RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Despite swift action, months after a massive fire completely destroyed Richmond schools’ bus depot, the district is considering more options in its rebuilding process.
According to the Richmond Fire Department, flames took over the Chamberlayne Avenue Parkway facility on June 29, 2022 wiping out equipment and five buses, including the RPS Lit Limo that 8News helped bring to life.
8News spoke with school board member Jonathan Young about the importance the facility plays in the everyday operations of Richmond Public Schools.
“The buses are an invaluable element of who we are as a school district, because a disproportionate share of our students, they are transported to and from school on an RPS bus,” Young said.
While Young says the district adapted quickly to the situation by renting out a temporary facility located off Maury Street, the need to build additional maintenance bays on the city’s site located on Belt Boulevard is strong.
“It’s a smaller facility. It’s adequate for our needs. But it does it does put us in a bind at times relevant to all of our busses that are regularly being serviced,” Young said.
The district currently pays about $5,000 a month to rent the Maury Street facility. That lease is set to end in June when the district hoped to relocate to its Belt Boulevard location with additional upgrades including office space and a washing station.
According to meeting documents, the district issued a request for information (RFI), which found that it would be impossible to build these upgrades by the planned June date. The district says the RFI process discovered that the Belt Boulevard site has wetlands that will impact the overall budget and timeline for the project.
Because of a lack of affordable garage locations in the city, the district is considering extending their lease at the Maury Street location until June of 2026 which would cost the district about $60,000 per year.
This discussion is ongoing and a topic for conversation at Monday night’s school board meeting. A spokesperson from Richmond school’s tells 8News they are also considering other options.
