City solicits bids for African American Heritage Trail construction
Plus, Williamsburg leads state in hotel occupancy gains; College Woods Circuit path info session
The City of Williamsburg is seeking bids to construct the African American Heritage Trail, a pedestrian route connecting historic sites through downtown. The trail highlights places, people and events that shaped the city’s African American history from the colonial era through the Civil Rights Movement, according to the City of Williamsburg.
Invitation for Bids (IFB) documents outline plans for the project, which would add new brick-paver sidewalks, landscaping and decorative lighting along the route, combining new brick paving with existing brick and concrete walkways. Colored brick will help guide visitors along the trail.
Path materials and features
Brick paving serves as the primary surface for new sections of the trail. Depending on location, pedestrians would travel across proposed brick paver sidewalks, existing brick paver sidewalks, existing concrete sidewalks and a proposed asphalt path near Lafayette Street. Near North Boundary Street, the route transitions from brick paving to concrete steps and a landing pad.
New sections would use brick pavers set over a concrete base and compacted aggregate subbase. Where the walkway crosses existing tree root zones, the paving switches to a geogrid-supported system with an open-graded stone base instead, to avoid damaging the roots. The plans also include new steps and handrails near North Boundary Street, along with truncated-dome detectable warning surfaces at pedestrian crossings.
Landscaping the path
Landscape improvements would add a mix of native and ornamental trees, shrubs, grasses and flowering plants along the trail to create a greener, more cohesive pedestrian corridor. The planting palette includes canopy trees such as red maple, tulip poplar and willow oak, along with flowering dogwoods, serviceberries and American holly to provide seasonal color and shade.
Shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennial flowers would fill planting beds throughout the route, with species selected to provide year-round interest while complementing the surrounding streetscape. Plans also include tree-protection measures and grass buffers to help preserve existing vegetation during construction.
The proposed route includes 12 primary heritage sites identified by the City of Williamsburg’s African American Heritage Trail Narrative. The trail begins near Lafayette Street and follows Scotland Street, Richmond Road and Jamestown Road, connecting multiple downtown blocks. Numbered destinations identify heritage sites along the route, while colored brick marks the trail and interpretive markers provide historical context. Stops along the path include:
Displacement Story — examines the forced relocation of African American communities over several generations.
First Baptist Church — one of the nation’s oldest continuously active African American Baptist congregations.
Braxton Court — historic neighborhood developed to expand Black homeownership during segregation.
Cooke Building — honors Herbert L. Cooke, civil rights leader, businessman and NAACP advocate.
Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved — honors people enslaved by William & Mary over nearly two centuries.
Williamsburg Bray School — colonial-era school that educated enslaved and free Black children..
Gowan Pamphlet Historic Marker — recognizes the pioneering Black preacher who led the early congregation.
Memorial to African American Business Owners — commemorates entrepreneurs displaced from the Triangle Business District.
City of Williamsburg Invitation for Bids documents - African American Heritage Trail:
Lighting the way
The trail would be illuminated with decorative pedestrian lighting designed to complement the surrounding streetscape and improve visibility for visitors. Plans call for traditional-style post-top lanterns paired with shorter bollard lights along portions of the route. The fixtures use warm 3000K LED lighting with dark bronze and charcoal finishes designed to complement Williamsburg’s historic character.
A little bit of comfort
The project includes a new public comfort station intended to support visitors using the African American Heritage Trail by providing permanent restroom facilities along the route. The building is part of the broader streetscape improvements designed to make the trail more accessible and comfortable for pedestrians while encouraging longer visits to the downtown heritage corridor.
Rather than constructing a new building from the ground up, the project would renovate an existing pump station built around 1933 that is currently described in the plans as a non-functioning, abandoned facility. The renovation would convert the interior into a single-user restroom while making minor exterior repairs that preserve the building’s historic appearance. Plans also include accessible entrances, along with landscaping, bicycle parking, benches and waste receptacles that create a small gathering area for trail users.
In other news:
Williamsburg hotels post Virginia’s strongest June occupancy gains
Williamsburg hotels recorded the strongest year-over-year occupancy growth among Virginia’s major lodging markets in June, reflecting a sharp increase in visitor demand at the start of the summer travel season, according to information shared by the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association, via Visit Williamsburg. The figures show hotel occupancy in Williamsburg rose 15.4% compared with June 2025. Occupancy reached 70.3%, while the statewide increase was 2.6%. National occupancy rose 1.6%, and the South Atlantic region posted a 0.3% gain.
Williamsburg also led Virginia in growth of revenue per available room, or RevPAR, which combines occupancy and room rates to measure hotel performance. RevPAR increased 15.9% from a year earlier, compared with an 8.2% increase statewide, 8.4% nationally, and 4.5% across the South Atlantic.
Unlike many markets where higher room rates drove revenue growth, Williamsburg’s average daily room rate was largely unchanged. The market’s average daily rate, or ADR, increased 0.4% to $151.01, while Virginia’s ADR rose 5.4%, the U.S. average increased 6.7%, and the South Atlantic region gained 4.2%. Statewide, Virginia hotels reported occupancy of 72.8%, an average daily rate of $151.07, and RevPAR of $110.04 in June, with room revenue increasing 8.8% from the same month last year.
City of Williamsburg to Host Info Session on College Woods Circuit Phase 2
The City of Williamsburg invites the public to a session on Phase 2 of the College Woods Circuit, a proposed shared-use path along Strawberry Plains Road and John Tyler Lane, from Berkeley Middle School to Berkeley Lane. The session runs 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in the community room of the Williamsburg Police Station, 615 Lafayette St. City staff and design firm Timmons Group will present the latest designs, now 60% complete, and collect feedback.
College Woods Circuit, an extension of the Virginia Capital Trail, would circumnavigate College Woods and connect to the proposed Trail757 at South Boundary Street. Phase 2, the subject of this session, covers the shared-use path from Berkeley Middle School to Berkeley Lane and is funded and currently in design. It’s the second of three planned phases: Phase 1, the Monticello Avenue Multiuse Trail, opened in 2020, while Phase 3, along Jamestown Road from John Tyler Lane to S. Boundary St., remains conceptual.
The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation welcomed the news. “This segment will improve safety and connectivity for people walking, biking and rolling, provide better access to schools and neighborhoods, and help build a more connected trail network for residents and visitors alike,” wrote Alexandra Brooks, Communications & Engagement Manager for the organization wrote in an email to the Williamsburg Independent. “We are excited to see this project continue moving forward and appreciate the City of Williamsburg’s leadership in advancing the Capital Trail Extension vision.”
A multiuse trail along Strawberry Plains Road has been under consideration since the 2017/2018 Goals, Initiatives & Outcomes document and has appeared in each version since, according to the city. The City gathered public input on preliminary Phase 2 designs in fall 2021, when Council passed a resolution supporting a VDOT Transportation Alternative Programs funding application. That funding came through in Fiscal Year 2025: $2,365,560 in TAP funds toward the project's estimated $3,227,597 total cost.
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