It’s a daunting task to sift through the mounds of news produced this year by the intrepid team of BizSense reporters and try to pick out the best of the bunch. After all, we produced more than 1,000 stories in 2016.
But taking stock of a year’s worth of hard work turns out to be an enlightening reference guide going into a new year (and it’s a bit cathartic).
For you the reader, we sought to single out a slate of stories that show off our biggest scoops, best reporting, best writing, catchiest headlines and the most colorful of characters we had the privilege of documenting throughout the year.
Here they are, in no particular order, our baker’s dozen of picks from 2016.
And a shoutout to the BizSense crew of reporters, editors and researchers. 2016 was our biggest year yet. Here’s to keeping the news flowing in 2017.
$14M sale keeps soda flowing in Sandston
Every now and then we manage to think up a zinger of a one-liner lead sentence to give an otherwise ordinary story a little something extra. In this case, we found inspiration in the nine-figure sale of a huge Coca-Cola bottling plant in Sandston. Who doesn’t love a good drug pun?
Six-story ‘car vending machine’ proposed in Short Pump
One of our most read stories of the year came from a tip that we at first thought was too odd to be true. A fast-growing used car startup called Carvana wanted to build what it called the world’s first-ever fully automated, coin-operated “car vending machine” on a small plot next to Tom Leonard’s Farmers Market, about a mile from CarMax’s flagship Richmond store. Neighbors quickly lodged complaints with the county, rumors arose of whether CarMax was wielding its influence in the process and ultimately Carvana scrapped its plans for the site, while making clear it isn’t giving up on building one of those machines in Richmond.
LandAmerica bankruptcy comes to a close
A textbook example of following a story from beginning to end. BizSense was barely a year old when LandAmerica collapsed in one of the region’s largest recession-era bankruptcies. Eight years later, we landed the scoop on the somewhat anticlimactic conclusion of the company’s bankruptcy process. Creditors did okay in the end, but the lawyers made out even better.
10-block stretch of Broad Street gathering steam
Some of our best, most thorough reporting this year was fueled by the rise of two neighborhoods in the city. We dissected the slow but steady evolution of a downtown stretch of Broad Street that has no doubt whetted the appetite of developers enough to sustain momentum into 2017, and uncovered the early-stage gambles a few players are taking on an area of the city they think is the next Church Hill.
Startup’s crowdfunding success hits a sour note
It’s rare in business reporting to have someone truly wear their emotions on their sleeve. But Zachary Jester didn’t hold back in explaining what went wrong with his at-first wildly successful crowdfunding campaign that had donors clamoring for his handmade high-end stereo speakers. The demand proved too much to handle, the public turned on him and Jester walked us through how he was trying to make things right.
And on drums: the nuclear technician
The story of a local battle of business bands produced not only some great writing and great photos, but also one of BizSense’s most memorable headlines of the year. After the last note was played, the band from WestRock vanquished groups from Altria, Capital One, Dominion and The Martin Agency.
Sources: D.C. real estate firm to top off WestRock building
One scoop we’re particularly proud of came in October, when we got out ahead of perhaps the biggest economic development deal in the city in years. Diligent source work helped us confirm that real estate research firm CoStar was moving into Richmond in a big way. BizSense ran with it and then the big, orchestrated splash from the governor’s office came out later that day, not before loyal BizSense readers already had the edge.
Agency compiles list of Richmond’s oldest businesses
One of our most commented stories of the year proved how knowledgeable loyal BizSense readers are of what’s happening in the Richmond business community. This story began as a report on the efforts of a local marketing agency’s side project that sought to compile a list of Richmond’s longest-running businesses. Comments poured in on our site from readers suggesting additions to the list, prompting an update from the agency and a follow-up story.
Condo developer fires back at contractor’s lawsuit
Few stories in our nearly 10-year run of reporting in Richmond have more clearly illustrated what can go wrong when a business partnership sours than the saga of The Tiber. The high-end condo project in the Libbie-Grove corridor started out strong nearly three years ago, with most of its units getting snatched up before construction gained steam. But 2016 cast that momentum aside when construction halted and partners sued partners. Then one of those estranged partners made a calculated move to buy the loan on the property and foreclose on it to gain full control. The final chapter on this tale will likely play out in 2017.
Broad Street shop for ‘sneakerheads’ thrives in nostalgia
BizSense has always wondered why lines of eager shoppers would form outside a used sneaker shop near our Broad Street headquarters. Our summer reporting intern finally answered that question by telling the tale of Round Two, which has built a name for itself in the “sneakerhead” culture by peddling old Air Jordans and other sought-after shoes.
Urban Farmhouse owner reflects on recent speed bumps
Readers are always curious about restaurant closures, but even more interesting is getting into the nitty-gritty about why certain locations don’t survive. Urban Farmhouse owner Kathleen Richardson had the gumption to address why nearly half of her storefronts shut down this year, why she may have been ahead of her time in certain neighborhoods and why a few failed attempts haven’t derailed her long-term vision.
Boychik’s owner dead at 65; passes on legacy of hard work
Lastly, there are instances when sad news helps create chances to tell great stories. Such was the case when word spread of the deaths of local restaurateurs Ted Santarella and Scott Elias Sr. Fortunately, the legacies and tales left in their wake inspired some of our best writing of the year, thanks largely to the family members and employees that Santarella and Elias entrusted their enterprises to in their passing.
