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Ep. 27 | Roxie Deer Talks Richmond Neighborhood Restoration, The Deer Family Fund, and More on The Hub With Michael Allen
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A city feels different when a corner starts to glow. That’s the magic of the newly restored Readmore Building—and the entry point to a bigger story with Roxie Deer, Executive Director of Richmond Neighborhood Restoration (RNR), as she joins host Michael Allen on The Hub Podcast, sponsored by Manpower Richmond.
We start with Roxie’s personal roots in Richmond: a multigenerational upbringing, losing her mom to breast cancer, and why she chose to stay when she could have left. That loss sparked the Deer Family Fund, which now supports women’s health, education, transportation to treatment, and access to cooling caps—small interventions with outsized dignity.
From there we dive into the work: how Richmond Neighborhood Restoration grew from a volunteer crew saving one house a year to a nimble nonprofit catalyzing multiple projects, including the Readmore transformation and the shift downtown powered by Revitalize Richmond, a $25 million Lilly Endowment initiative with more than $80 million matched.
Roxie breaks down how RNR selects buildings (safety, exterior impact, end use, financial feasibility), why modern kitchens and bathrooms don’t betray history, and how safeguards like Indiana Landmarks’ 0% loans and realistic covenants protect both heritage and future owners. We also unpack the downtown strategy—recruiting retail with a national partner, supporting local entrepreneurs, and aligning new apartments with property managers so spaces don’t sit empty. And we face the hard calls: the library’s renovation and location, and the beloved but precarious Crane House, where cost, safety, and symbolism collide.
This is a candid, hopeful look at how small cities win: block by block, with clear-eyed budgets, creative partnerships, and neighbors who show up. If you care about historic preservation, downtown revitalization, or what it takes to turn pride into policy and projects, you’ll feel right at home here.
🎙️ Catch every episode of The Hub Podcast with host Michael Allen, sponsored by Manpower Richmond: mprichmond.com/the-hub-podcast
🌐 Learn more about Richmond Neighborhood Restoration (RNR): www.rnrinc.org
🌐 Explore Revitalize Richmond: earlham.edu/revitalize-richmond
💙 Support the Deer Family Fund: Donate at waynecountyfoundation.org
and add “Deer Family Fund” in the donation notes
📱 Follow on Facebook: Stay updated with both RNR and Revitalize Richmond
📢 Share this episode & leave a review: Help more people discover Richmond’s comeback story
Chapters
1. Meet Roxy Deere (00:00:00)
2. Values, Dogs, And Authenticity (00:02:10)
3. Family Legacy And The Deere Fund (00:05:55)
4. Choosing Richmond And Community Ties (00:10:40)
5. Early Jobs And Work Lessons (00:13:45)
6. Path To Richmond Neighborhood Restoration (00:15:10)
7. RR Origins And Mission Shift (00:18:55)
8. Saving Homes Versus Modern Living (00:22:00)
9. A Week In Preservation Work (00:25:00)
10. Current Projects And Pipeline (00:26:50)
11. How RR Chooses Projects (00:29:30)
12. The Readmore Corner’s Ripple Effect (00:33:00)
13. $25M Revitalize Richmond Explained (00:35:30)
14. Big Buildings, Private Partners (00:39:40)
15. Funding Tools And Safeguards (00:42:30)
16. Library Debate And Downtown Future (00:45:00)
17. Can We Fill New Apartments? (00:48:00)
18. Recruiting Retail And Small Biz Support (00:51:00)
19. Five-Year Vision For RR (00:54:00)
20. The Crane House Dilemma (00:56:30)
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