The Old and New Downtown, Richmond, 1970

This photograph, taken on September 9, 1970 for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, shows the construction of the Richmond Coliseum, a sports arena and music venue with 13,500 seats. An older home stands in the foreground, with a contrasting architectural style to the more modern Coliseum. Construction trucks and equipment are parked in the street. The Richmond downtown urban renewal project tore down many Black residential areas without providing adequate replacements.