City staff presented a progress report to the Petersburg City Council on Nov. 5, 2025, describing a concentrated effort to improve downtown streetscapes, public corridors and the Southside Depot visitor center ahead of increased visitor activity.

The update, delivered by Jamie Fagan and Joanne Williams at the work session, focused on safety, appearance and ease of use downtown. "Our efforts have been a collaborative effort, utilizing the knowledge and expertise of our staff, the city manager's office, staff across multiple departments as well as, vendors that we've been able to secure," Fagan said during the presentation.

Why it matters: Council allocated funds for downtown work and staff described both short-term fixes and a longer 3–5 year streetscape plan intended to guide future private and public improvements. Officials said the work is intended to make sidewalks and parking areas safer and more inviting for residents and visitors alike.

Key measures and status

- Lighting and fixtures: Staff inventoried more than 100 lampposts from With Street to Old Street and are coordinating with Dominion Energy to standardize LED conversions, replace about five posts and repaint others.

- Landscape and plantings: Crews cleared overgrown beds, replanted trees in several locations and installed more than 1,000 pansies for winter color. The presentation noted new self-watering rectangular planters (about 30 gallons each) meant to reduce daily watering needs.

- Weeds and maintenance: Four city staff are certified to apply herbicide and each certified sprayer can supervise apprentices; staff said they are shifting from a reactive to a proactive approach and will apply pre-emergent treatments this winter to limit spring regrowth. Fagan said the city will also deploy a new sidewalk-capable brush machine to agitate and remove dead vegetation and debris from gutters and sidewalks.

- Southside Depot and visitor center: Staff reported they are moving into the Southside Depot this month, installing furniture and internet service, and scheduled a ribbon-cutting and art show for Dec. 12. "We're moving in right now. We're, order have furniture install the internet, this week. So we're ramping up," Joanne Williams said.

- Parking and paving: Work includes gravel infill in a highly used farmers-market parking lot and a phased seal-coating and re-striping of the parking lot across from Croker Spot.

- Signage and wayfinding: The city is installing temporary directional signage and planning a consistent sign palette to guide visitors from the casino and other arrival points down to downtown attractions.

Council questions and follow-up: Council members pressed staff on follow-through for sprayed vegetation, engagement with the city arborist on tree selection and pruning, and the timeline for corridor work outside downtown (notably Wagner Road and the median approaching the casino). Staff said crews would appear on Crater Road and related corridors within two weeks and emphasized that work is being planned in two timelines: an initial six-month push and a longer 3–5 year streetscape program. Officials also noted some work depends on utility access and private redevelopment timelines.

Funding and next steps: Staff framed the downtown effort as a mix of one-time and recurring costs; council previously set aside a downtown allocation (referred to in the meeting as "the million dollars that council allocated"). Staff asked that developers and future projects implement a consistent streetscape as properties redevelop, reducing the city's capital burden.

Ending: Council members repeatedly praised the staff teams responsible for the work and asked for regular updates. The city will return with implementation details and timeline refinements as crews complete initial phases.