Hull Street Road Revitalization Plan - College of Humanities and ...

Hull Street Road Revitalization Plan
II. Overview of Planning Area
Background & History
The evolution of Hull Street Road is a classic example of rapid post-
World War II commercial development and sprawl. While the portion of
Hull Street Road close to downtown Richmond traces its roots to the
commercial and industrial port activities of Manchester, the corridor’s
westward expansion has been shaped by the rise of the automobile and
growth of the region’s population.
Following World War II, new buildings and businesses, as well as new
neighborhoods and housing developments, emerged. Roadways were
built and more public services provided as a result of this growth. The
trend of growth continued and between 1970 and 1990, as Chesterfield
County’s population grew from 76,855 to 209,274 people. Several roads
and highways including Chippenham Parkway, which bisects the study
area, were built to serve the population and to move more vehicles
through the area.
Figure 1: Elkhard Middle School is located in the City of
Richmond within the central portion of the corridor.
Aside from a small handful of important institutional buildings such
as Ramsey Memorial United Methodist Church located at 5900 Hull
Street or Elkhardt Middle School at 6300 Hull Street, there are very few
buildings within the study area that are more than 40 years old.
Figure 2: Ramsey Memorial Church is one of the most
historic buildings along the corridor.
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