A rendering of Urban One’s proposed casino and resort on Philip Morris-owned land off Interstate 95. (BizSense file)
After narrowly rejecting the question two years ago, it appears that Richmond voters in November will be asked a second time whether the city should host a multimillion-dollar casino and resort.
A Richmond Circuit Court judge on Tuesday entered an order effectively placing the casino question on the Nov. 7 ballot via a referendum. The order followed a needed approval from the Virginia Lottery last week that likewise sets the stage for a do-over referendum on the proposed venue, a $562 million entertainment complex planned off Walmsley Boulevard in the city’s Southside.
Pending any say on the matter from Virginia legislators as they work to finalize a revised state budget, the referendum would give the city another chance at the project voters rejected in 2021 with 51.4 percent voting thumbs-down.
Mayor Levar Stoney and a majority of Richmond City Council members contend that the proposal is too good of a deal to pass up, with developer Urban One committing to pay the city $26.5 million upfront, $30 million in annual revenue expected from the facility and 1,300 jobs expected to be created.
Councilmembers argue that the project would be entirely privately financed without any funding assistance from the city. They also contend that misinformation about the project the first go-round warranted putting it to the voters a second time.
While the proposal remains largely the same, how it’s being presented by the city has changed, with Stoney and councilmembers de-emphasizing the casino part of it and referring to it instead as an entertainment venue and “destination resort.” A statement Tuesday from Stoney did not use the word “casino.”
“Richmond is experiencing record development and growth, and with the addition of a destination resort we will change the economic trajectory of Southside for years to come,” the statement from Stoney said.
Also different this go-round is the involvement of Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby operator that last year purchased Colonial Downs and Rosie’s Gaming Emporium owner Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, which was Urban One’s partner on the media giant’s then-named One Casino + Resort.
The $562 million complex is planned off Walmsley Boulevard in the city’s Southside. (City documents)
With Churchill Downs now in the mix, Urban One said in a statement Tuesday that the two companies would unveil “a new design and vision for the destination resort and entertainment complex” that “incorporates feedback from the Richmond community.” The statement did not specify when the new designs would be presented.
The project would still include a casino with table games, slots and a sports book, as well as a hotel with amenities including a pool, spa and fitness center; live entertainment and conference venues; “high-end” dining; and a 55-acre park and green space, according to the release, which was distributed by law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth.
The release included comments from Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins and Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen, who said Churchill Downs “has proven success in the development and operations of premier entertainment, gaming, and racing venues that deliver tangible and meaningful benefits for our host communities.”
“We look forward to delivering on this mission and vision in Richmond,” Carstanjen added.
The referendum could hinge on how state budget negotiations continue to play out at the Capitol. The budget adopted last year included language preventing Richmond from holding a second casino referendum until this year, and additional language could be added as the budget is revised.
Bills aimed at allowing the City of Petersburg to hold its own casino referendum have been killed in committee this year and last year. Petersburg has sought to be added to the list of eligible Virginia cities that could host a casino, though its would-be casino operator, Maryland-based Cordish Cos., has reportedly said it would not pursue the project if Richmond is allowed a second referendum.
The General Assembly in 2020 adopted legislation allowing Richmond and four other localities in Virginia to host voter-approved casinos, leading to the referendum held for Richmond the following year. Referendums in the other localities — Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk — passed in landslides in 2020.
A rendering of Urban One’s proposed casino and resort on Philip Morris-owned land off Interstate 95. (BizSense file)
After narrowly rejecting the question two years ago, it appears that Richmond voters in November will be asked a second time whether the city should host a multimillion-dollar casino and resort.
A Richmond Circuit Court judge on Tuesday entered an order effectively placing the casino question on the Nov. 7 ballot via a referendum. The order followed a needed approval from the Virginia Lottery last week that likewise sets the stage for a do-over referendum on the proposed venue, a $562 million entertainment complex planned off Walmsley Boulevard in the city’s Southside.
