PROPOSED NEW RICHMOND FOLK FESTIVAL MAIN STAGE VENUE AT TREDEGAR GREEN VENTURE RICHMOND JUNE 2013

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1 PROPOSED NEW RICHMOND FOLK FESTIVAL MAIN STAGE VENUE AT TREDEGAR GREEN VENTURE RICHMOND JUNE 2013

2 Venture Richmond proposes to develop a new main stage venue for the Richmond Folk Festival on property recently donated by NewMarket Corporation, immediately west of the American Civil War Center at Tredegar. In October 2012, NewMarket Corporation donated 3.9 acres of land valued at $3.6 million to Venture Richmond. Under a development agreement between the City, Venture Richmond, Dominion and NewMarket, a connector road was constructed on 1.2 acres of that property. Venture Richmond then donated the road parcel to the City in May 2013, leaving a residual of 2.7 acres for the new venue. As part of the agreement, Venture Richmond leased an additional 1.8 acre City parcel which will be incorporated into the new venue, which is sometimes referred to as an amphitheater, or grassy slope. The Richmond Folk Festival has become Richmond s most popular annual outdoor festival, drawing over 200,000 participants each year during a threeday weekend in October. During the past eight years, the main stage has been located on private property owned by NewMarket. That site is ultimately planned for commercial development. Venture Richmond would like to locate all of the Folk Festival venues closer to the river and Brown s Island, on land that is designated for public use and controlled by either the City, the Civil War Center or Venture Richmond. This desire is shared by NewMarket, which is facilitating the Folk Festival s goal through its generous donation of riverfront property for public use. The proposed new venue, designated as Tredegar Green in the City s recently adopted Riverfront Plan, consists of 4.5 acres, including the property leased from the City. The property slopes from the top of the hill at 2nd Street, near the Virginia War Memorial, down to Tredegar Street, offering spectacular views of the James River and the Downtown skyline. The property is bisected by the remnants of the James River and Kanawha Canal, which dates from 1785, and was toured by George Washington in The canal and the river once provided an active transportation artery as far west as Buchanan, until its decline in the 1850s. The canal was abandoned after the flood of 1877, and the tow path became a rail line. The original canal is a very important historic resource, which should be preserved. Unfortunately, over the last few decades the canal bed has become an overgrown, unsightly and unsafe ditch. The proposed project seeks to restore the canal to a profile that more closely resembles its original design. The tow path width, tow path elevation, canal width at top, and canal width at bottom, will be reconfigured in accordance with archaeological research to closely approximate what would likely have existed when the canal was created. Over the years, the canal features have been modified many times. The most significant change was an increase in the tow path elevation and an increase in the width to accommodate rail lines. The proposed project will return the tow path to a form that more closely approximates the original condition. In addition, the slopes will be softened to eliminate the safety hazard that currently exists as a result of the steep dropoffs. The bottom of the canal will not be disturbed, as it has become an isolated wetland, except for several feet on each side where the slopes meet the bottom. The proposed alterations will allow the canal to be maintained in a safe condition, and will allow the banks to be periodically mowed. The modifications will allow the public to experience the canal close-up, and to learn about the canal from interpretive signs that will be installed as part of the project. The project will also improve sight lines from the upper lawn area to the stage, allowing the site to function as the main Folk Festival venue. A bike pedestrian path will be constructed on the top of the tow path berm, connecting the North Bank Trail (which goes to Maymont) to the 2nd Street Connector. The future of the Richmond Folk Festival depends on this project. An adequate site that can safely accommodate the crowds is essential if the festival is to continue. This project will provide a permanent main stage venue for the festival, accommodating approximately 10,000 participants, and will help assure its long term future. 3NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 2 PROJECT NARRATIVE

3 3NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 3 PHOTOS : EXISTING SITE

4 3NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 4 PHOTOS : EXISTING PARCELS

5 3NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 5 PHOTOS : THE RICHMOND FOLK FESTIVAL

6 3NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 6 PHOTOS : EXISTING CONDITIONS

7 3NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 7 PHOTOS : THE TOW PATH

8 3NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 8 PHOTOS : WEST TO MAYMONT

9 08 LEGEND MAIN STAGE VIP TENT ADDITIONAL TENT SPACE VENDOR TENT SPACE FOOD COURT RESTROOMS FESTIVAL BANNER HISTORIC CUPOLA ICON SOUND/AV TENT PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE CONNECTION TO NORTH BANK TRAIL EXISTING BRIDGE 13 FUTURE CONNECTION TO BELLE ISLE 14 EXISTING BELLE ISLE ACCESS LANDSCAPE BUFFER PEDESTRIAN PATH EXISTING BIKE TRAIL UPPER SEATING LAWN LOWER SEATING LAWN CANAL/WETLAND PEDESTRIAN PATH (ALONG TOWPATH) EXISTING GRAVEL ACESS AREA LANDSCAPING HISTORIC WALL REMNANT ON CITY PROPERTY ND STREET RAMP STREET TREES RETAIL VENDOR TENT REINFORCED TURF SITE SECTION LINE NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 9 MASTER PLAN

10 LEGEND SIGHT LINE EXISTING GRADE PROPOSED GRADE NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 10 SITE SECTION : ALTERNATE 1

11 CANAL DATA: HISTORIC CURRENT PROPOSED TOW PATH WIDTH 12 FEET 25 FEET 12 FEET TOW PATH ELEVATION 83 FEET 84.5 FEET 83 FEET CANAL BOTTOM ELEVATION NOT AVAILABLE 77 FEET 77 FEET CANAL TOP 50 FEET 67 FEET 50 FEET CANAL BOTTOM 30 FEET 37.5 FEET 25 FEET 3NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 11 CANAL SECTION (FROM ALTERNATE 1)

12 LEGEND SIGHT LINE EXISTING GRADE PROPOSED GRADE NORTH TREDEGAR GREEN 12 SITE SECTION : ALTERNATE 2