It’s a daunting task to sift through the mounds of news produced this year by the intrepid team of BizSense reporters and try to pick out the best of the bunch. After all, we produced more than 1,000 stories in 2016.
But taking stock of a year’s worth of hard work turns out to be an enlightening reference guide going into a new year (and it’s a bit cathartic).
For you the reader, we sought to single out a slate of stories that show off our biggest scoops, best reporting, best writing, catchiest headlines and the most colorful of characters we had the privilege of documenting throughout the year.
Here they are, in no particular order, our baker’s dozen of picks from 2016.
And a shoutout to the BizSense crew of reporters, editors and researchers. 2016 was our biggest year yet. Here’s to keeping the news flowing in 2017.
$14M sale keeps soda flowing in Sandston
Every now and then we manage to think up a zinger of a one-liner lead sentence to give an otherwise ordinary story a little something extra. In this case, we found inspiration in the nine-figure sale of a huge Coca-Cola bottling plant in Sandston. Who doesn’t love a good drug pun?
Six-story ‘car vending machine’ proposed in Short Pump
One of our most read stories of the year came from a tip that we at first thought was too odd to be true. A fast-growing used car startup called Carvana wanted to build what it called the world’s first-ever fully automated, coin-operated “car vending machine” on a small plot next to Tom Leonard’s Farmers Market, about a mile from CarMax’s flagship Richmond store. Neighbors quickly lodged complaints with the county, rumors arose of whether CarMax was wielding its influence in the process and ultimately Carvana scrapped its plans for the site, while making clear it isn’t giving up on building one of those machines in Richmond.
LandAmerica bankruptcy comes to a close
A textbook example of following a story from beginning to end. BizSense was barely a year old when LandAmerica collapsed in one of the region’s largest recession-era bankruptcies. Eight years later, we landed the scoop on the somewhat anticlimactic conclusion of the company’s bankruptcy process. Creditors did okay in the end, but the lawyers made out even better.
10-block stretch of Broad Street gathering steam
Some of our best, most thorough reporting this year was fueled by the rise of two neighborhoods in the city. We dissected the slow but steady evolution of a downtown stretch of Broad Street that has no doubt whetted the appetite of developers enough to sustain momentum into 2017, and uncovered the early-stage gambles a few players are taking on an area of the city they think is the next Church Hill.
Startup’s crowdfunding success hits a sour note
It’s rare in business reporting to have someone truly wear their emotions on their sleeve. But Zachary Jester didn’t hold back in explaining what went wrong with his at-first wildly successful crowdfunding campaign that had donors clamoring for his handmade high-end stereo speakers. The demand proved too much to handle, the public turned on him and Jester walked us through how he was trying to make things right.
And on drums: the nuclear technician
The story of a local battle of business bands produced not only some great writing and great photos, but also one of BizSense’s most memorable headlines of the year. After the last note was played, the band from WestRock vanquished groups from Altria, Capital One, Dominion and The Martin Agency.
Sources: D.C. real estate firm to top off WestRock building
One scoop we’re particularly proud of came in October, when we got out ahead of perhaps the biggest economic development deal in the city in years. Diligent source work helped us confirm that real estate research firm CoStar was moving into Richmond in a big way. BizSense ran with it and then the big, orchestrated splash from the governor’s office came out later that day, not before loyal BizSense readers already had the edge.
Agency compiles list of Richmond’s oldest businesses
One of our most commented stories of the year proved how knowledgeable loyal BizSense readers are of what’s happening in the Richmond business community. This story began as a report on the efforts of a local marketing agency’s side project that sought to compile a list of Richmond’s longest-running businesses. Comments poured in on our site from readers suggesting additions to the list, prompting an update from the agency and a follow-up story.
Condo developer fires back at contractor’s lawsuit
Few stories in our nearly 10-year run of reporting in Richmond have more clearly illustrated what can go wrong when a business partnership sours than the saga of The Tiber. The high-end condo project in the Libbie-Grove corridor started out strong nearly three years ago, with most of its units getting snatched up before construction gained steam. But 2016 cast that momentum aside when construction halted and partners sued partners. Then one of those estranged partners made a calculated move to buy the loan on the property and foreclose on it to gain full control. The final chapter on this tale will likely play out in 2017.
Broad Street shop for ‘sneakerheads’ thrives in nostalgia
BizSense has always wondered why lines of eager shoppers would form outside a used sneaker shop near our Broad Street headquarters. Our summer reporting intern finally answered that question by telling the tale of Round Two, which has built a name for itself in the “sneakerhead” culture by peddling old Air Jordans and other sought-after shoes.
Urban Farmhouse owner reflects on recent speed bumps
Readers are always curious about restaurant closures, but even more interesting is getting into the nitty-gritty about why certain locations don’t survive. Urban Farmhouse owner Kathleen Richardson had the gumption to address why nearly half of her storefronts shut down this year, why she may have been ahead of her time in certain neighborhoods and why a few failed attempts haven’t derailed her long-term vision.
Boychik’s owner dead at 65; passes on legacy of hard work
Lastly, there are instances when sad news helps create chances to tell great stories. Such was the case when word spread of the deaths of local restaurateurs Ted Santarella and Scott Elias Sr. Fortunately, the legacies and tales left in their wake inspired some of our best writing of the year, thanks largely to the family members and employees that Santarella and Elias entrusted their enterprises to in their passing.