Facility on Nine Mile Road offers more space and an efficient, ‘trauma-informed’ design

The $10 million, 30,735-square-foot East Center, at 3908 Nine Mile Road, is replacing a clinic about half its size in leased space on Laburnum Avenue.

The Board of Supervisors at its June 25 regular meeting approved plans to replace two of Henrico County’s oldest public high schools with modern facilities that will serve the community long term. Construction is expected to start this fall on the new Highland Springs and J.R. Tucker high schools.

Henrico shares honor following Pulse launch, GRTC route expansion

The 2018 launch of the Pulse bus rapid transit system and expansion of GRTC Transit System routes in Henrico County are being lauded by a pro-growth group as part of a “transit revolution” for the region.

The Greater Washington Partnership, a group of business leaders that promotes unity and growth from Richmond to Baltimore, on Tuesday released a case study on the region’s transit system changes. It found a 17% increase in local ridership from July 2018 through April compared with the same period the previous year. During that time, transit ridership nationally dropped by 2%, according to the study.

County officials and a few dozen supporters of the international sport of cricket gathered in western Henrico on June 8 to mark the beginning of construction of the Deep Run Park Cricket Field.

Henrico and YMCA of Greater Richmond officials joined friends and community supporters Wednesday, May 14 to break ground on the Henrico Aquatics Center, a first-of-its-kind facility for the county that will help address a Board of Supervisors’ initiative to “make Henrico drown-proof.”

The 21,000-square-foot facility will be built on 6 acres of county-owned property between the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center and the Health Department East Clinic on North Laburnum Avenue.

Fairfield District Supervisor Frank J. Thornton said he had “long dreamed of having a pool” in the eastern Henrico community.

2018 was one of the wettest years in Henrico County since the 1880s. The rain significantly impacted road paving and repairs.

“We lost almost half a year of production due to wet weather,” said Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Steve Yob.

Road crews missed approximately 200 days of production in 2018, so this year they hope to make up lost ground. Crews will work weekends and nights to get the job done.

Vehicle crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists are increasing across Henrico County, just as they are throughout Virginia and the United States.

To reverse the trend, Henrico is responding with messages discouraging cellphone use and other distractions, targeted enforcement of traffic laws and a review of crosswalks, lighting or other design features that may be beneficial in certain areas.

Henrico is tapping local expertise as it expands and sharpens its focus on improving the county’s housing stock, its affordability and neighborhoods.

The Board of Supervisors in April established the Housing Advisory Committee and appointed its first nine members, who will serve staggered terms through 2020 or 2021. The members offer broad experience in housing issues, including for-profit and nonprofit development, home building and sales, commercial lending and law.