Pending any say on the matter from Virginia legislators as they work to finalize a revised state budget, the referendum would give the city another chance at the project voters rejected in 2021 with 51.4 percent voting thumbs-down.
Mayor Levar Stoney and a majority of Richmond City Council members contend that the proposal is too good of a deal to pass up, with developer Urban One committing to pay the city $26.5 million upfront, $30 million in annual revenue expected from the facility and 1,300 jobs expected to be created.
Councilmembers argue that the project would be entirely privately financed without any funding assistance from the city. They also contend that misinformation about the project the first go-round warranted putting it to the voters a second time.
While the proposal remains largely the same, how it’s being presented by the city has changed, with Stoney and councilmembers de-emphasizing the casino part of it and referring to it instead as an entertainment venue and “destination resort.” A statement Tuesday from Stoney did not use the word “casino.”
“Richmond is experiencing record development and growth, and with the addition of a destination resort we will change the economic trajectory of Southside for years to come,” the statement from Stoney said.
Also different this go-round is the involvement of Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby operator that last year purchased Colonial Downs and Rosie’s Gaming Emporium owner Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, which was Urban One’s partner on the media giant’s then-named One Casino + Resort.
The $562 million complex is planned off Walmsley Boulevard in the city’s Southside. (City documents)
With Churchill Downs now in the mix, Urban One said in a statement Tuesday that the two companies would unveil “a new design and vision for the destination resort and entertainment complex” that “incorporates feedback from the Richmond community.” The statement did not specify when the new designs would be presented.
The project would still include a casino with table games, slots and a sports book, as well as a hotel with amenities including a pool, spa and fitness center; live entertainment and conference venues; “high-end” dining; and a 55-acre park and green space, according to the release, which was distributed by law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth.
The release included comments from Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins and Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen, who said Churchill Downs “has proven success in the development and operations of premier entertainment, gaming, and racing venues that deliver tangible and meaningful benefits for our host communities.”
“We look forward to delivering on this mission and vision in Richmond,” Carstanjen added.
The referendum could hinge on how state budget negotiations continue to play out at the Capitol. The budget adopted last year included language preventing Richmond from holding a second casino referendum until this year, and additional language could be added as the budget is revised.
Bills aimed at allowing the City of Petersburg to hold its own casino referendum have been killed in committee this year and last year. Petersburg has sought to be added to the list of eligible Virginia cities that could host a casino, though its would-be casino operator, Maryland-based Cordish Cos., has reportedly said it would not pursue the project if Richmond is allowed a second referendum.
The General Assembly in 2020 adopted legislation allowing Richmond and four other localities in Virginia to host voter-approved casinos, leading to the referendum held for Richmond the following year. Referendums in the other localities — Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk — passed in landslides in 2020.
If the vote had gone the other way…you can be sure…a 2nd vote…would never happen. This is Rocks..Paper..Scissors …keep going till the city & mayor gets the answer it wants. So much for listening to the citizens vote.
The Colosseum? GONE. The Diamond? Soon-to-be GONE. But we need a casino?!? Stoney and the rest of Richmond’s leaders have no grip on reality. This is a playbook on how to run a city straight into the ground. Wait until the crime starts up again, most of yall are too young to remember Richmond in the 90’s but that is exactly where we are headed. In the next 2-3 years many of the office leases in the city that were set before COVID will come back up, and do you think they will stay with the state of the city?… Read more »
I disagree. Not with your characterization of the history or the competence of City Hall, but your predictions. Crime rates COULD go up, but the wind is at Richmond’s back, and even City Hall will have a hard time messing things up — though Richmond would be FAR farther ahead if they had had better leadership, and I am not just talking about the Current Administration —- Wilder was the best, but I hear that people are thinking about nixing his signature achievement of getting a Strong Mayor because of what they have seen since then. I disagree — if… Read more »
100% agreed, Shawn. VERY well said.
Wait…. what???
