This week's "Why Richmond, Why?!?" questions are after my own heart.

Missing monuments, new stores under construction and blight on Monument Avenue … all your questions are answered this week in "Why Richmond, Why?!?"

Not the questions you were hoping for? Then feel free to ask yours … we're always all ears.

For a city that treasures it monuments, this one is a real head-scratcher … I have seen old photos of and have read Civil War-era references to the Henry Clay statue that used to grace the grounds of Capitol Square. When and why was the statue removed?
-- Brandon

Mark Greenough, tour supervisor and historian for Virginia State Capitol Guided Tours, answers:

The Clay statue was unveiled outdoors in April 1860. Shortly afterwards a decorative iron canopy/cupola/pagoda/gazebo (choose your favorite) was erected to cover and protect the marble statue in its outdoor setting.

By 1930 the iron covering was in danger of collapsing so Gov. John G. Pollard had the statue relocated to the Old Hall of the House of Delegates, which had just been dedicated as a museum of "Great Virginians." When the Capitol closed in 2005 for renovations the Clay statue underwent a long laser cleaning process to make the marble more presentable.

The cleaned Henry Clay statue will soon be displayed inside the new underground extension of the Capitol, near the visitor lobby.

Why Richmond, Why … or should I say What? What is going in the old Bloom Brothers Building on West Broad? They are taking their sweet time with construction and I would like to know what it's going to be.
-- Valerie

Brian D. Bertonneau, senior vice president of RoomStore, answers:

RoomStore is creating an exciting new furniture shopping experience at 9901 West Broad Street. The store will be called "RoomStore World" and will feature over 65,000 square feet of furniture and accessories from around the world. We will have some wonderful pieces from Asia, India, Europe, Latin America, and the US, all at very affordable prices.

Styles will range from traditional American to casual and contemporary urban living. Construction at the building is progressing very well, and we hope to be open by mid-summer. Unfortunately, I cannot give a more precise opening date until we get further along with construction. But stay tuned for details … it will be a truly grand opening.

Why are there so many renters along Monument Ave. now? I'm a renter, so nothing against them, but it seems to me that the city and neighborhood association should want to preserve the homes along that avenue, instead of letting them get worn out and trashy looking like some of them do now because the renters (sorry students!) don't care for the property. It's a shame Monument Ave. is looking the way it does. Can you tell us what's going on here?
-- Karen

I posed this question to the presidents of the Fan and Museum District Neighborhood Associations, as well as the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Thus farm, Brandon Mears, president, of the Museum District Association is the only one who's gotten back to me. Here's the response:

To answer the first part of your question, renters have always lived on Monument Avenue. Many of the buildings that we enjoy today were conceived as apartment building and rooming houses. The reason for some of the apartment buildings' trashy appearances could have less to do with renters who do not care and more to do with owners and property managers who do not take pride in a well-kept, tidy exterior. This, in turn, can lead to apathetic residents within the building.

The Museum District Association would love to have all of the beautiful buildings on Monument Avenue restored to their original splendor. The truth of the matter is, unless the property maintenance is so lacking that the building becomes a safety and health hazard, or qualifies as "blight," there is little the city is likely to do about it. Owners; rights allow property owners to meet minimum standards for maintenance and upkeep and still remain in the good graces of the city.

The exciting trend lately has been for some of the run-down apartment buildings to be converted into condominiums. The appearance of these buildings has improved immensely and is likely to remain that way if the residents of the condo building all have a financial interest in the property.

So what do you want to know, Richmond? Send questions to: karri.peifer@corp.richmond.com with "Why Richmond, Why?!?" in the subject line or leave it in the comments sections below. And if you missed last week's "Why Richmond, Why?" you can read it here.