

Celebrations and Events

Consistent Signage

1. Each local government provide appropriate person to attend James River regional plan kick-off meeting

2. PDC staff has offered to convene meeting of jurisdiction’s reps

3. Bill Street & Doug Pick have committed to facilitate first meetings

4. CRC staff convene meeting of appropriate content providers

5. Commercial representatives find firm to define project pro-bono

6. Chamber identifies highly regarded brand specialists to lead an assessment phase pro-bono to develop a regional river brand that can be used as part of a unified regional signage effort

7. Local governments designate staff representative and PDC staff to convene a meeting of jurisdictional representatives to develop sign guidelines (location, height, size, etc.)

8. RTD/Richmond.com to convene a meeting of major event organizers along the river to identify opportunities for promoting the James as part of their event

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• Credits • Best Practices

APPENDIX

Leadership Team Bill Street, Chair Doug Pick, Facilitator Jackie S. Stewart, AICP Lead Staff Patrick Ducey, Capital One Analyst Matthew Neuber, Capital One Analyst Zachary Trimmer, Capital One Analyst

Work Group Participants Erin Bagnell – Venture Richmond Heather Barrar - Chesterfield County George Burner – James River Advisory Council Jen Campbell - Altria Alexander Dahm – Venture Richmond Lorne Field – Chesterfield County Mary Ellen Garrigue – Community Idea Stations Katherine Godin – Community Ideas Stations Christine W. Hale - MeadeWestvaco Foundation Jill McCormick - Cabell Foundation David McNeel – City of Richmond Tommy Miller – Hanover County Barbara Nelson – Richmond Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Brad Nesheim – Boy Scouts of America Mark Olinger – City of Richmond

Mike Ostrander – Discover the James Doug Palmore – Luck Companies Matt Perry – Riverside Outfitters Leighton Powell – Scenic Virginia Matt Rowe – Charles City County Megan Schultz – Sports Backers Lisa Sims – Venture Richmond Dr. Len Smock – VCU Rice Center Richard Souter – Rocketts Landing Bob Steidel – City of Richmond Dudley Stephens – Universal Leaf Corporation Sarah Stewart – Richmond Regional Planning District Commission Scott Ukrop – 3north Greg Velzy – Chesterfield County Beth Weisbrod – Virginia Capital Trails John Zeugner - Sierra Club/Falls of the James Special Thanks

Myrna Rooks – Hershler Fleishler, facility and logistics support Leigh Medford – Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, GIS mapping Quillia Brooks – Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, administrative support

APPENDIX