😎
Respectfully, I disagree. Metropolitan Richmond is a completely different entity in 2023 than it was in the 1990s. While unfortunately not growing at the statospheric levels of Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville or Austin, metro RVA is currently the fastest-growing region of the Commonwealth, and this growth is not limited to the suburban counties only. The city has been enjoying respectable growth over the past 15-plus years, seeing estimated population figures go from a low of approximately 193,000 in 2005 to the current 2023 estimate of 233,000. The city’s and region’s economies are booming. Residential construction continues at an unprecidented pace all… Read more »
Well said. And what you (and most people) call White Flight occurred where I am from in NYS, though it would be more apt to refer to it as “Middle Class Flight” when you are talking about cities. White Flight tended to happen more in the inner suburbs — it was a sad situation when middle class african american suburban pioneers would buy a house in a middle class suburb and the former residents would move out — there WERE neighborhoods in Maryland and NYS that TRIED to resist this phenom, but there tended to be a self-fulfilling prophesy of… Read more »
What a joke. I hope it’s another 51/49 result. BTW, where would Urban One obtain their gambling license? I was under the impression all licenses allotted by the state for casinos have been exhausted?
People will be paid or threatened, don’t worry.
Shhh… no giving away Mr. Soprano’s secrets now! 😉😎
This is the type of baseless “corruption conspiracy” nonsense that people want to believe in instead of focusing on the bottom line..the tax base that will be created in order to supply all the projects, folks like you want to see developed in the city, including modern schools that citizens can be proud of. I would ask people to consider the long-term economic benefits instead of languishing in conspiratorial, baseless nonsense!
The majority of City Council thinks” the casino deal is too good to pass up.” Now they’re calling it an “entertainment venue and destination resort.” What exactly is the attraction of a casino that in the heart of an industrial area? Is a view of the Altria ( Marlboro) manufacturing plant really a location for a “destination resort?” At least the Sixth Street Marketplace was in a historic area, and it failed. Main Street Station hasn’t delivered on train service and cost over 70 million dollars to restore. Does Richmond really need a casino? Hopefully the voters will vote this… Read more »
Stoney and crew want the payouts the developers are going to be lining their pockets with if they push it through.
What evidence do you have to support your allegations on “Stoney and pocket lining”?. I suspect you have no evidence at all, and won’t be presenting any. We are all welcomed to our opinions; however, we are not welcomed to create our own facts!, Slander is still a suable act.
Amtrak passenger traffic in VA, including MSS, was **literally** (in the actual sense of the word, not the hyperbolic) at an all time high last year, so I’m not sure what you mean by MSS not delivering service.
I think your comment is likely misleading.
Staples Mill is the busiest station in Virginia, I have heard — they had to increase their parking not so long ago.
Main St. hopefully will become successful with locals taking the train, but I don’t think we are there yet.
We’re still a good 10-15 years (or more) away yet from MSS actualizing its full potential. The biggest hangup at this point is securing federal and state funding to replace the downtown bridge carrying rail traffic south from MSS across the river into South Richmond. Until this bridge is replaced, all north-south passenger will continue to take the CSX-A line and cross the river west of the Boulevard Bridge – completely cutting out MSS. Meanwhile, service between MSS and D.C.’s Union Station has been increased – and plans are to significantly increase daily service between the two stations by 2030.… Read more »
I liked this response so much I am going to read it again — I am VERY good at susing out what is HAPPENING, but not what is behind the scenes or what is GOING to happen (as in, hard and fast plans.)
Busiest Amtrak Station in Virginia, not the busiest train station. I have heard total boardings at some of the joint VRE and Amtrak stations (that also are considered Metro stops) have more total people using them. But those are also different tracks and systems too.
The only Station that combines VRE/AMTRAK (Via the Northeast Regional)/Metro and in Virginia is Alexandria, and that still requires a street crossing. VRE additionally marries with Metro at Franconia/Springfield (but no Amtrak) and Amtrak doubles with VRE at FBG, Quantico, and Woodbridge, and at L’Enfant and Union (which also has Metro) in DC, but otherwise there isn’t as much overlap as you might expect.
Yes, of course. That is what I meant.
