The past year has been a busy one in the City of Williamsburg. The Stryker Center book-ended 2013 for the City Council, but much happened in between. Read on for a look back at city news over the past year.
January
- Williamsburg passed its Comprehensive Plan for 2013 — a blueprint for future development within Williamsburg city limits — with support shown from many residents.
- Plans for a replacement for the Stryker Building, which houses public meeting and community space, were discussed. The January conversations showed opinions varying among the City Council at the Jan. 21 meeting.
February
- In February, the Madison Retirement Center closed when the last resident moved out. The center’s owner had his license revoked after a resident died at the facility due to negligence and state inspections found a number of violations.
- The Williamsburg City Council announced it would be accepting bids on the earlier announced Stryker Center project. Guernsey Tingle Architects and construction group Henderson, Inc. submitted an unsolicited bid, triggering the process.
March
- After College of William and Mary announced it would be purchasing the Hospitality House for $21 million, it was revealed it would cost the city $110,000 per year in taxes.
- The city heard suggestions from the public on a set of guidelines for allowable materials and architectural elements for city buildings while the guidelines were being updated; vinyl windows and more flexibility for building materials were a popular request.
April
- On the first day of the month, City Manager Jack Tuttle released his proposed $51.6 million budget. It showed increased city spending but no increase in tax collection.
- The Riverside Doctor’s Hospital, which was set to open in May, held its ribbon cutting. It was Riverside’s first new construction since it opened Walter Reed Hospital in Gloucester in 1977.
May
- Four new bids for the design and construction of a new Stryker Center hit the city in May in addition to the already submitted design from Guernsey Tingle and Henderson, Inc.
- A letter from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation arrived at city offices requesting an expansion of its Revolutionary City programming for a 60-day trial, which would mean a larger section of Duke of Gloucester Street would be blocked off for longer hours.
June
- The Cheese Shop announced it had started bottling its popular house dressing to sell to customers.
- The city gave the go-ahead for Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to run a 60-day trial expansion of the Revolutionary City programming; some council members questioned the necessity of the expansion and if it would discourage locals from using the downtown area.
- A committee chosen to review the Stryker Center proposals selected three of five proposals to consider in future city meetings.
July
- The Stryker Center committee recommended the first submitted proposal by architect firm Guernsey Tingle and construction group Henderson Inc. as the design to use to build the new center.
- Plans were revealed for the construction of a new shopping center in the city of Williamsburg next to Velvet Shoestring.
- Proposed updates to guidelines for architecture within the city showed the Arts District receiving more leeway in design and allowable colors for buildings located there.
August
- Williamsburg City Council members deferred the decision on which team to move forward with to design and build the Stryker Center.
- New apartments – located near the Riverside Doctor’s Hospital called Aura at Quarterpath – were approved by the city’s planning commission.
- A request by CWF to extend the trial period of the expansion to its Revolutionary City programming failed on a tie vote by council members.
September
- In place of The Madison, which shut down in February, a new retirement center – Greenfield Senior Living – opened at the location under new management.
- A project involving $104 million in sidewalk and street improvements kicked off after the city voted to enter a contract with Messer, Inc.
- A regional sewer plan for updates to sewer infrastructure was not well received among the city council, as council members worried the Williamsburg would be paying an amount into the system disproportionate to repairs needed in city limits.
- The city announced Jewish Mother, a restaurant/music venue, would be opening a location in the city-owned Triangle Building; two other mixed-use construction projects were also announced on the next block.
October
- More money for tourism promotion, the widening of I-64 and financial support for the College of William and Mary were among the things the city asked the state for in its annual legislative priorities list.
- The design guidelines, which showed more flexibility in the Arts District, were made official with a vote from City Council.
- Davenport & Company, the city’s financial adviser, began seeking bids from banks to fund the Stryker Center project for $5 million.
November
- A survey by the Center for Digital Government showed Williamsburg, in its first year participating in the survey, was ranked as the No. 9 tech-savvy city in a list of like-sized cities.
- City planning applied for a grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation to repave sections of several city streets.
- Williamsburg Baptist Church considered a parking agreement that would allow the city to lease church spaces for the public to use during church off-hours.
December
- Council members were much more receptive to a new regional sewer plan presented in December that left the city in control of its own sewer infrastructure and had regional body, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, paying for large repairs.
- Plans submitted by architects David Stemann and Edwin Pease were picked as a preliminary design to base the construction of the new Stryker Center.
- The parking agreement between the city and Williamsburg Baptist Church was turned down by the church’s congregation because of concerns the agreement did not leave patrons of the church enough available spaces.
