Mayor Snow: It's time to take control of Richmond downtown's destiny

An unused, historic building is bought by someone with a vision for how to bring life to the property and share in new prosperity for Richmond's central business district.

Time goes on, and for one reason or another, the project fails to come to fruition. The building remains empty and neglected. Eventually, there's a new owner and the cycle continues.

"I'm at a point where I'm getting over the wishful thinking phase where I keep hoping and hoping that someone with money is showing up to save these beautiful, old buildings that I love because we keep thinking that it's happening, but it's not happening. And every time we think that it has happened, we get another building owner that doesn't do anything," Mayor Dave Snow said.

It’s time for us to take the helm, grab the reins and take control of the destiny of the downtown. I want us to be in the driver’s seat of the future of our downtown."