Yearslong sidewalk and lane closures around VCU and ICA start this week

The northbound lane and sidewalk on North Belvidere Street between Grace and Broad and the eastbound lane and sidewalk on West Broad between Belvidere and Henry will be closed through late 2027. Map: Axios Visuals

Two lanes of traffic and sidewalks around the intersections of Belvidere and Broad and Belvidere and Grace near VCU will be closed starting Tuesday due to construction of a new building.

Why it matters: The closures will be in effect for at least the next three-and-a-half years.

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• Plus, they come as VCU and the city continue their push to make Richmond streets safer, especially around campus after drivers killed two pedestrians on campus last year .

State of play: The lane and sidewalk closures are to allow for construction of the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation at VCU at the corner of Broad and Belvidere, across from the Institute for Contemporary Art.

• The 212,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed in late 2027 and house classroom spaces and interdisciplinary performance venues for the School of the Arts.

A rendering of CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University. Image: Courtesy of VCU

Zoom in: The closures will be in effect throughout construction, which starts Tuesday and will wrap up by late 2027, per VCU, and include:

• One eastbound lane and the sidewalk on West Broad between North Belvidere and North Henry Street.
• One northbound lane and the sidewalk on North Belvidere Street between West Grace and West Broad streets.

Worth noting: The intersection at Grace and Belvidere is one of the worst in the city for crashes involving pedestrians, an Axios analysis of VDOT crash data found last year.