About UR Downtown
UR Downtown serves as a center for collaboration with nonprofit and government entities and supports the University’s commitment to community engagement. For students, this means expanded experiential-education opportunities, including:
- Hands-on clinic experience for law students staffing the pro bono center and the family law clinic
- Undergraduate research with the Richmond Families Initiative partner agencies
- Community-based learning courses across the undergraduate curriculum
- Meaningful community projects like mentoring youth and providing educational materials to families
- Close collaboration with local attorneys, agency leaders and clients, and community members in various work environments
- Renovation of the UR Downtown building was pre-certified as a green building by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) at its gold level.
- The building is being considered by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources for designation within the Grace Street Commercial District as an historic building.
- The new interior of UR Downtown has been designed to retain architectural and historic elements from the former Franklin Federal Savings and Loan lobby, including the vault and the 1956 lobby mural.
- The mural by German artist Hans Gassman, created using a rare and ancient mural technique, represents “The Circulation of Money” and features recognizable themes from Virginia and Richmond. It serves as the centerpiece of UR Downtown’s conference room and community room.
- The James Bryant Bourne Jr. Conference Room pays tribute to the second president of Franklin Federal Savings and Loan. During Bourne's tenure as president from 1959-1999, Franklin Federal became a highly successful institution and served as a model for other savings and loan associations.