Fredericksburg has long had a big parking garage for example, and when we lived in Falls Church parking at the station was so hard (or expensive) it made it not worth it for us.
But I read that this Staples was the busiest amtrak station.
It has been my observation that the same people who go to casinos (and BINGO halls) are the same people who smoke cigarettes, so you may be on to something…..
Brian, please see my response to Shawn (below) regarding the state of play at Main Street Station.
edit – comment to Brian should say “(above)” rather than “(below)”. I didn’t check the sort order of how the comments were posting.
This project has nothing to do with Main st. Station. The problem I’ve noticed with people in Richmond is that they seem to assume every project is supposed to be successful. And when that doesn’t work out, that mindset creeps in that nothing else can be successful. The city needs more entertainment and a fresh tax base, it can’t be all brew pubs and eateries, a new tax base is needed to create millions for projects!. Whether Richmond needs a casino or not is only part of the question, the other question if. How much tax dollars can be accumulated… Read more »
What the city wants, the city gets. Whether it is an SUP for something that doesn’t fit an area, dedicated bike lanes that make no sense or this…the casino boondoggle, the city will get it one way or another. The “If we build it they will come” mentality lives on past the 6th Street Marketplace. Gloss it up with the “entertainment complex” moniker all you want; it’s still a predatory business smack in the middle of areas that can least afford the luxury of gambling. Stoney and these supporters are selling out their own constituents. (and for any bikers, I’m… Read more »
Your understanding of this project is based in misinformation, Do you reside in the area?,the residents of the 8th district overwhelmingly supported the plan,they unlike those in opposition of the plan actually live, and raise their families in the district. Most of those voting or in opposition to the plan have no connection whatsoever to the area, and whatever goes on in that area will have absolutely no effect on their life whatsoever!…they don’t come to the area anyway!!, why do they care what goes on in the area, when those who actually live there are fine with it ??.… Read more »
The first vote didn’t pass for two reasons:
1. Many of the people who wanted it didn’t get up off their behinds to go vote. I know because numerous people actually admitted this.
2. Because of the selected operator of the casino, not because of the casino itself… I saw a map of the neighborhoods that voted it for and voted against it, and well…. It was very telling….
In had nothing to do with who was chosen as the operator. Do you think that the Bally’s proposal would have passed? They were initially offering the largest payout to the city.
That’s YOUR bias talking. There are class issues, and ACTUAL concerns. Most of these places where they are putting in casinos don’t have anything to lose — the localities are practically dead. That is not true for Richmond, at least most of Richmond. Meanwhile, if there was anything racial about it, perhaps people were turned off by the racist overtones of the advertising by a company that gives a platform to notorious racist and serial liar and criminal Al Sharpton? Indeed, I know a few African Americans who loathe the man and if he was the face of the project,… Read more »
“Nothing racial about it”…so I take it the numerous past social media post related to the project such as …”fur coats and Cadillacs will be seen on Commerce” and you’ll be able to cash your welfare checks.” were just fun and game comments from some good ol’ boys who don’t mean no harm at all (Afterall, they all have at least one Black friend, or know a Mexican or two?.) they just cutting up, the ol’ fashion way?.
Further, I am pretty sure that many who opposed also did not cast their ballot either.
No bias on my part. At all. Purely an observation. Anyone bother to ask why Richmond was literally the ONLY Virginia city that turned down a casino??? Purely sore attitudes over what transpired in the city over the past three years.
More higher class people? Seriously, there are a LOT of upper middle class and even rich people in Richmond — not so many in Danville. Schenectady, NY has a sorta recent casino — but not a whole lot of upper middle class people and a lot of poor people. As far as what happened in the city over the last 3 years, EVERYONE who cares about Richmond should be “sore” about those things, to the point of considering moving away or at least out of the city limits. Indeed, people have even moved from Richmond to PETERSBURG because of all… Read more »
Shawn, with all due respect, your assessment of the casino customer is entirely skewed, thus all of your arguments centered around the vice ridden poorer patron are a pure fallacy. Perhaps begin by researching who actually does frequent a CASINO, not a gambling hall or Rosie’s, and then try your analysis again.
