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To declare the City's commitment to ensuring equitable access to extracurricular programming, recreational opportunities, and public spaces for the children, young adults, and residents of the city of Richmond; honoring the legacy of Arthur Ashe, Jr. as an element of the overall design of the proposed Diamond District redevelopment; pursuing opportunities for providing the recreational and organizational opportunities previously served by the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Athletic Center on sites in the general proximity of the proposed Diamond District redevelopment prior to the transfer and demolition of the Center; and intending to prioritize the appropriation of funds to support and expand recreational and extracurricular opportunities for the youth, young adults, and residents of the city of Richmond through the development and maintenance of community centers, athletic fields, public parks, and other facilities that provide safe and healthy enrichment opportunities.
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WHEREAS, the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Athletic Center (the "Center"), located at 3017 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard, with Tax Parcel No. N000-1510/009 in the 2022 records of the City Assessor, is a 6,000-seat athletic facility containing a basketball court, indoor track, and other amenities that served the children and families of Richmond for nearly forty years; and
WHEREAS, the Center has historically served as an important community-gathering center hosting youth athletic competitions, concerts, summer camps, vaccination events, graduations, and other programming; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, the Center has experienced substantial deferred maintenance leading to a significant reduction in programming; and
WHEREAS, today, the lack of modern amenities and the significant costs associated with needed repairs severely limit how the building can be used; and
WHEREAS, the Center is owned by the City and is located on a 4.015 acre parcel within the a larger group of parcel...
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