While taking a Mothers Day stroll for coffee, my wife passed along a rumor she heard about a restaurant going in at Parkwood and Addison. We pass this strange looking building whenever we walk to the Fan from Byrd Park. It’s one of those yesteryear businesses that makes your imagination run wild with possibilities. I always wonder what used to be there so many years ago (a gas station? an old fashioned drive-up diner? a dry cleaners with car-side service?). Why is the business no more? And then I remember the walk from my house. The footbridge is covered in trash and seemingly forgotten by all but littering Thunderbird drinkers, virtually untended by the city. It’s majorly sketchy at night and only slightly better during the day. 
The intersection outside the one-day car-port restaurant looks like it sees little upkeep, but there’s more potential at that spot than just paninis and California-style coffee (some of the rumored restaurant details – can’t wait to find out what California style coffee is). The sprawling parks, picturesque lakes, and athletic courses should have Fan residents beating a path (on foot or bike, not cars) past the old gas-cleaners-diner (?), over 195 to Byrd Park. Unfortunately, Addison, the continuation of Strawberry Street south of Main, culminates at the mouth of the footbridge amidst overgrown weeds-turned-trees, piles of trash and a gigantic mud hole that never seems to dry up. It couldn’t be more foreboding. You don’t see people coming or going, ever. No little old ladies pulling groceries in a cart. No happy hour customers of Sticky Rice and deLux. The bridge is not EZ to LUV. It’s no man’s land, and that needs to change. 
If the alleged new eatery at Addison and Parkwood is going to thrive, the City will need to change it’s pattern of negligence toward the footbridge and the several surrounding blocks (on both sides of the interstate). Richmond’s entrepreneurial spirit is already taking the first step with Acacia Midtown’s improbable installation at Robinson and Cary, the bus depot redevelopment slated for eventual retail conversion*, the old Jamaica Me Crazy on Cary at Addison now transforming into La Famelia’s Mediterranean and American Deli**, and now this park’n'panini place on Parkwood. If that sounds exciting to you, then it’s time to take responsibility and civic action. 
Why aren’t there signs on Cary Street (at Robinson, Addison and Meadow) directing people to the three awesome Byrd Park Lakes and Maymont? Richmond does this for Belle Isle and Browns Island, etc. Just because Richmond saw fit to build an expressway through a historic black neighborhood (since 1950s white flight) and cut Byrd Park/Maymont/Randolph off from the heart of the city, doesn’t mean we can’t start mending those fences and creating more cohesion. Sure, it’s arguably too little too late, and many parts of those neighborhoods are gentrifying and shifting back toward majority white. But I’d just like to see the city step up and act responsibly toward it’s neighborhoods, its would-be thoroughfares, and its fledgling businesses, regardless of the demographics. Of course, input on this matter needs to come form the neighborhoods, and not just potential customers of the new businesses. This “foodie” lives at one end of that footbridge. I’d like to hear from folks on both sides as well as a the 5th District Councilperson. 
*is this really going to be feasible with the toxicity of decades of diesel fuel absorbed into the ground? If so, I vote for a grocery store in the mix.
**their menu in the window includes a $5.99 falafel pita sandwich (it better come with some fries for that price)
UPDATE: Good news! One of the partners in the new Parkwood/Addison restaurant is Jen Rawlings from the old 17.5 Cafe. To me, this means the place will be a guaranteed destination. Major construction is taking place by day. Walk by, take a gander, and start making plans to divert your strolls toward this new place, due to be open this summer.
Great post. I live a few houses down from that corner and the whole block is a cluttered mess. I’ve yet to even see a street cleaner during our supposed cleaning days. And you are correct; that bridge is pretty sketch. I use it during the day to return from Maymont and to get to Petronious Jones Park for pick-up soccer, but never, ever at night.
As for the supposed restaurant, I have noticed an increase in activity on the property over the past week. Most recently, the building was used for a grassroots voting campaign last fall.
