Union Presbyterian Seminary plans to develop the 36-Acre Westwood Tract on the Corner of Brook Road and Westwood Avenue.
The original presentation shared with neighbors in mid-May included development attributes that deeply concerned many in the neighborhood. See link: NEIGHBORHOOD ALERTtwo-pager vfinal
Since that time, the neighborhood association joint task force (not affiliated with this website) has held several positive discussions with the Seminary. And word is that significant progress on the plan has been made. See update from June 30th.
The Seminary has invited neighbors to learn about the progress of discussions on Monday August 04, at 6:30 PM at the Early Center auditorium. The Early Center is located on the UPS campus, at the corner of Brook Road and Westwood Avenue.
The Save Westwood Blog is here to help Northside neighbors be informed, connect, and organize to act as needed. You are invited to join today to stay informed.
Save Westwood 
We are so very concerned about this situation. This is a horrific thing for the Presbyterians to do to us here at Northside. So many people love to use these facilities that it would be heartbreaking to take this away from them. It is what has drawn many people to live in this area. It has all been made up to the Presbyterians by their non-profit tax free status over the course of so many years. I would suggest selling the grounds to us – either through an area tax; or, even better, to a philanthropist like the Ukrop’s family in their name. But this plan should be stopped as it will breed crime and congested streets that our community cannot handle. The Presbyterians will be resented “forevermore” if they do this to our beautiful area.
PRAY GOD THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN.
I am deeply concerned about some of the neighbors behavior:
Your printed comments
No more walking trail
No more tennis courts; no more soccer field; no more baseball diamond
No more community garden; no more 100 year-old oak trees
No more easily accessible open space
1) –It NEVER belonged to the neighbors, but is PRIVATE property! so what you claim is “no more” was not “yours” at any time.
2) and your flyers that say to “visit the walking track, soccer fields and tennis courts asking people to sign the petition” Seriously, you’re encourage neighbors to trespass on private property to protest the owner of that same property ?
3) and you having letter writing parties to have neighbors send letters that they ‘support the seminary’, but they have not –do they cut the grass, make donations, pay for use of the fields and tennis courts..? That would be how you show “support” rather than whining you can’t use your “free stuff” anymore.
. I think the online Times-Dispatch response (to their article) by H.T. said it best:” I find it troubling that a group of citizens would impose their will on a property owner. Union Presbyterian Seminary is well within their right to do what they please with the property they legally own. I am sure all the residents of Ginter Park had no problem gratuitously using the grounds as if it were a city park. I am sure they expected the seminary to cut the grass, so that they could use it at will with no compensation to the seminary as the property owner.
Now that the UPS is planning to develpoe the property for the reason it was intended, the residents of Ginter Park want to prevent UPS from doing that. They even want to take it away from the seminary. As I read the article and the intentions of the residents, I found myself asking if this was Richmond, Virginia or Russia?
The residents of Ginter Park have been given a generous free ride with regards to the use of the seminary owned property. The fact of the matter is that UPS is not accountable to the residents or to the members of the city council with regards to what they will or will not do with property they own.
UPS has been a good neighbor in Ginter Park. The seminary could have place a no trespassing sign on the property. It could have placed a fence around the property. It could have placed please do not drive or park on the grass signs and it did not.
What it did do was allow the residents of Ginter Park to posses the entitlement that allowed them to think they owned to property.
it is time for the residents of Ginter Park to also be good neighbors and show Union Presbyterian Seminary the same level of respect and gratitude for the many years the school allowed them to use seminary property and let UPS do what they need to do with the property it owns.”
4) If the neighborhood wants it, then BUY it and do what you want when you own it. That’s how you can “Save Westwood”.