Richmond Rising partners report project progress and budgets under $35 million TCC grant

The Richmond Rising Collaborative Stakeholder Committee heard status reports March 4 on a series of neighborhood projects funded through a $35 million Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant, including design advances, outreach plans and budget updates for complete-streets, a wellness trail, an e-bike program and workforce initiatives.

Vatrice Guerrero, TCC coordinator for the City of Richmond, told the committee the city submitted invoice 15 and completed cost-visibility and fixed-cost justification memos required by the state to secure payments to partners. She said partners are coordinating a proposed air-district catalyst grant estimated at $10 million–$15 million to supplement local work and that the city is continuing one-on-one partner coordination and community engagement (videos and social media) to support outreach.

Terrence of the Trust for Public Land said budget reallocations for the Richmond Wellness Trail were approved and that the team will begin a second phase of design with an increased construction budget while continuing NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) coordination.

Project leads reported the following key program figures as presented to the committee: the Trust for Public Land reported expenditures to date of about $418,000 with roughly $4.3 million remaining for the Wellness Trail; the city’s e-bike share program reported approximately $526,000 spent with $472,000 remaining and said state questions on invoicing have been resolved; resilient-homes work reported expenditures and a remaining budget reported in the transcript as approximately $5.9 million; Basins of Relations cited about $400,000 spent and about $1.2 million remaining; Groundwork reported $274,000 spent and $818,000 remaining; the orchard program reported $275,000 spent and $892,000 remaining; and GRX reported just over $1 million spent and about $2.2 million remaining. (Figures are those reported in committee updates; some figures in the transcript were presented imprecisely and are noted as reported in the meeting.)

Several projects described near-term work: neighborhood complete-streets teams are refining scopes and NEPA studies that may take months to complete; Trust for Public Land is advancing tree-planting and urban-greening coordination with the Urban Forestry Advisory Council; Groundwork and partners have volunteer and planting events scheduled for March and Earth Day; a community garden procurement process closed with three bids and the team is evaluating insurance and Contra Costa County requirements.

Youth and outreach programs reported continued engagement: Rich City Rides hosted a 30-person Palentine’s community bike ride, youth fellows prepared a final March 22 ride and a resume workshop, and a climate health promoters cohort is planned to begin March 21. Judah, a youth fellow, shared photos and reflections on recent rides.

Committee members asked for access to draft evaluation and program reports. Jim Becker asked whether community members receive the drafts; staff confirmed drafts are posted to the committee mailing list and the project website and said they would ensure community members receive the files.

The committee will continue project coordination and outreach; partners asked members to share event flyers and noted multiple upcoming public events including a Richmond Rising Hub grand opening March 12 and a fruit-tree giveaway March 7.