The Richmond Voice, going out into the neighborhood, has found black business owners in the Jackson Ward area are generally supportive of the Downtown Plan so far. The article quotes one anonymous business owner saying that he did not find anything controversial in the plan and that is the reason for him not attending the meetings, another says “it will be great”, and a third says “it’s well deserved and I hope that all taxpayers in the city will be able to take advantage of it”.

It would not be a Voice article without a dose of paranoia and a glaring typo, to wit:

A 41-year resident, Derrick Jones thinks the plan “sucks”.
“They’re trying to move us off Broad Street.
“They make it sound good, but that’s all their trying to do,” Jones said.
When asked why Blacks are not attending the meetings, he states, “You think they are going to listen to us,” Jones added.