JTI Gives Grant for Danville River District Fountain

Source from:  WSLS Newschannel 10 Roanoke 04/13/2012

Another piece of the plan for the River District fell into place Wednesday when Japan Tobacco International donated $400,000 to Danville to design and build the fountain that is a key element in redesigning the city's "100 percent" corner - the intersection of Main and Craghead streets. The city is currently in phase one of the plan - the streetscape of Main Street from Craghead Street to Floyd Street. The fountain is in the plan for phase two, which will include rerouting traffic to create a plaza in front of the businesses on Main Street between Craghead and Bridge streets, according to David Parrish, deputy city manager.

The city has applied for $800,000 in funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation during its next budget cycle to help pay for the new traffic plan. Motorists who want to travel north across the King Memorial Bridge will reach the bridge via Patton Street. Phase two of the River District plan is expected to get under way in about a year, Parrish said. Steve Daniels, president of JTI, said the donation of the JTI Fountain was made to "memorialize the legacy of tobacco as an economic engine for Danville over a span of four centuries." Parrish said he is pleased JTI chose to fund the fountain, which will not only welcome visitors to downtown but will lead them into the Tobacco Warehouse District, part of the city's heritage. "It's a great grant. It's really impressive they were willing to step up and do this," Parrish said. "I'm encouraged by this and hope other organizations recognize the importance of this investment." The Danville Regional Foundation has been a big financial supporter of the River District project. Its president and CEO, Karl Stauber, thanked JTI for its donation in the news release. "This gift from JTI is a statement of just how valuable the corporate community considers the River District to be for our future success as a viable city," Stauber said. "The support of the city government, the Danville Regional Foundation, and now the corporate sector through JTI will ensure that before too much more time passes, we can all be proud of how our city looks and how it welcomes its citizens 'down to the riverside.'" Enditem