Floyd Grove Sheppard LLC - VMFA Capital Project Transparency

Current Status — October 29, 2026

Floyd Grove Sheppard LLC (FGS LLC) is a neighborhood organization formed by residential property owners adjacent to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) Grove Avenue facilities.

Our objective is to promote transparent government decision-making, appropriate land-use review, and accountability for public projects affecting surrounding neighborhoods.

This page identifies matters that remain unresolved and those that have been clarified or concluded.

Open Questions / Unresolved Matters

1. VMFA Expansion — Procurement and Construction Approvals

Established: Subcontractor bidding has occurred, construction schedules have shifted, and VMFA/DGS have withheld updated scheduling and cost-validation records under procurement exemptions.

Unresolved: Final GMP approval, construction authorizations, bidding outcomes, contractor roles, and the current construction schedule. DGS did not locate requested CO-6/CO-8 status records in the system searched.

2. Grove Avenue Warehouse — Commonwealth Lease and Financial Controls

Resolved: Commonwealth Lease L006164 was identified, establishing a 10-year initial term with two potential five-year renewals and approximately $609,370 in annual base and additional rent.

Unresolved: Confirmation of rent commencement, lease acceptance, accounting classification, and applicable Commonwealth payment-authorization requirements.

3. Warehouse — Occupancy, Zoning, and Fire Safety

Established: Richmond confirmed no temporary or final Certificate of Occupancy had been issued as of June 2026. Interior storage racks and shelving were subsequently installed.

Unresolved: Current final occupancy status, written zoning/use conditions, and documentation of required rack-storage and fire-protection reviews.

4. Commonwealth Environmental Impact Review — Warehouse and Dream Wall

Established: DGS correspondence identified an EIR requirement in April 2023. DEQ subsequently reported no EIR submission or state-agency applicability referral for the projects.

Unresolved: A formal Commonwealth determination establishing whether environmental review is required or documenting why it is not applicable.

5. Dream Wall — RVA Site-Plan Approval

Established: Richmond is reviewing SITE-190742-2026 as a major modification to the warehouse site plan. The permitting system recorded a "Not Passed" agency review on October 21.

Unresolved: Final plan approval, documented review deficiencies, parking and circulation compliance, and any required Commonwealth review.

6. Richmond Code Refresh — Institutional Zoning

Established: Draft 3 proposed institutional zoning for several VMFA-affiliated Grove Avenue properties, including properties with existing residential uses.

Unresolved: Final parcel classifications, the justification for proposed changes, and the disposition of neighborhood public comments.

7. VMFA Strategic Real-Estate Planning

Established: VMFA's September 2026 Director's Report referenced implementation of a strategic real-estate acquisition plan. VMFA subsequently reported no responsive records for that plan.

Unresolved: The plan's ownership and documentation, and its relationship to annual Commonwealth land-use planning submissions and governing-body approvals.

Resolved / Closed Matters

A. Commonwealth Warehouse Lease — Identified June 2026

Resolved: The existence, initial term, renewal options, and principal financial terms of Lease L006164 were established. Related occupancy and financial-control questions remain open above.

B. Warehouse Occupancy — Historical Status Confirmed

Resolved: Richmond confirmed that no temporary or final CO had been issued as of June 2026.

Remaining: Confirmation of the facility's subsequent and current occupancy authorization.

C. 2823 Grove Avenue — Zoning Enforcement

Closed: Richmond identified a violation involving contractor office use of residential property. The City subsequently closed the code case as compliant following reported corrective action.

D. VMFA Museum-Grounds Regulation — 2025

Closed: The proposed fast-track amendment to Virginia's museum-grounds regulation was withdrawn without adoption through that process.