Board approves lights-off request for Elstra Plaza outdoor movie on Aug. 1

The Board of Public Works and Safety on July 24 approved a Parks and Recreation request to turn off lights around Elstra Plaza and close a short stretch of North Service Drive to allow an outdoor screening of the book-to-film event "The Wild Robot" on Aug. 1. The city said the screening is presented in partnership with Every Child Can Read and Wayne County Reads as part of their summer reading project. Sergeant Ridgeway of the Richmond Police Department told the board the Parks Department and RPD have coordinated with utility and parks crews and “determined the appropriate measures needed to make this movie possible right in the middle of Downtown Richmond.” The board approved turning off lights on several poles—identified in the request as pole numbers 2657, 1042, 3112, 3111 and 899—during working hours on Friday, Aug. 1 with service to be restored the following Monday. The city also approved closing North Service Drive from North Sixth Street to North Seventh Street for crowd safety. Sgt. Ridgeway said the organizers had spoken with the utility and parks staff and that prior dry runs at the location had set expectations. The motion to grant the exception and the temporary street closure passed on a voice vote. The request as presented stated the shutoff and closure were limited to the hours needed for the screening and listed the poles by number for crews to target. No objections were recorded on the record when the board voted. The board handled the request during routine business; organizers or Parks Department staff did not provide additional written details about crowd estimates in the meeting record.