The City of Richmond’s Planning Commission on Monday, Nov. 3 approved conceptual plans for a memorial to the Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground and finalized designs for Reconciliation Plaza improvements, two key components of The Shockoe Project.

Earlier this month, the Urban Design Committee reviewed both projects and recommended approval to the Planning Commission. City officials said the approvals mark progress toward a unified Shockoe campus that acknowledges Richmond’s history and provides space for reflection, learning and healing. 

“With each step, we move closer to creating spaces that acknowledge the full truth of Richmond’s history and invite meaningful reflection,” said Leo Mantey, general manager of The Shockoe Project. “These actions mark an important milestone in that journey.” 

The memorial will honor Richmond’s first municipal burying ground for free and enslaved people of color, which was active from the late 1700s to the early 1800s. It is the final resting place of an unknown number of Richmond residents. The memorial’s conceptual design has been approved and will return for final review in 2026. 

Reconciliation Plaza, home to one of three identical Reconciliation Statues, will also see improvements. The statues symbolize a shared commitment to honesty and forgiveness and are also located in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and Cotonou, Republic of Benin — cities with historical ties to the transatlantic slave trade. 

City officials said the projects support The Shockoe Project’s mission to connect Richmond’s historic sites, document the domestic slave trade and preserve spaces for truth and reflection.