Downtown Community Garden: An Update
Words Jesse Scaccia
Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Nearly two months ago I wrote an article calling for a community garden in downtown Norfolk.
The space
I had found the perfect site. It’s the empty lot that is 439 Granby Street. If you ever go downtown, you know it. It’s between Fahrenheit and the Thai restaurant Rama Garden. I suggested calling the space “The Fahrenheit Garden.”
Since then, I’ve found out that the owners are a Paul and Jeff Wallace of Balance Builders Inc. in Virginia Beach. I’ve called them a number of times to try to get a dialog going to see if that might be feasible.
So far, I haven’t heard back yet. But I don’t blame the Wallaces. We’re all very busy. They don’t know me. Messages from strangers have a way of being perpetually at the bottom of the to-do list.
So that is why I turn to you, AltDaily readers. One of you must personally know these guys.
Someone? Anyone?
Since I originally proposed this idea I’ve had a number of people and businesses approach me with their desire to be on board should we be able to secure a space like 439 Granby. Wallaces, if you’re reading, know this: we will get all the materials. We will do all the work. All planning and implementation will be approved by you. And when you are ready to develop that space, we will have all flora removed within five days. It will be called Wallace Wonderland. Local artists will paint murals of you on the walls doing heroic things, like fighting off the King and letting the good people of your community use some of your land for a beautiful purpose.
I, and we, promise.
This would be great for downtown. It would be great p.r. for the Wallaces. It will make everyone involved just a little bit happier with their lives, and maybe a lot happier.
It should start this Spring. But first we need the okay from the landowners.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Jesse is the editor in chief of AltDaily, and he's going to take this bio seriously, but not so seriously that he's going to continue in the third person. I've been involved with a bunch of local projects and civic groups in various roles, including: Hampton Roads, The Canvas; Art | Everywhere, Street Performance in Norfolk; Survive Norfolk; Hampton Roads Pride/Out in the Park; Bike Norfolk; re:Vision Norfolk, and such.
I originally came to Norfolk as a Perry Morgan fellow in ODU's creative writing program. Before that I bummed around quite a bit, writing stacks of books that never got published, hitchhiking, couchsurfing, riding the Greyhound up down and back across this country. Some of my favorite jobs and volunteer gigs have included working on organic farms in Ireland; being first mate on an old sail boat in Holland; working at a long-term home for young men in South Africa; being a journalist and high school teacher in New York and California; washing dishes in Yosemite National Park; teaching English in DC and swimming in Florida; and interning at ESPN in Bristol, which was much less cool that you'd want it to be. My career highlights have been having three of my op-eds run in the New York Times, and being the executive producer of a six-part docu-drama on BET. Because school is cool I have three master's degrees (ODU for MFA, NYU for magazine journalism, University of Connecticut for secondary English education). I live in Norfolk because I believe in its potential. Email your ideas or nicely couched criticism to jesse@altdaily.com.
Other posts by Jesse Scaccia.
Other posts by Jesse Scaccia.
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I like to go there & just sit at the top of the slope sometimes.
I think it’s a brilliant scheme. I’m so saddened to see Granby street look like such a piece of crap, so much of the time. Wallaces? What the fuck are you doing?
Jesse, I’m going to personally invest the remaining 32 seconds left in my day to determining: What do those Wallace boys drink? And how can I get a hefty load of said favored alcohol in ‘em long enough to persuade the implementation of-gasp-an herb garden!
I like the community garden idea, but I’m not sure about that site. You can join me in brainstorming alternate community garden sites on this Google Maps page.
To get more support behind Wallace Gardens you should form a non-profit whose mission statement is to create guerilla gardens in downtown Norfolk. Create a rendered plan in scale and include specifications that identify your sources for donated materials and a documented removal plan for when the need arises.
Then contact Wallace to set up a meeting to discuss their making a tax deductable contribution to your non-profit by merely allowing you to use the space rent free. You could also contact the Norfolk Downtown Council and ask them to back you.
I am a certified landscape architect and would be happy to contribute my services to assist in creating a plan.
William Speidel
wspeid@cox.net
Is spelled Geoff…
I had an idea like this for the area behind the Sandler Center in Town Center. I think a vertical garden on the side of side of the building that is obscenely all brick would help beautify the area.
I’ve been in talks with one of the people there and they want to put a sculpture garden there so that might happen instead. I like the idea of a community garden though and since they plan on developing it in 5 years, it would make sense.