Provide an Update on the Green-Blue New Deal
(GBND) Priority Projects for Implementation over
the next 5-years.
Richmond City Council Meeting
June 17, 2025
Nannette Beacham, Economic Development Director
Samantha Carr, Environmental Manager
Yahna Williamson, Management Analyst
1 Recommended Action
RECEIVE a written update on the Richmond
Green-Blue New Deal project prioritization
process and final top five projects.
2 Background
3 On July 6, 2021, the Richmond City Council
adopted Resolution 88-21 to support the
process of developing a Richmond Green-Blue
New Deal and Just Transition to 21st Century
jobs.
On October 1, 2024, staff presented the
Richmond Green-Blue New Deal (RGBND)
Opportunities Report and its appendices to the
City Council for initial review. In response to
Council and community feedback, City staff
initiated an internal evaluation process to refine
the implementation strategy and narrow the scope
of projects to be prioritized over the next five
years.
GBND
Update
Overview
What we’ve done
so far:
1. Conducted additional research into the projects
outlined in the Report.
2. Surveyed city staff, the Economic Development
Commission, and the Workforce Development
Board to identify priority projects.
3. Determined the top seven projects that
received the most votes on what to prioritize
based on the feedback received.
4. Reached out to department heads to get their
feedback on the seven priority projects.
4 Additional Considerations Received from Department Heads:
Richmond Green-Blue New Deal | City of Richmond Slide 5 •Gap in the workforce development section
• Emphasize creating meaningful employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for local residents
•Explore adding project that’s more focused on the "Blue" aspect of the Green- Blue New Deal
•Explain that food waste and tree planting are already underway under energy- related efforts, which is why they weren’t prioritized here • Reiterate that focus is more on areas not currently receiving attention to ensure balance across initiatives
•Clarify the scope-of-work for each project
• Using Economic Development Evaluation Toolkit (next slide) to help refine scope-of-work for projects
5 Top Five Projects Identified Based on Survey Responses:
Richmond Green-Blue New Deal | City of Richmond Slide 6
1. Port Upgrades (80%) / Offshore Wind Manufacturing (40%)
2. Building Electrification Retrofits (50%) /Green Accessory Dwellings (40%)
3. Brownfield Research and Innovation (50%)
4. Destination Downtown (50%)
5. Transition to Zero Emission Vehicles (40%)
6 Next Steps for Each Project:
Richmond Green-Blue New Deal | City of Richmond Slide 7 Phase 1 Assessment:
• Confirm selected projects are viable and aligned with community and City priorities
• Incorporate economic development indicators
from the U.S. Economic Development
Administration's Evaluation Toolkit to assess
strategic fit, job creation potential, and
sustainability (Attachment 2)
• Assess funding needs, timelines, workforce pathways, and preliminary implementation steps
Phase 2 Community Outreach:
• Engage with stakeholders including EDC, WDB,
Downtown Task Force, and port users to align efforts
and share updates
• Provide community members with opportunities to
give input and ensure Just Transition principles are
centered
Phase 3 Strategic Planning:
• Develop implementation pathways for each project
that include workforce development alignment,
economic development impact, and job quality
metrics
• Coordinate with regional partners (e.g., Green
Empowerment Zone) to identify synergies
Phase 4 Implementation Readiness:
• Co-develop a refined scope of work for each selected
project, incorporating community input and
interdepartmental review.
• Define responsible departments, required partnerships, and resource needs.
• Prepare briefing materials and progress
tracking tools to guide ongoing
interdepartmental coordination and reporting.
7 Economic Development Evaluation Tool
Richmond Green-Blue New Deal | City of Richmond Slide 8 Section 1: Relevance and Strategic Fit
A) Alignment with local and regional economic
development strategies.
B) Consistency with community needs and
priorities.
C) Alignment with Just Transition.
Section 2: Economic Impact
A) Potential for job creation and retention.
B) Expected increase in private investment.
C) Enhancement of local tax base.
Section 3: Feasibility and Sustainability
A) Technical and financial viability of the
project.
B) Capacity of the implementing organization.
C) Long-term sustainability and Just Transition
alignment
Section 4: Performance Measures
A) Clear, measurable objectives and outcomes.
B) Defined metrics for monitoring progress.
C) Mechanisms for data collection and
reporting.
Section 5: Risk Assessment
A) Identification of potential risks and
challenges.
B) Strategies for risk mitigation.
U.S. Economic Development Administration
8 Recommended Action
RECEIVE a written update on the Richmond
Green-Blue New Deal project prioritization
process and final top five projects.
9