Hull Street Action is a community organization focused on the renaissance of the Hull Street corridor. We are dedicated to building a healthy and inclusive community where all residents can live, work and thrive.
Our work includes:
Building a strong and diverse economic base
Making Hull Street a destination for visitors
Beautifying the neighborhood
Creating partnerships within the community
For much of the 20th Century, Manchester was a bustling and thriving neighborhood with restaurants, salons, grocery stores, movie theaters and a Thalhimers retail store. At the center of activity was Hull Street acting as the commercial “Main Street” for Manchester and south Richmond.
However, during the 1970s, public housing was built among single-family houses and Hull Street was used as a racial demarcation between Manchester and the Blackwell community. Many businesses shifted farther south to Southside Plaza and Cloverleaf Mall, and residents moved to the counties. Foot traffic dwindled along Hull Street, shops closed, buildings deteriorated, and urban blight took hold over the commercial district.
Today, Manchester is undergoing a major revitalization effort. In recent years, new businesses such as Island Yoga Fitness, the Well Art Gallery, Pig and Brew, ENV architecture firm and Butter Bean Market & Café and others have opened on Hull Street. The addition of new multi-family housing with new apartments and new residents has also brought more opportunities for economic expansion. These elements, along with other signs of growth, point to an area that is on the rise.
With Hull Street acting as a hub for social and economic activity, it’s important that future development of the corridor supports the community – both place and identity – and improves the local quality of life. It’s also critical that the community works together when finding solutions to common problems. Building a capacity to address issues will require a conscientious effort and shared responsibility among community members.
To aid in the growth of Hull Street and strengthen its positive transformation, Hull Street Action (HSA) was formed to provide strategic direction in the development of the Hull Street corridor. That includes providing connections to a larger network of services that enhance the social, economic and environmental fabric of the neighborhood. The aim of HSA is to identify and unify community development activities impacting the economic development, housing, public safety and cultural identity of Hull Street.
Our mission is to build a vibrant Hull Street corridor that is the social and commercial center of the Manchester, Blackwell and Swansboro.
To build a strong and diverse economic base by attracting new businesses, providing incentives, and making investments to convert unused spaces.
To create an inviting, inclusive and unique atmosphere that positions Hull Street as a destination for residents, tourists and business.
To transform existing physical, visual and natural assets into positive structures that enhance the community’s image.
Create and maintain partnerships with community groups, merchants, local government and any stakeholder invested in the revitalization of Hull Street.
Sheri is an award-winning communications strategist, community liaison and environmental advocate who has dedicated her career to social causes that benefit the greater good. For more than a decade, she has worked in the nonprofit and private sectors to build relationships and enact positive change through education, policy and public outreach. Sheri has run communications campaigns for startup companies, political candidates and interest groups, environmental organizations and Australian government alliances.
She is committed to the fight for environmental and economic justice so everyone has a clean, healthy and safe space to live, work, learn and pray.
Dedicated to the environment and the environmental markets since 2005, Charlie is the Founder and Director of Atoka Conservation Exchange where he is professionally involved in the development and management of client-based projects culminating in the monetization of land, water and air assets. He has originated and transacted more than $70,000,000 of market activity and seeks scalable projects that positively address the impacts of climate change in the regional and national arenas.
He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, a developer of historic properties, a licensed realtor, and lives on Hull Street in Richmond, VA with his wife and four children.
Contact us If you are interested in learning more or getting involved with Hull Street Action