A rendering of the planned Henrico Police South Station on Airport Drive. (Image courtesy Henrico County)
$15M contract awarded for new Henrico Police substation on Airport Drive
At their latest meeting, Henrico supervisors awarded a $15.2 million contract to Southway Builders for construction of the planned Police South Station and K-9 Training Facility on North Airport Drive. Construction is anticipated to begin in October with occupancy in January 2025. Southway was selected over six bids received in August in response to a solicitation.
The 19,900-square-foot facility is planned on 11 acres at 640 N. Airport Drive and will replace the Fair Oaks Station. South Station will house patrol, special operations and emergency response units, an emergency communications training center that could serve as a backup 911 call center, and a 5,000-square-foot K-9 training facility.
Updated rules for Airbnb-style rentals, casino revenue uses on City Council agenda
A map of short-term home rentals currently active in Richmond shows the clustering in some areas that the revised rules are meant to prevent. (City documents)
Richmond City Council meets in regular session Monday at 6 p.m. The full agenda can be found here.
Business on the regular agenda includes a public hearing and vote on revised regulations for short-term home rentals in the city. The revisions include amendments aimed at preventing a clustering of short-term rentals (STRs) and putting the burden of proving the rules’ primary residency requirement on STR operators instead of city staff.
On the consent agenda is a resolution for how the city plans to use $26 million in anticipated revenue from the proposed Richmond Grand casino and resort, should voters approve the project in a referendum in November.
The $26 million would be put in Child Care and Education Trust Fund, with about $14 million allocated for construction of new early childhood care centers at T. B. Smith Community Center and Southside Community Center, $8 million for parks and recreation facility projects across the city, and $4.5 million to expand access to affordable early childhood care and education programs across the city by fall 2024.
Richmond projects win awards from International Economic Development Council
Economic development initiatives by the City of Richmond and several local organizations were recognized with nine Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council, a membership organization serving economic developers.
Of 12 initiatives that were submitted for the awards, the nine recognized with awards included the city’s Commercial Area Revitalization Effort (CARE) Program and Façade Improvement Program, which received a gold and silver award, respectively, in the Neighborhood Development Category; and the Richmond EDA’s website, which won a silver in its category.
Activation Capital won a gold in the Innovation Programs and Initiatives Category; Startup Virginia won a gold in the Entrepreneurship Category; and Shamin Hotels’ Moxy Hotel development won a silver in the Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse Category. Other winners included Venture Richmond’s Downtown Business Improvement District (silver award), Richmond’s FY22 Economic Development Annual Report (bronze), and the city’s Strategic Plan for Equitable Economic Development (bronze).
Planning Commission recommends tweaked proposal for new Kroger in Mechanicsville
The Hanover County Planning Commission voted last week to recommend approval of a zoning request sought by Kroger for a new location the grocery chain is planning in Mechanicsville.
Kroger intends to build a 18,300-square-foot store at Mechanicsville Turnpike and Compass Point Lane. The project site wraps around the AutoZone and Firestone stores at the intersection.
In 2015, Kroger got rezoning approval for a smaller store at the property. The company is back before Hanover officials seeking approval of new plans for the currently proposed size of the store, as well as changes to the parking lot and other amendments to the proposal.
Another change is that the retail strip planned for the site has increased in size to 9,800 square feet. Among proffered conditions added to the proposal this year are a prohibition on tattoo shops, CBD and marijuana dispensaries and vape stores in the project’s retail strip.
The request now heads to the Board of Supervisors, which will weigh final approval at a future meeting.
The site of the proposed store is less than a mile from an existing Kroger at 6335 Mechanicsville Turnpike. Kroger plans to shutter that outpost in favor of the planned new location.
Chesterfield issues RFP seeking operator for shuttered Southside Speedway
Chesterfield County is seeking an operator to take over a 14.8-acre area that includes the shuttered Southside Speedway to renovate and reopen the track. (Courtesy Chesterfield County)
Chesterfield County last week issued a request-for-proposals solicitation to find an operator to reopen the Southside Speedway.
The solicitation is focused on a 14.8-acre piece of land where the racetrack is located, and seeks an operator to renovate and reopen the track. The deadline for proposals is Oct. 11.
The property was carved out of a larger 57-acre assemblage that was subject to a request for qualifications issued earlier this year. County officials have eyed the broader site for commercial development like a hotel and restaurants to support the River City Sportsplex.
Chesterfield officials say they still plan to shop the remaining land for commercial development, in a separate, future process. The change in approach comes amid a sustained grassroots movement that advocated a return of auto racing to the track, which closed in 2020.
