Al Harris

Whiskey startup goes down smooth

Two friends from Collegiate hatched a business plan while at a Virginia Tech football game, and now they’ve got their very own Richmond whiskey to pour at this season’s tailgate parties.

9 felony counts for French

Richmond developer Justin French was released from Richmond City Jail after being arraigned on nine felony counts. Plus, BizSense has learned who was supposed to be paid by the bad check.

Bond set at $150,000 for developer French

Richmond developer Justin French is still in Richmond City Jail after being arraigned on nine felony counts this morning. French was arraigned over a video link at the jail. He is charged with four counts of forgery and four counts of uttering false documents. He is also facing a charge for writing a bad check… Read more »

Carytown business community thinks outside the box

Some Carytown merchants and nearby residents who oppose a Baltimore developer’s plan to turn a mid-century Verizon office building into a more than 41,000-square-foot retail property have started a campaign with an out-of-the-box slogan.

The Pipeline: Commercial Real Estate Roundup for 8.13.10

McKesson bought 35 acres for a new distribution center. Plus CableView Communications of Va. leased 9,000 square feet at 2150 Magnolia St in the City of Richmond.Mundet Inc. has leased 2,745 sq.ft. in the SunTrust Building at 919 E. Main Street in the City of Richmond.

French tax credit records raise red flags

State records obtained by Richmond BizSense show that developer Justin French has received an unusually large amount of tax credits for renovating historic buildings. Several contractors said that the rehab costs reported by French in his tax credit applications are close to double the typical range.

Not always Cloud-9

A local non-profit is aiming to pull your head out of the clouds if you think your online data is secure.

Architect on French projects sued

The lender on two of Justin French’s troubled properties has filed suit against the projects’ architect for allegedly misrepresenting the progress of the rehabilitations, but it’s not clear yet where the money went, as one local contractor filed liens becuase he wasn’t paid.

Ice bar up for auction

Once the centerpiece of a concept bar and lounge, a humongous deep freezer is now up for sale by the restaurant’s new owners.