05/26/2026
An update on the Scissors Building!
Transcript: Hello, this is Emily Haynes McGee. I wanted to let you all know what’s happening with the Scissors Building.
On Sunday April 19th, we had about 90 people come out to celebrate the scissors return to their home. Again, thank you so much to the team: Tim, Gavin, and Jamel. Hats off to you three for your amazing work! Also, thank you to everyone who came out for your support. It was truly an amazing day and a lot of fun.
After that, I left for a conference in Baltimore, exploring the concept of “placemaking”. Placemaking is about using space to create feelings of belonging, home, etc. It was really cool. Then I came back to Richmond for the first annual Richmond Black Deaf Advocate, RVABDA, conference. There were many incredible presenters and I learned a lot. It was amazing; kudos to you all!
Shortly after that, I started experiencing some pain, and then had surgery to have my gallbladder removed. Since then, I’ve been slowly recovering. It has caused me to take a pause. So if you’ve been wondering “Hey, what’s up with the scissors building?” My apologies! I’m still recovering. I’m not at 100% yet but I’m feeling better.
So back to the Scissors Building. We finished discussions with Henrico County and they let us know about the parking situation. Right now, the parking lot behind the building is gravel, with a grassy area behind the gravel parking lot. I was hopeful that we could switch the location of the grassy area and the parking lot, but we were told no. The parking lot would be too close to a residential building so we aren’t allowed to do that. But the current size of the parking lot is acceptable, which is good news. And the building will have a fenced-off space for walking from the building to the grassy area without walking through the parking lot. That’s good for my mom heart!
So right now, a company is renting the parking area, which is great because that helps cover the monthly expenses. We’re hoping that the company continues to rent the parking lot for now. We are focusing on renovating the inside of the building. We are applying for some grants to help cover all of the costs. Right now we don’t have all the funds, but we will figure it out! So we’re focusing on the inside renovations and then we will renovate the parking lot. It’s quite a slow process, but we’re hoping that by next summer, we will have it ready and fully operational. Please be patient! I will continue to let you know what’s happening, but that’s where we are right now!
[ID: Emily Haynes McGee is a white woman wearing a blue shirt with pink flowers, a denim jacket, and glasses with rainbow colored frames. She has mid-length brunette hair, and is signing against light purple fabric.]
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THE FOLLOWING IS CAPITALIZED FOR LOW AND CLOSE VISION READERS:
AN UPDATE ON THE SCISSORS BUILDING!
TRANSCRIPT: HELLO, THIS IS EMILY HAYNES MCGEE. I WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE SCISSORS BUILDING.
ON SUNDAY APRIL 19TH, WE HAD ABOUT 90 PEOPLE COME OUT TO CELEBRATE THE SCISSORS RETURN TO THEIR HOME. AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE TEAM: TIM, GAVIN, AND JAMEL. HATS OFF TO YOU THREE FOR YOUR AMAZING WORK! ALSO, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT FOR YOUR SUPPORT. IT WAS TRULY AN AMAZING DAY AND A LOT OF FUN.
AFTER THAT, I LEFT FOR A CONFERENCE IN BALTIMORE, EXPLORING THE CONCEPT OF “PLACEMAKING”. PLACEMAKING IS ABOUT USING SPACE TO CREATE FEELINGS OF BELONGING, HOME, ETC. IT WAS REALLY COOL. THEN I CAME BACK TO RICHMOND FOR THE FIRST ANNUAL RICHMOND BLACK DEAF ADVOCATE, RVABDA, CONFERENCE. THERE WERE MANY INCREDIBLE PRESENTERS AND I LEARNED A LOT. IT WAS AMAZING; KUDOS TO YOU ALL!
SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I STARTED EXPERIENCING SOME PAIN, AND THEN HAD SURGERY TO HAVE MY GALLBLADDER REMOVED. SINCE THEN, I’VE BEEN SLOWLY RECOVERING. IT HAS CAUSED ME TO TAKE A PAUSE. SO IF YOU’VE BEEN WONDERING “HEY, WHAT’S UP WITH THE SCISSORS BUILDING?” MY APOLOGIES! I’M STILL RECOVERING. I’M NOT AT 100% YET BUT I’M FEELING BETTER.
SO BACK TO THE SCISSORS BUILDING. WE FINISHED DISCUSSIONS WITH HENRICO COUNTY AND THEY LET US KNOW ABOUT THE PARKING SITUATION. RIGHT NOW, THE PARKING LOT BEHIND THE BUILDING IS GRAVEL, WITH A GRASSY AREA BEHIND THE GRAVEL PARKING LOT. I WAS HOPEFUL THAT WE COULD SWITCH THE LOCATION OF THE GRASSY AREA AND THE PARKING LOT, BUT WE WERE TOLD NO. THE PARKING LOT WOULD BE TOO CLOSE TO A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING SO WE AREN’T ALLOWED TO DO THAT. BUT THE CURRENT SIZE OF THE PARKING LOT IS ACCEPTABLE, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS. AND THE BUILDING WILL HAVE A FENCED-OFF SPACE FOR WALKING FROM THE BUILDING TO THE GRASSY AREA WITHOUT WALKING THROUGH THE PARKING LOT. THAT’S GOOD FOR MY MOM HEART!
SO RIGHT NOW, A COMPANY IS RENTING THE PARKING AREA, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE THAT HELPS COVER THE MONTHLY EXPENSES. WE’RE HOPING THAT THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO RENT THE PARKING LOT FOR NOW. WE ARE FOCUSING ON RENOVATING THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING. WE ARE APPLYING FOR SOME GRANTS TO HELP COVER ALL OF THE COSTS. RIGHT NOW WE DON’T HAVE ALL THE FUNDS, BUT WE WILL FIGURE IT OUT! SO WE’RE FOCUSING ON THE INSIDE RENOVATIONS AND THEN WE WILL RENOVATE THE PARKING LOT. IT’S QUITE A SLOW PROCESS, BUT WE’RE HOPING THAT BY NEXT SUMMER, WE WILL HAVE IT READY AND FULLY OPERATIONAL. PLEASE BE PATIENT! I WILL CONTINUE TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING, BUT THAT’S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW!
[ID: EMILY HAYNES MCGEE IS A WHITE WOMAN WEARING A BLUE SHIRT WITH PINK FLOWERS, A DENIM JACKET, AND GLASSES WITH RAINBOW COLORED FRAMES. SHE HAS MID-LENGTH BRUNETTE HAIR, AND IS SIGNING AGAINST LIGHT PURPLE FABRIC.]
