Evan Kauffman, executive director at the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, addresses the panel.
The placemaking initiatives took a step forward recently when local officials got together with some urban planners to look at opportunities along Richmond Highway in Mount Vernon and come up with suggestions for improvements.
This included a bus tour on Wednesday, Jan. 31 followed by the presentation of a report that was compiled by a panel that included landscape design engineers and architects. The panel consisted of officials from Marriott, Georgetown University, Amtrak, Urban Land Institute and others that came up with suggestions. They toured and came up with suggestions including tree cover, small business survival and art along the corridor, to name a few.
One suggestion was to look at what is in Mount Vernon now and expand on that. The presence of thrift stores was highlighted, and part of the plan could be to name a portion of the corridor the “Thrift Store Trail.” There were other suggestions of similar nature and the Urban Land Institute used past successes to show what spots could look like. These spots were in Richmond or several locations around Washington, D.C.
The “Fabric of the Community” mural by Nico Cathcart.
In Mount Vernon they identified places for placemaking efforts that included the Gum Springs Gateway and Wetlands, a VDOT Acquired Site that was a former 7-Eleven; Mount Vernon High School & Recreation Site; Bridges/Stream Valleys; the Aldi Site; Mount Vernon Crossroads; the Residences at North Hills and the South County Government Center.
Evan Kauffman, executive director at the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, was one of the facilitators of this event, and was happy with the outcome. “They identified a bunch of places for new placemaking opportunities,” he said. Although they are not breaking ground on any of these ideas in the near future, “it was good to give us a plan to work with,” he said.
Placemaking activities have already taken place in Mount Vernon in Hybla Valley. In July 2023, the Mount Vernon parklet was unveiled as a placemaking feature to an area dominated by retail and parking lots. BCT Design Group was hired to decorate this 3,200 square-foot parklet with outdoor seating, green space and landscaping.
Art is a Start
The presence of artwork to brighten places was mentioned more than once by the panel, and this has already happened in a few places around Mount Vernon. One of these was unveiled in November 2023 when they unveiled the “Fabric of the Community” mural, located on the side of Zips Dry Cleaning at 6216 North Kings Highway. It is described as “a visually captivating homage to the rich cultural and historical tapestry of the Richmond Hwy Corridor.” It was commissioned by the SFDC and crafted by the acclaimed muralist Nico Cathcart as a public art piece to unveil part of SFDC’s placemaking initiatives.
At the heart of the mural is a pair of eagles, inspired by a real-life nesting pair on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The mural’s backdrop, depicting the scenic Mount Vernon trail and the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge, emphasizes the community’s connection to nature and the continuity of its landscape.
“I wanted this piece to highlight the local environment, and the ongoing conservation efforts with the bald eagles that live in the surrounding trees,” Nico said.
She included the faces of local women who are "moms and nurses and hardworking souls in the area, done to celebrate the people who live here," she said. They are together in conversation, showing a strength in community.
In the past, Nico has done projects in the Richmond area, working with Henrico County on a mural at the Cultural Art Center where she inspired youth from the James River Detention Center who helped on the project. Nico Cathcart @nicocathcart is from Toronto, Ontario, and currently living in Richmond.