Letters of Support for 1836 Park’s Special Use Permit
Reviving 1836 Park is a community effort – and it needs your voice to be heard!
Richmond City Council must approve our application for a Special Use Permit in order for 1836 Park to come to life as a community space, book and coffee shop, and daycare. And City Council needs to hear from all of you!
Sometimes the most persistent voices become the loudest and start to speak for everyone. If you believe in the project and have 2 minutes, there will never be a more important way to help than writing to City Council now!
Below, you’ll find everything you need for an email in support of the project:
Contact info for the right people to email at the City and the Fan District Association
Example bullet points on key points to make
Example written paragraphs on the most frequent reasons we’ve heard neighbors voice support for the project
If you have questions about the project or the community effort, please email us at 1836ParkRVA@gmail.com. Thanks!
Contact Info
Please send your emails to District 2 Council Member Katherine Jordan, her Liaison Sven Philipsen, and City of Richmond Land Use Administrator Madison Wilson. Please cc FDA President Daniella White, FDA Zoning Committe Chair Melissa Savenko; and the 1836 Park team.
Send to: Katherine.Jordan@rva.gov, sven.philipsen@rva.gov, madison.wilson@rva.com
Cc: dwhite.fdapresident@gmail.com, melissa@mikemelissa.com, 1836ParkRVA@gmail.com
Key points to include
You are a Fan resident and/or near neighbor of the building
You support the proposed use at 1836 Park Avenue
This is a use that is compatible with the neighborhood
You're excited because this use serves the Fan’s needs for more community space / daycare / books and is a great opportunity to revive a dormant community asset
[Optional] You don’t share a small but vocal group of neighbors’ dire views around parking or congestion:
Parking can always be tight in the Fan – but we value the Fan’s walkability, which comes from its density and leads to visitors year-round!
Proposed uses of 1836 Park would not result more people or more parking than the decades when it was home to an active church.
You feel confident that neighbors, the FDA, and the 1836 group can work together to find a solution.
Sample letter of support
The sample text below can be a guideline for your own email message – please edit and add your own perspectives on the project and the community conversation around it.
Dear Councilmember Jordan and Administrator Wilson,
As a resident of the Fan [and neighbor of 1836 Park Avenue], I am writing to voice my support for the 1836 Park project and for the applicant’s Special Use Permit.
As a neighbor, I welcome and encourage adaptive projects like this one at 1836 Park Ave that are compatible with and reflect the true character and nature of the Fan. The applicants are proposing thoughtful uses that reflect community input and would serve the neighborhood, and I think each use – the community space, daycare, and bookshop – serves the community’s needs, is well-suited to the Fan’s character and will be a great addition to the neighborhood.
I have heard about but very much do not share the dire views expressed by a small but vocal group of neighbors who believe this project will result in an outsized parking issue or untenable congestion. I believe the proposed use would cause no more parking or congestion issues than in the decades when 1836 Park was home to an large, active church community. I also believe that the applicants have heard and understood community concerns and have made more than enough adjustments and accommodations to ensure a smooth fit with the surrounding neighborhood.
I hope Councilmember Jordan and the rest of City Council will support this thoughtful and exciting use of a dormant community asset. I look forward to visiting the revived 1836 Park Avenue when it opens its doors!
Thank you—
[YOUR NAME]
Additional text
Use the text below as a guideline to voice your views on specific aspects of the proposed uses of 1836 Park.
Support for historic preservation
This project’s preservation of the former church property and the ability to restore historic buildings in the Fan is crucial to the character and nature of the neighborhood. A vacant building only hinders the neighborhood and I strongly welcome a redevelopment that will bring new vibrancy and life into the neighborhood. I am pleased with the efforts the applicants have made to bring integrated and community-oriented development to the Fan. I especially appreciate the applicants’ willingness to work with the neighborhood and their response to the feedback they received at the community meetings.
Support for community space
I support the redevelopment of the former church into a space that serves the needs of the community. The proposed redevelopment reflects the style and character of the community and will benefit the surrounding neighborhood by creating a place for neighbors to gather, socialize, and form connections. I’ve enjoyed seeing so many creative ideas from my neighbors and the 1836 Park team for activities they would like to see in a new community space in the Fan, and am particularly excited about [YOUR IDEA].
Support for daycare
I am pleased that the applicants are working to bring a new daycare to the Fan, as it has become increasingly difficult to find daycare centers here – especially those with the ability to enroll infants and young children in their programs. I am also excited at the idea of having a community space, right in the neighborhood, where I and my kids could attend classes, extracurricular activities, and enrichment events and form deeper connections with my neighbors and other Fan parents.
Support for bookshop
I am pleased that the applicants are working to bring a new bookshop to the Fan to serve adults and children alike. Independent bookshops are an important part of any thriving community, and the Fan in particular has more readers than booksellers! I am also excited at the idea of having a community space, right in the neighborhood, where I could attend classes, author talks, and enrichment events and form deeper connections with my neighbors and other Fan parents.
Community meeting attendance and parking concerns
I am pleased with the efforts the applicants have made to bring revitalizing development to the Fan, while still maintaining the historic church building. I also appreciate the consultative approach they have taken to community and civic engagement about the project – which contrasts strongly with the approach of commercial developers. While I certainly understand some concerns regarding parking pressure, I moved to the Fan for its walkability, and believe this project will add to the neighborhood without causing significant strain. As neighbors the applicants clearly understand concerns around parking and traffic, and I applaud their requirement to use off-site parking for larger events. After attending one of the community meetings, I am confident that their adjustments – off-site parking, contracts with nearby parking lots, and the lease of parking spaces in the back alley – will address and resolve parking concerns.
To: Tktktktk
Subject: My support for 1836 Park’s special use permit
Sample email
A book and coffee shop on the main and upper floors
A small daycare for infants and preschoolers on the lower floor
A multipurpose space on the main floor hosting community gatherings, book talks, celebrations, and anything else the Fan community can dream up – from exercise classes to crafting circles, book clubs to nursing groups, art showcases to afterschool board games
An unchanged exterior – we are committed to maintaining the building’s historic 1906 exterior (!).
If you’re interested in learning more, please explore the rest of this site and/or sign up for updates, below!
Letters of Support
for 1836 Park’s
Special Use Permit
Reviving 1836 Park is a community effort – and right now we need your support!
A book and coffee shop on the main and upper floors offering new and used titles for adults and children, as well as coffee to go out the front window.
A multi-purpose space on the main floor hosting community gatherings, interest and hobbyist meetings, book talks, celebrations, and other programming to meet the Fan’s needs and imagination.
A small daycare in the basement seeking to serve ~30-40 infants and preschoolers to address a childcare shortage in the neighborhood and city.
A refurbished but otherwise unchanged exterior(!). The building’s historic charm will remain, in line with guidance from the VA Department of Historic Resources.
If you’re interested in learning more, please explore the rest of this site and/or sign up for updates, below!
In 2025, a small group of Fan neighbors and friends came together to begin a new project: Restoring the unused church at 1836 Park Avenue into a shared space that serves the community. Our aim is to preserve the historic charm of the building’s exterior while renovating the interior into a multi-purpose space that will bring our neighborhood together and make it stronger for everyone living here – kids, adults, and elders. We’ve heard so many wonderful ideas from neighbors and community members, and look forward to hearing and sharing more in the months to come!