Category: Economic development
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RVA 5×5: Monopoly on Richmond
by Jon Baliles There has been a lot of chatter this week about Monopoly doing a Richmond version featuring notable places and landmarks to replace the well-known properties like St. James’ Place, Reading Railroad, and Boardwalk. According to Em Holter at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the creators of Monopoly want to hear from YOU about what…
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RVA 5×5: Incentivizing Derelicts
by Jon Baliles Housing has become a vital issue all across our region; it is a pressing need, but not simple to resolve. It will be with us for some time to come and we have to seek out a multi-prong strategy to address it. But there are some steps that can be taken to…
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Southern Domination and Beaver Nuggets.
by Kerry Dougherty Sick of politics? Me too. Let’s change it up today. I don’t like to brag, but I’m pretty much an expert on roadside food joints and truck stops. No, not that way, you perverts. I simply love road trips, which means frequent stops for food and fuel. Most truck stops are sort…
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Virginia is the Future
by Arthur Bloom I want to tell you why I like The 1619 Project. It has nothing to do with the history, all of which is known to any well-educated Virginian. Of course, these things are fundamentally propagandistic exercises, any leftist worth his salt would tell you that too. But it was symbolically very important.…
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A New 800-Pound Gorilla in Virginia Politics
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Ivy Main, in a recent commentary in the Virginia Mercury, identified a change in the power dynamic of Virginia politics that is taking place: “Amazon is the new Dominion.” Amazon’s presence in the Commonwealth has grown significantly over the past decade. It has taken place in three areas— distribution facilities, the second…
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RVA 5×5: Restoring A Richmond Treasure
by Jon Baliles One of Richmond’s favorite architectural wonders and spooky places is the Pump House along the Kanawha Canal and adjacent to the Boulevard Bridge. It has been the target and talk of renovations and adaptive reuses for almost a century since it closed in 1924 (the city wanted to tear it down in…
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RVA 5×5: RVA = DIY
by Jon Baliles Jack Jacobs at Richmond Biz Sense has an update about the ongoing fallout from the collapse of the Enrichmond Foundation last summer. All of the small organizations that used Enrichmond as a fiduciary lost access to their money (which may be gone for good; stay tuned) and other things like insurance coverage.…
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Feeding Petersburg
by James C. Sherlock I have written in this space many times about the struggles of Petersburg. Petersburg is blessed in one way. The Progress-Index’s Bill Atkinson and Joyce Chu may be the best pair of local news reporters working in Virginia. Mr. Atkinson, in a series of reports, has detailed the continuing struggles of…
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Universal Recognition Will Help Stem Virginia’s Migration Woes
by Conor Norris and Edward Timmons From pristine beaches to rolling hills and picturesque mountains, Virginia has a lot to attract residents. Combine that with a strong economy and Northern Virginia’s close ties with Washington, D.C., Virginia should be an attractive destination. But surprisingly, that’s not the case. Despite strong economic performance and a high…
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Public Hearing, Private Decision
by Joe Fitzgerald The Bluestone Town Center (BTC), according to council members who voted 3-2 to approve it, was decided in secret meetings between those council members and the applicants. At Tuesday’s open meeting in which they voted to approve BTC, those council members rather shamelessly admitted to those sessions. City staff and the city…
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RVA 5×5: Calling Earl Weaver
by Jon Baliles There are not many other cities in the country that would debate plans for multiple baseball stadiums in multiple locations over multiple decades and then, after seemingly signing off on a new stadium, roll over after being told by Major League Baseball that public monies must be spent for a batting cage…
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Petersburg Seeks State Funding for Projects Linked to Public Health and the Appomattox River
by James C. Sherlock While all of the attention in the state press has been on Petersburg’s proposed casino, the estimable Bill Atkinson of the Petersburg Progress-Index provided insight into other Petersburg requests to the General Assembly for budget amendments. Badly needed infrastructure projects and a tourism initiative are each tied to the health of…
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Something Is in the Water
by Joe Fitzgerald Those aren’t wood chips or bark in the cow pasture. David Foster Wallace tells the story of two young fish swimming along when an older, wiser fish swims past and asks, “How’s the water?” One of the young fish looks at the other and asks, “What’s water?” Absurdity is the water that…
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No Better Time to Instill Financial Literacy in Black and Brown Virginian Youth
by Sherifah Munis Racial systemic inequalities have recently been brought to the forefront of our national conscience, shedding light on the centuries of policies that have disadvantaged Black and Brown Americans’ ability to build, maintain, and pass on wealth. A striking 2019 statistic shows that the median family wealth (the difference between gross assets and…
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Petersburg Casino: Is Youngkin Channeling Wilder and Should Biden, Warner, or Trump Care?
by Paul Goldman Race has too long defined Virginia politics. Several efforts to change this dynamic are discussed in my book Remaking Virginia Politics. My gut senses 2023 may feature another noteworthy moment on the road to Dr. King’s dream. The fight between Petersburg and Richmond over a casino license is currently not seen in…