A long-envsioned mural covering all 88 panels of the sound barrier wall on Giant Road in Parchester Village will soon become a reality.
The Parchester Village Neighborhood Council (PVNC) has envisioned beautifying the wall that provides a sound barrier to the nearby railroad tracks and highway since 2016. The Council selected well-known muralist Richard Salazar to work with the community to develop a design that represents the community. Thanks to small city grants, the PVNC has been able to paint sections of the wall. Currently, 14 of the 88 wall panel sections are complete, with some examples provided in the photos in this story, according to the city.
Developers of a new, nearby housing project featuring 94 single-family homes alongside the Richmond County Club are providing $451,000 to complete the mural on the sound barrier wall, as part of the city’s required one percent public art developer fee. On Tuesday, the Richmond City Council approved allocating the funds toward the mural project in a two-year contract.
The PVNC decided to continue working with Salazar through Bay Area EV, LLC, because it has worked successfully with him since 2016. This project is a collaborative effort between the Love Your Block program and the Arts and Culture Division, which provided mini-grants for the art currently on the sound wall.