You bring up a great point. With neighborhood restaurants increasing in the area why is the major pedestrian thoroughfare neglected. Add it to the long list of neglected infrastructure in the city. The bridge could use a good sweeping and from the look of it some “beautification” at the entrance to the walkway.
You want to hear from Marty on this… good luck!
The pictures don’t highlight the general state of the footbridge. This is just how it looked on the day I found out a restaurant was going to open nearby. The city does prioritize covering up the graffiti, but I think “beautification” (and vision, and leadership, and responsibility) are what’s called for at this point (thanks Silver). It just doesn’t look “open for business,” like the city takes any pride in this part of town. If the new place sells decent coffee, it’ll be the closest to my house and I’ll be crossing that footbridge twice as much. But, I tend to be the exception in going places others don’t.
I looked at that property last year for my Italian Ice/coffee shop Skinny Dips. It has ton of potential, but the overall condition of the neighborhood scared us away.
By the way, I’m pursuing details about the panini place (since many of you probably came here looking for the scoop). Can we add trash cans to the list of upkeep efforts that the city could take on (seems like a bare minimum).
Todd, I gotta get out to Skinny Dips. If only you were right there in my back yard.
Where did you see this menu? I’d love to see it.
One other problem with Parkwood Ave is the insanely fast vehicles driving West from Meadow. I used to call the police frequently when I first moved into the neighborhood to try to get them to keep an eye on it, but they pretty much let folks drive as fast as they want down Parkwood. It is scary, and it is going to be scary for restaurant patrons.
Can something be done to get folks to slow down on this road? I assume they are coming off the downtown expressway and want to get to their destination, but kids and animals live on Parkwood and now we’ll have restaurant patrons as well. This has been upsetting to me for a long time.
La Famelia has their menu in the window. The Parkwood place, I hear, is hoping to open in Spring/Summer (?). I’m really glad to host some local perspectives on this. I didn’t figure it was all happy campers living next to 195, between the bus station and Meadow. The neighborhood deserves more consideration. That’s one reason why I suggested signs directing people to the footbridge to the parks. They’re spending a big chunk of change on the new Fountain Lake building and they should make the path to get there as inviting as possible. This would benefit the new restaurants and the people who live in the area (if they’re consulted).
Did you send your post to your councilperson? If not, I think you should! I did not even know that footbridge existed. It is an ideal way to connect people to places. Perhaps you could send a request to the VCU Urban Planning program to do a revitalization plan for the area. Sometimes, you can get attention from the city that way and it can help mobilize a group of citizens to take action.
I use that bridge all the time, on bike and on foot. I love it. Cleanup seems to be complaint driven, like so much in the city. I’d like to see it adopted by some concerned citizens and perhaps spruced up, but it isn’t really dangerous, folks. Taggers and trash seem to be the main issues. It could use trash cans at both ends and more traffic. It’s lit up like daylight at night, btw.
Dennis: I use the footbridge day and night too, and I’ll be first in line for a panini. I think Byrd Parkers have more incentive heading north towards restaurants/retail (although few dare). Man cannot live on parks alone. Meanwhile, folks in the Fan avoid the blocks south of Cary between Meadow and Robinson, so they don’t even know about the bridge, the accessibility of the parks, and they might not discover the new restaurant.
Julie: I followed your advice and sent emails to city council, VCU urban planning, parks/rec, and public works (feel free to follow my lead, everybody). We’ll see if that captures anyone’s imagination. I think “connecting people to places” is the key concept here.
I think the image of danger IS mostly a matter of perception on both sides of the interstate and it’ll require concerted effort and resources to address it. In the meantime, I agree with Dennis that we can set an example and show our appreciation for the bridge with our feet (and bikes).
I’ve lived within 2 blocks at both ends of the bridge and never felt danger at either.
I just found out who is opening the new place on Parkwood, but I don’t know if I’m allowed to say. What I can tell you that, in my experience, she brings the kind of creativity, integrity, and perseverance to make the restaurant a destination for both sides of the expressway, whatever the surrounding circumstances (hint: come hell or high water).
Amen foodie, amen.