RICHMOND, Va -- As Richmond's Lee Circle remains closed to the public more than two years after barriers were installed around its perimeter, new plans have been unveiled to temporarily fill the space with trees and plants.
The firm VHB, which has designed landscaping for other former sites of Confederate statues along Monument Avenue, submitted a proposal to plant small trees, shrubs, ornamental grass and perennials inside and around the area.
The plan includes narrow mulch walking paths, but does not appear to leave much room for gathering, despite the space garnering national attention in 2020 as a gathering spot for protesters against racial injustice.
According to the proposal, the plantings will include year-round species that don't require extensive maintenance, and will align with the character of the other recently established grassy medians up and down the street.
The cost of the project is estimated at $100,000 and installation would begin between late September and mid-October, depending on approval from the city.
Ever since the removal of the Lee statue in September 2021, Richmonders have wondered when the city will reopen the circle.
“It is just kind of weird that they’ve had it fenced off for so long," said Cassidy Edwards, who lives across the street.
Barricades were installed around the area in June 2020, and fencing went up in January 2021. Some community members questioned if keeping the circle closed has been an attempt to prevent crowds from hanging out in the area, which is surrounded by residences.
"I guess it was the gathering spot, and people just wanted that to stop," Edwards said.
Advocates have referred to the space as the Marcus-David Peters Circle, named after a Black manshot and killed by Richmond Police in 2018 while he was having a mental health crisis. Prosecutors later deemed his shooting death justifiable.
Throughout summer 2020, advocates used the space for community gardens, cookouts and other recreational activities.
While Fan resident Sharon Harrison said she thought the new proposed design looked nice, she was not pleased that the layout seemed to discourage gathering.
“I think it’s a disservice. They should be able to congregate, I mean it’s a huge space," Harrison said.
During the height of civil unrest and through the remainder of 2020, Capitol Police told CBS 6 neighbors routinely requested calls for service in the area for disturbances and safety concerns including intentionally-set fires.
Edwards said she never had a problem with people coming together at the circle but added she felt it's no longer an ideal situation.
"I also don't really see any reason why that would be the spot for that anymore," Edwards said.
Richmond 2nd District Councilwoman Katherine Jordan said the new landscaping design will be reviewed and voted on by the city's Urban Design Committee on Sept. 8 and then the Planning Commission on Sept. 19 for final approval.
She's asking for the public to weigh in.
"We encourage you to share your thoughts and feedback on this temporary proposed design at each stage, and especially at UDC and Planning where we have seen design changes on other projects. All meetings are public and open to in-person and virtual participation," Jordan said in a Facebook post.
Overall, Edwards and Harrison supported the design.
"That's nice, I like it," Edwards said. "And that’s going to be beautiful if that’s what they do.”
"It looks nice, I like it," Harrison said.
Derek Rodriguez, a Henrico County resident who works in the area, said the improved space could bring peace to the area and he'd want to visit during his shift breaks.
"I would much rather see trees than the statue," Rodriguez said. "I feel like that would be the perfect area for everybody around here to just get away from stress and stuff like that."
The landscaping will not be a part of the city's official "Reimagine Monument Avenue" project, which would include permanent designs that "reflect the character and history of the site," according to documents for the proposal.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was initially in charge of redesigning the historical sites where monuments once stood, but the City of Richmond took over when then Governor Ralph Northam transferred ownership of the Lee Circle from the state to the city just before Governor Glenn Youngkin took office.
The change was not widely communicated to the public until reported by CBS 6 in April of this year. A spokesperson for the museum said VMFA was not consulted by the state or city before the switch happened.
Detailing the museum's detachment from the project, communications obtained through the Freedom of Information Act showed VMFA Director Alex Nyerges wrote an email on December 30, 2021 responding to a news report that Confederate statues could be given to the Black History Museum.
"What am I missing? I know we are out of the loop but being this far out is insulting. Just saying," Nyerges wrote.
The museum's legislative liaison, Katie Payne responded, "Agreed - it is frustrating that we have not been kept in the loop on this, especially after all we did (and were willing to do). We suspected something like this was in the works... but have not heard anything from official sources."
The subject line of the email thread was "Is it April 1st already?" — April Fool's Day.
Jordan said a timeline for the city's re-imagine efforts has not yet been determined. Once landscaping is complete, she said the state will retrieve the fencing.
City spokesperson Petula Burks re-emphasized the planting project will only be a "temporary fix."
"The City stands behind its commitment to bringing the community together to listen and re-imagine the circle for the future. We understand that these conversations must be thoughtful in order for healing to continue and true understanding attained," said Burks.
In July, a city official told CBS 6 the circle would reopen "sometime in the fall" after grass could re-establish following the dismantling of the Lee pedestal in December 2021. The irrigation system was also in need of repair.
