A Busy Summer at 6 Wheels!

This summer has been pretty eventful at 6 Wheels, and there’s more to come!

I left for Denver for the No Barriers Summit on August 23rd, where I participated in the summit and provided consultation as well! I looked at the new space for the No Barriers Summit to help ensure it was fully accessible and inclusive.

On August 30th, I was a panelist on the Shine the Light Inclusivity Webinar, where we discussed inclusivity in design.

I have quite a few upcoming trips planned both locally and out of state. From September 5th-8th, I’ll going to Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, TN, to do an assessment of three parking space structures and help them improve their parking facilities. Locally, on September 27th, I’m going to speak about disability in the workplace at the African American Credit Union.

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and I have several events coming up related to that. On October 5th, I’m doing a speaking engagement with VA Housing around disability in the workplace as well. On October 13th, I’m also doing a lunch-and-learn with Coastal Credit Union around disability in the workplace from noon to 1 p.m.

If you or anyone you know is looking for a speaker for Disability Employment Awareness Month, please reach out now as my calendar’s filling up quickly! I’d love to speak at your event.

Later in October, I’ll be working with Anthem Insurance on October 18th; we’ll be doing an event series around people in foster care. Then, I’ll attend the National Family Voices Conference in Washington, D.C., where I’ll be representing Youth as Self-Advocates on October 18th-20th.

I’m continuing to work on evaluating Baskervill and the construction work related to that project. Additionally, I will be working with the same team to consult on the accessibility and inclusivity of community centers that are going to be built in the Richmond area.

 There are several upcoming projects, including lobbying work and meetings with potential clients. I’ve also been continuing to work on my book and podcast episodes, so stay tuned for both! 

Make sure to follow 6 Wheels on social media to keep up with our current and future events! I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable end of the summer!

6 Wheels 2021 Year In Review!

I’ve gotten to do some really cool projects this year, and as 2021 comes to an end, I wanted to share some of the highlights from the past year!

One of the most exciting parts of this year was being included as the accessibility consultant for Baskervill's winning bid to redesign the new Supreme Court of Virginia building.

In November, I also became an ADA Certified Coordinator! An ADA coordinator works with different entities within the government to ensure ADA compliance.

Another awesome moment of the year was when 6 Wheels Consulting became certified as a micro-SWaM this year! The SWaM (the Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned) Business Certification Program helps a variety of business owners access opportunities. It was awesome to be recognized in this way!

I keynoted several events in 2021, including at North Dakota’s Power Up Health Conference, Sentara Healthcare, Anthem HealthKeepers Plus, and Virginia Board for People With Disabilities just to name a few. It was great to connect with so many communities!

This year, I also did sensitivity training for the North Dakota court systems. Additionally, I did a lot of programming around hiring people with disabilities with Richmond SHRM, the African American Credit Union, and Coastal Credit Union. These opportunities really allowed me to share the importance of hiring and employing people with disabilities.

6 Wheels has had a great year of making an impact and connecting with some amazing people and organizations, and 2022 is setting up to be a great year already! I have some projects already lined up and can’t wait to see what the year has in store!

I hope everyone has a safe, happy holiday season, and make sure to keep a check on our social media pages to see what we’ll be up to in the new year!

PHOTO: 6 Wheels Consulting logo holiday card with Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa graphics.

Redesigning a New Supreme Court of Virginia Building

*Article originally published on Richmond BizSense.

The state government’s procurement arm has taken the next incremental step in one of two major downtown redevelopment projects.

Virginia’s Department of General Services last month tapped a team led by local architecture firm Baskervill to design the future home of the Virginia Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Virginia.

The selection is one of the first dominoes to fall in the process to replace the current Supreme Court of Virginia building at 100 N. 9th St. with a new building at 900 E. Main St., where the Pocahontas Building currently stands. The east wing of the Pocahontas Building is expected to be demolished to make way for the new building that the Supreme Court of Virginia and state’s Court of Appeals will share.

The project is estimated to cost at least $155 million.

DGS Director Joe Damico confirmed that a design contract for the new courts building was awarded in November. Renderings and finer details have not yet been disclosed.

“There’s still a long way to go, still a lot of discussions to be had before we really get into some serious design decisions,” Damico said.

The first public look at the future courts building will likely come at a public meeting of the state’s Art and Architecture Review Board next spring or summer, Damico added.

“Baskervill didn’t come in with a specific design. What they did is they came in and said, ‘Here’s how we’re going to approach developing the space needs and the design of the building.’ That’s how the procurement evaluation was conducted,” Damico said. “They now sit down with the courts, understand what their program needs are, then they take that and design it into the space.”

Other local firms that were part of Baskervill’s winning bid included engineering firms Timmons Group, Froehling & Robertson and Dunbar, as well as accessibility consulting firm 6 Wheels Consulting.

The state issued a request for proposals for the project over the summer, along with an RFP to replace the James Monroe Building at 101 N. 14th St., which at 26 stories is the city’s tallest building.

Both the Supreme Court and Monroe buildings have myriad issues involving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, security and safety and other design problems, which prompted the need for replacements.

 Damico added that they have not awarded a design contract for the approximately 13-story, 350,000-square-foot tower that’s planned to replace the Monroe Building at 703 E. Main St. That site currently houses the former Virginia Employment Commission building. Damico said he anticipates a winning bid will be selected within the next two months. The project is estimated at $283 million.

“My hope would be before the end of the year,” Damico said.

Multiple state agencies call the Monroe Building home, including the Department of the Treasury and Department of Education, and the Department of Veterans Services.

The 40-year-old Monroe Building and 101-year-old Supreme Court of Virginia building are likely to face different ultimate fates.

Damico previously said he’d expect the state to retain the Supreme Court building due to its historic significance and proximity to Capitol Square, while the Monroe Building may be declared surplus and put up for sale.

Those decisions will ultimately be decided by the General Assembly and the new governor’s administration. Damico said DGS is continuing down the path for these projects as currently authorized.

“Each administration can establish their priorities and I can’t answer for them, but I’ll tell you that this is how we’re proceeding at this time and we’ll see how it plays out going forward,” he said.

PHOTO: At the corner of East Franklin and North Ninth streets is the current Supreme Court of Virginia building, which was initially built in 1919 before being added on to in the 1950s. (BizSense file)