Well, I had no idea what Rosie’s was until recently, so I have no idea who goes there, but would be shocked if it was a middle class group, considering the location. And what I think the venue has in it — it has been my OBSERVATION that folks that do things like play slots, etc are a bit lower class — and my two times in a casino, both regarding corporate junket-type trips that I did NOT plan (Tahoe/Reno) revealed anecdotally to this anthropologist that they higher class people were at the card tables, next at the spinning wheels,… Read more »
I can not believe the citizens of Richmond voted this guy back in as mayor.
The first time he had the backing of people who were naive liberals or cynical democratic pols that wanted to use him — and of course the crowded field.
I think that by second time the democratic elite realized he was 3rd rate (they wanted SECOND RATE, someone who was competent, but still needed THEM) they lost interest in him and he felt that and got all racially divisive, etc, but he largely owes the crowded field to his re-election. I thought Grey would’ve been better — she seems to care more about the city as a whole.
Yes it’s a shame the contest wasn’t between just Grey and Stoney. She would have easily won.
Let’s hope that is the case…
If anyone seriously challenges Stoney he’ll probably just declare that he has the unilateral power to kick people off the ballot without appeal and dare anyone to do anything about it like Dwight Jones did in his last “election.”
No she would not had won either…she’s one of the main reason the Colliseum deal is in Henrico now!.(anfd once its up and built those tax dollars will flow in that direction…thanks Ms. Grey!) ..her only platform was to say “no” to everything and campaign against “tall buildings: on Broad st.,in between that she can be seen riding around in her Mercedes harassing people over election yard signs as to who removed what!. , if Grey still wants to be a Mayor…I hear “Mayberry U.S.A is looking for one!.
We really didn’t. The field was so saturated that he only got 34% of the vote. That means 66% of the voters voted against him.
Now, now be nice he got 35% in 2016 and when up to 37.7% in 2020.
Bottom line is he won…next time you should run!.
Believe it!! ,Stoney won twice!, you decided to not run…so what other choice did they have?, next time you get on the ballot, and bring all your great ideas!.
Politics and mutual conspiracy theorizing finger pointing aside, I have to wonder why they seem so certain that this refusal to accept the first vote (Arkansas had a referendum on leaving the Union and joining the Confederates — the people voted Remain with the Union and the politicians at the State House decided that the people could not be trusted and just held a vote THEMSELVES because the politically powerful wanted to be Confederates — no second referendum was held because it no doubt would not have gone well). I mean, won’t this piss people off? Will Urban one blanket… Read more »
The real ticket to success here is to have the casino revote once Stoney is out of office.
That would be poetic justice!
Interesting take!!
Sounds more like comedy than anything viable. If you think you can do a better job, have you considered running? OfCourse not., because you likely already know, you won’t do a better job!.
I read that the amount spent on direct mail promoting the original casino during the last election exceeded that of all the political candidates combined! We need to ask ourselves why our City Council won’t take “no” for an answer and why the developers are so hell bent on making this happen? I pray it won’t (again!) but if it does, we must demand real transparency (not RVA’s usual smoke and mirrors) about the casino’s performance in terms of both revenue allocation and the quality of new jobs created. BTW, let me know if anyone actually gets a response from… Read more »
I like many have some THEORIES about why this administration is so hell bent on this. But there is one thing I know for certain: they want more TAX REVENUES!!! Here is the best argument FOR the casino that I know — it will skim off the earnings/wealth of people passing by on I95 — in that way, it will be a BETTER casino than in, say Danville, which is on the way to nowhere — and the folks who get to feed on the blood are Urban One and…. local government. State government too — if you hit it… Read more »
You’re last point basically summed up present day American Capitalism. How does the casino differ from any other industry like the lottery, discretionary goods, etc? All of those businesses want as much money from their patrons and as fast as they can. No different from a casino.
