Frequently Asked Questions

The Schoofield District includes 3 parts: a Master Plan, Neighborhood Plan, and Corridor Plan. The Master Plan includes portions of the original mill site not occupied by the Caesars casino development. The Neighborhood Plan is roughly bound by Memorial Drive to the north, Park Avenue to the east, Rutledy Creek to the South, and London Drive to the west. The Corridor Plan extends from the North Carolina-Virginia State Line to Jefferson Avenue.

The Schoolfield District Plan is an opportunity to reimagine the area surrounding the former mill as a dynamic village that balances economic opportunity, social responsibility, and environmental needs. The plan is comprised of 3 parts: a Master Plan, Neighborhood Plan, and Corridor Plan.

• The Master Plan will focus on leveraging existing historic assets adjacent to the proposed casino development on the historic site of the former mill and associated outparcels.

• The Neighborhood Plan will look to leverage development for improvements that will better the health and wellbeing of residents, repair and revitalize existing residential and commercial assets, and provide better access to amenities in the surrounding mill village.

• The Corridor Plan will propose strategies to strengthen the linkage between the River district and the Schoolfield District and establish gateways to welcome visitors and residents into the City while improving mobility and the public realm.

The City of Danville is spearheading this effort with assistance from various city departments and a Steering Committee with representatives including property owners, major institutions, and community leaders.

The City has hired a collaborative team of experts that is being led by the interdisciplinary team at WRT Design, a planning, urban design, landscape architecture, and architecture firm headquartered in Philadelphia. The team subject matter experts: Cohere (branding, marketing & web design), Ninigret Partners (economic and market analysis), Sherwood Engineers (systems and civil engineering), Dewberry (transportation engineering and engagement), Davey (ecology and design), and Jon Morrison Assoc. (structural engineering).

The project will span 12 months and include 4 phases of work starting with a deep understanding the existing conditions and community aspirations, then exploration of ideas and concepts, refinement of potential alternatives and proposed improvements, and finally documentation of the final plan.

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• Character and Identity - how do we preserve and celebrate the history and legacy of Schoolfield while creating new memories?

• Ecology and Open Space - how do we enhance existing open and natural spaces and find new opportunities to create new spaces for recreation, habitat, and respite?

• Community - how do we create a truly community-supported vision for the future that centers equity and inclusion in the process, recommendations, and implementation?

• Housing & Economic Development - how should we combat displacement and identify equitable and inclusive revitalization and development opportunities that meet the needs of current and future residents?

• Mobility & Connectivity - how do we emphasize the importance of Main Street as the city’s spine and create seamless multi-modal connections to the River District?

• Infrastructure - how do we ensure that the Schoolfield District’s infrastructure (water, sewer, power, stormwater, etc.) serve community needs and are sustainable?