A rendering of the planned Henrico Police South Station on Airport Drive. (Image courtesy Henrico County)
$15M contract awarded for new Henrico Police substation on Airport Drive
At their latest meeting, Henrico supervisors awarded a $15.2 million contract to Southway Builders for construction of the planned Police South Station and K-9 Training Facility on North Airport Drive. Construction is anticipated to begin in October with occupancy in January 2025. Southway was selected over six bids received in August in response to a solicitation.
The 19,900-square-foot facility is planned on 11 acres at 640 N. Airport Drive and will replace the Fair Oaks Station. South Station will house patrol, special operations and emergency response units, an emergency communications training center that could serve as a backup 911 call center, and a 5,000-square-foot K-9 training facility.
Updated rules for Airbnb-style rentals, casino revenue uses on City Council agenda
A map of short-term home rentals currently active in Richmond shows the clustering in some areas that the revised rules are meant to prevent. (City documents)
Richmond City Council meets in regular session Monday at 6 p.m. The full agenda can be found here.
Business on the regular agenda includes a public hearing and vote on revised regulations for short-term home rentals in the city. The revisions include amendments aimed at preventing a clustering of short-term rentals (STRs) and putting the burden of proving the rules’ primary residency requirement on STR operators instead of city staff.
On the consent agenda is a resolution for how the city plans to use $26 million in anticipated revenue from the proposed Richmond Grand casino and resort, should voters approve the project in a referendum in November.
The $26 million would be put in Child Care and Education Trust Fund, with about $14 million allocated for construction of new early childhood care centers at T. B. Smith Community Center and Southside Community Center, $8 million for parks and recreation facility projects across the city, and $4.5 million to expand access to affordable early childhood care and education programs across the city by fall 2024.
Richmond projects win awards from International Economic Development Council
Economic development initiatives by the City of Richmond and several local organizations were recognized with nine Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council, a membership organization serving economic developers.
Of 12 initiatives that were submitted for the awards, the nine recognized with awards included the city’s Commercial Area Revitalization Effort (CARE) Program and Façade Improvement Program, which received a gold and silver award, respectively, in the Neighborhood Development Category; and the Richmond EDA’s website, which won a silver in its category.
Activation Capital won a gold in the Innovation Programs and Initiatives Category; Startup Virginia won a gold in the Entrepreneurship Category; and Shamin Hotels’ Moxy Hotel development won a silver in the Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse Category. Other winners included Venture Richmond’s Downtown Business Improvement District (silver award), Richmond’s FY22 Economic Development Annual Report (bronze), and the city’s Strategic Plan for Equitable Economic Development (bronze).
Planning Commission recommends tweaked proposal for new Kroger in Mechanicsville
The Hanover County Planning Commission voted last week to recommend approval of a zoning request sought by Kroger for a new location the grocery chain is planning in Mechanicsville.
Kroger intends to build a 18,300-square-foot store at Mechanicsville Turnpike and Compass Point Lane. The project site wraps around the AutoZone and Firestone stores at the intersection.
In 2015, Kroger got rezoning approval for a smaller store at the property. The company is back before Hanover officials seeking approval of new plans for the currently proposed size of the store, as well as changes to the parking lot and other amendments to the proposal.
Another change is that the retail strip planned for the site has increased in size to 9,800 square feet. Among proffered conditions added to the proposal this year are a prohibition on tattoo shops, CBD and marijuana dispensaries and vape stores in the project’s retail strip.
The request now heads to the Board of Supervisors, which will weigh final approval at a future meeting.
The site of the proposed store is less than a mile from an existing Kroger at 6335 Mechanicsville Turnpike. Kroger plans to shutter that outpost in favor of the planned new location.
Chesterfield issues RFP seeking operator for shuttered Southside Speedway
Chesterfield County is seeking an operator to take over a 14.8-acre area that includes the shuttered Southside Speedway to renovate and reopen the track. (Courtesy Chesterfield County)
Chesterfield County last week issued a request-for-proposals solicitation to find an operator to reopen the Southside Speedway.
The solicitation is focused on a 14.8-acre piece of land where the racetrack is located, and seeks an operator to renovate and reopen the track. The deadline for proposals is Oct. 11.
The property was carved out of a larger 57-acre assemblage that was subject to a request for qualifications issued earlier this year. County officials have eyed the broader site for commercial development like a hotel and restaurants to support the River City Sportsplex.
Chesterfield officials say they still plan to shop the remaining land for commercial development, in a separate, future process. The change in approach comes amid a sustained grassroots movement that advocated a return of auto racing to the track, which closed in 2020.