Captialism is like Democracy — the least bad choice.
2nd district responding fine
8th district responding as well….people of the 2nd district have no idea what those who live near the project (8th district) want, because they do not come to the area, do not communicate or know anyone (if any few) in that area, but feel the need to weigh in on items that will have no effect on the comforts of their lives in the 2nd district whatsoever!. These people tend to be mostly “white residents” who are clueless and have very stereotypical perspectives as related to the demographics of the 8th district,and what they want and projects they alone support… Read more »
Chesterfield County gets Lego and a place that will grow strawberries indoors and Richmond gets a casino I somehow think someone got a better deal.
The City would get more tax revenue if they added a 80 story tall skyscraper to the City.
When the city GETS better, it will get better. That’s how life works.
But will there be a livable wage, benefits and profit sharing offered with your plan?. The reality is Richmond needs a fresh tax base to build all the potential projects that a modern city demands! The city could still build all those skyscrapers, that plan would be comparing apples to oranges in terms of the subject matter of the resort project. The residents of the m8th district overwhelmingly voted for the original plan, it was those who never venture to the area, communicate with few if any residents of the area who voted against it, all while deciding they knew… Read more »
By the way if anyone is interested Norfolk approved their referendum in 2020 and another major delay has come up. It will be 2025 before they open their gaming floor and probably 2026 for their hotel. Norfolk approved their referendum in 2020. Danville and Bristol (also 2020 voter approvals) opened temporary casinos and they are looking at hotel/resorts opening in late 2024. Given this city’s incredible history of screwing up the planning, approval, and permits for even the best developers, I am betting if approved we won’t see a casino/event space before mid-2027 and a hotel before late-2028.
In the event of a passed referendum, I would be shocked if Urban One too did not lobby for a “temporary facility” until the new one is built. Keep in mind Churchill Down’s in now part of that group, with them owning Rosie’s in South Richmond I would expect them to push for that being the temporary facility and be able to be up and running in a matter of months.
I beg to differ with the comments below about this project being a destination venue or conference draw. MGM National Harbor is an example of a successful draw and its less than 100 miles away. Additionally, the City has virtually killed its tourism trade. Yes, the statues were controversial, but they drew outsiders to Richmond.Yes the Virginia, Science and Historical Society are great museums, however cannot compete with the DC set less than 100 miles away. Downtown is so dead that you can walk down Main Street at lunch time and see fewer than 100 people. I am not confident… Read more »
Yes, the way to judge a city hall is the DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS.
Publications are constantly showing that Richmond tourism not only has not declined, but has greatly increased over the years. Realistically, very few people would travel to a city just to see statues, but they may have passed by them whilst visiting all the remaining actual historically relevant sites of the era. Now-a-days Richmond has a lot more to offer visitors than just reminders of a brief four-year-period and the tourism numbers and visitors’ impressions speak for themselves.
“Brief four year period” LOL!!! I am from NYS and while we do not care anywhere near as much in the North about the civil war as they do in the South, it is still, even there, seen as one of the most defining periods of our history. Unfortunately for those who want to visit sites where things happened, there is often not much to look at — the statues were weird, but also impressive because they were well, and expensively done. Also, historians care about them because they were erected in a weird time in american, and esp southern… Read more »
Good riddance to the statues, as you pointed out “they were also impressive and expensively done”…generally when these propaganda statues of lost causes have been erected they were built to be impressive and as far as “expensively done”, Black labor built them, financed.by the Daughters of Confederate Veterans and like-minded citizen donors to perpetuate White supremacy and echo the lie of the Lost Cause narrative!….you failed to leave out those important points concerning those propaganda statues.
The city has not “killed its tourism trade”,based on already published data tourism is doing fine, where are you getting this misinformation?. Your point on competing with MG,M is not based in fact, The reality is the traffic alone that would come off 96 would make the project beneficial, data has already shown that other such casino’s in the state are not affected by whatever goes on at MGM!. People in this city need to start thinking progressive in terms of creating fresh tax bases./ The Coliseum deal you spoke of was debunked because particular citizens rallied against that plan… Read more »
Place a 100 mile radius around the nearby casinos – National Harbor, Norfolk, Danville and proposed RVA. They each depend on the other’s market area. It will be a battle of the fittest, or a race to the bottom. It is doubtful that each will prosper.
