A coalition of local government and business leaders wants your thoughts on whether the Richmond area should pursue regional charter schools to improve education.
What about building a new or revived Coliseum to make the region an entertainment and sports hub?
How about developing the region's "fitness infrastructure" -- including bike paths and sports facilities -- to promote community health?
The Capital Region Collaborative is rolling out a series of ideas -- suggested aspirations and ways to achieve them -- to spark public discussion aimed at developing a strategic plan for regional progress.
Officials expect some controversy but insist they want a thorough, public vetting of the draft priorities.
"This is just a starting point," said Robert A. Crum Jr., executive director of the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, which is a partner in the collaborative with the Greater Richmond Chamber.
"Now, it's just intended to give the community something to react to so they can make it their own" Crum said.
The collaborative plans to spend the next six months meeting with various neighborhood and community groups to encourage discussion of the draft priorities.
The priorities were developed through focus groups that included nonprofit, religious, business, minority and local government leaders, Crum said.
The collaborative considers the Richmond region to be the city of Richmond, the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover, Powhatan, Goochland, New Kent and Charles City, plus the town of Ashland.
The regional plan represents the collaborative's largest undertaking since the group was announced in 2008.
Last year, the collaborative tested its effectiveness, in part by galvanizing local government and business support for expanding high-speed rail to Richmond.
Crum said the goal is to produce a regional strategic plan that can guide local governments, businesses and nonprofit groups to improve education, social stability, public health, business and economic development, entertainment, transportation and the James River as a regional asset.
At least, that's what the collaborative is suggesting for priorities.
Crum said community support is a critical part of the equation. As they schedule community meetings, officials will be asking what aspects of the plan can and cannot be supported, and what issues have been overlooked.
"It's not going to be true collaboration if we don't get the community engaged," he said.
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or wjones@timesdispatch.com.
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