Richmond
City Council – Richmond City Hall - 900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305 - Richmond, Virginia 23219
U.S.A. - www.council.richmondva.gov
COUNCIL PUBLIC
INFORMATION NEWS RELEASE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO BE FORWARDED AND SHARED
Monday,
27 July 2015
The
Honorable Jonathan T. Baliles
Councilman,
Richmond City Council, Richmond West End 1st Voter District
and
The
Honorable Charles
R. Samuels
As
released July 25, 2015 by Councilmen
Regarding: Resolution to advance a Request for Qualifications for City-owned
Boulevard Property; Amending and continuing proposed Richmond City Council Resolution Number 2014-R184
WHAT (Richmond,
Virginia U.S.A.) – “Because
we support improving health care for children in our region, we are amending
and continuing our Boulevard development Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
resolution until the December Council meeting. The Commonwealth of Virginia
requires that all new hospitals apply for a Certificate of Public Need,
therefore we will be able to evaluate the important details of the children’s
hospital plan at that time before we reconsider our resolution.
Based
on our understanding of the state’s requirements, the plan for the Children’s
Hospital will require a letter of intent that is to be submitted on or around
December 2, 2015. Per state code, the letter of intent is the first step and
“…shall identify the owner, the type of project for which an application is
requested, and the proposed scope (size) and location of the proposed project.”
The state then has seven days to transmit an application, which would then be due
on or about January 2, 2016 and include important information about the
project, including methods of financing. It is also our understanding that at
this time, the letter of intent process is moving forward with all these vital
details required by the state and it should be better known by December if this
project will move forward. In the interim, the two of us look forward to
collaborating with our colleagues on Council and friends in the surrounding
localities in building a regional partnership that would help make this effort
successful.
Should the
children’s hospital application not advance as conceived, we stand by our
resolution that the Boulevard should be developed to its highest and best use
for the City with all options on the table. That process should be transparent
and include participation, especially from surrounding neighborhoods and a
thorough public process. That process should begin as soon as possible, pending
the outcome of the state’s decision on the planned Certificate of Public Need
application for a new children’s hospital.
We
think it is important to note that the Request for Qualifications merely seeks
to identify potential companies that have the vision and financial wherewithal
to develop this 61 acre tract of City-owned land. This would position the City
to move toward identifying potential qualified developers – but not specific
uses – if the hospital’s application process is not successful.
We
are eager to learn more details about the effort to bring a freestanding
children’s hospital to Richmond, and the health system partners and other
entities that would be financially responsible for its development.”
CONTACT For more information, please contact:
The
Honorable Charles
R. Samuels, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond North Central 2nd Voter
District, at 804.646.6532 or by email, at charles.samuels@richmondgov.com
and/or
The
Honorable Jonathan T. Baliles, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond West
End 1st Voter District,
at 804.646.5349 (tel), or jonathan.baliles@richmondgov.com (email)
-
E N D -
Steve Skinner
Council Public Information Manager
RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL CHIEF OF STAFF
Richmond City Hall
900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305
Richmond, Virginia 23219 U.S.A.
804.646.6052 (office)
804.335.4054 (mobile)
804.937.1386 (home/mobile)
804.646.5468 (fax)
steven.skinner@richmondgov.com (email)
www.council.richmondva.gov(website)
____________________________________________________
MISSION The mission of Richmond City Council is to
represent citizens in creating and amending local laws,
providing government
policy and oversight, and
approving the city budget.
VISION Richmond City Council is committed to
creating a vibrant community that is a great place
to live, work, learn, play, visit and raise a family.