I am not an expert on this but I think they are different places, are far enough apart, and have different draws and levels of convenience.
I think this casino would, among other things, draw more spontaneous stays — people would be driving up from Atlanta and need to stay somewhere over night to get to NY or PA and they’d look at their phones and say HEY, let’s see what is going on at this new casino right off the road!???”
What an inspired strategy to borrow pages from the Bolshevik’s and the Nazi’s playbooks. Just keep holding as many elections as it takes to win one… and then future elections become unnecessary.
The Bolshevik’s did not get themselves elected in any manner — they seized power from the Kerensky govt with guns.
It’s the democratic socialists you need to watch out for regarding elections. Venezuela is a good example of the dangers.
Sounds as ridiculous as anything I’ve read lately. If you think this is how Nazism or Communism operates, you are only letting educated people know that you understand very little about how fascism works and are so confused that you choose to compare that ideology to the reemergence of this referendum. (you are obviously not aware, that in a Democratic system,bills,plans, ect.. reemerge all the time. A proper study of American history would allude you to this …but you won’t read it!)
Hard to determine what’s more popular in Richmond these days – tattoos and IPA’s or hating on the City (and Stoney). No city – including Richmond – has ever or will ever please the complainers, naysayers and haters – and all cities have them in spades. Richmond to be sure has problems – as does every urban area right now. Meanwhile, developments are exploding all over the city (I have to assume that there is an increasing population of renters coming into the city to fill all these freaking apartments being constructed), Scott’s Addition continues to be a hotspot, the… Read more »
If Stoney ever did anything right other than racial division maybe liking him would be more popular. True, this occurs in most places, but most intensely where they city leadership DESERVES it. Stoney is not qualified to be a mayor, only a politician and just a back room hack at that. He was a political operative, and he won the election largely because of slick marketing that was done FOR him (even I bought into it, since I had no idea who he was or his background) When he fired police for doing their jobs, I knew he was a… Read more »
you literally just made my point for me.
You may think so, but I have lived in several poorly run and mediocrely run places as well as well run places. And, I concede that even in well-run places (WHICH RICHMOND IS NOT) there are a few malcontents that would never be happy anywhere. But disgust with city hall tends to be on the places that have below-average management skills — you through in people like deBlassio of NYC or Lightfoot of Chicago who don’t even act like management is their job, hating-on is hardly enough. Telling it like it is is more apt. You are basically saying that… Read more »
I’m saying there are a bunch of malcontents who hate on the city gov’t in every city and this website provides you a megaphone to be one of them in Richmond, an opportunity you make ample use of. And to what end ar eyou pointing anything out? ar eyou changing hgearts and minds on the comment section? Its all sound and fury, you know the rest.
Hey, if I am an idiot, that will be recognized, and it would be what it was. And maybe it is true. But I see a lot of that as well. Can you honestly say that I am the only idiot in the room, and that the people I criticize have been acting rationally and in the true best interests of RIchmond? I frankly think a lot of people are trying to bring back a new form of segregation by making people want to leave certain areas. And of course there are others that are just trying to extort more… Read more »
Upon reflection, I think it may be more productive to ask you what exactly you think it is that Stoney and Co. have done that is praiseworthy. Something he got done that has added to the city and improved it?
The reality is the city needs to create a fresh tax base in order to sponsor all the projects (new schools) that citizens want,and need!,the money is not going to materialize from the air, it must be created through new ventures. The last time this was on the referendum, the citizens of the 8th district (where the project was to be erected) overwhelmingly supported it, it was, however it was those voters who do not live in the district,do not venture to that district,nor communicate with few (if any) residents of that district who voted against it!. The citizens of… Read more »