‘Hell Block’ name may be on its way out
The 1100 block of West Grace Street is an unassuming street in the Richmond area. During the day the street may be littered with some bottles and homeless denizens, but by no means is out of the ordinary for a VCU-area street.
The stretch of West Grace Street between Ryland and Lombardy streets has been deemed “Hell Block” among students for its frequent parties and somewhat neglected appearance, like abandoned couches outside apartment buildings.
Mason Brown
Staff Writer
The 1100 block of West Grace Street is an unassuming street in the Richmond area. During the day the street may be littered with some bottles and homeless denizens, but by no means is out of the ordinary for a VCU-area street.
The stretch of street along Grace between Ryland Street and Lombardy Street, however, has earned the infamous title, Hell Block. According to VCU Police Chief John Venuti, the name has long expired.
“Lots of things have changed in and around VCU since 2005,” Venuti said. “There have been numerous positive improvements to many of the neighborhoods around VCU. Hell Block is a great example of that positive change.”
The area was nicknamed Hell Block around 2005 when the block had many parties and disorderly calls, according to Venuti.
At the time, the area was poorly-lit which may have led to other crimes. The defining feature of the area though was the number of parties along the street.
This year, only two locations have been flagged by the VCU Police as loud noise or party issues. Last year there were four.
“I patrolled this area when I was with Richmond (Police Department) prior to 2005,” Venuti said. “There were lots of parties. I remember the streets being poorly-lit, and it was easy to hide in the shadows when the police were coming.”
VCU Police are not the only ones to see improvement in the area. President of Metro Properties, Jim Wright, says his company has worked to shed the “Hell Block” name.
“We have cleaned up our buildings, hired janitors for weekly cleaning and have done some grounds-keeping,” said Wright. “If we want to change the perception of ‘Hell Block,’ we have to stop calling it that.”
Wright acknowledges that the block still plays host to a lot of parties.
“Our residents are mainly, if not only, college students. … We can’t totally control it. All we can do is react if somebody is being unreasonable,” he said.
Since 2005, Hell Block has seen numerous improvements. A joint effort on VCU Police and the Richmond Police Department have led to more patrols and “intense enforcement efforts pertaining to other crimes that were being committed it that area.”
Enhanced lighting in the area and efforts to work with the community and church in the area have also helped improve the block.
Another effort on behalf of VCU Police is the establishment of “Party Patrol” as well as regulations for parties on campus.
“VCU has established a more focused approach to dealing with party (and) noise locations,” said Venuti. “This strategy involves the full spectrum from education, enforcement, and if necessary, landlord notification and possible eviction.”
VCU graduate Abigail Manz lived on the infamous street while she attended VCU, but said most of her complaints weren’t very serious.
“My neighbors partied a little more than most people … but they were super cool,” Manz said. “The echo from across the courtyard could get pretty loud, but even then it wasn’t too bad.”
Manz no longer resides on Hell Block, but understands why students might be drawn to the area.
“I probably would (still live there) if I was still in school because it was so close and cheap, but otherwise no,” Manz said.
The connotation provided by Hell Block does the area no favors, according to Wright and Venuti.
“Quite honestly this block needs a new nick-name,” Venuti said. “It’s no longer Hell Block and has not been since 2005.”
Photos by Chris Conway
