Sign In
Free Newsletter
McLean mixed-use project, Mars expansion approved
As the third wealthiest community in the U.S., McLean is known for its luxurious mansions and classic suburban feel. That’s starting to change. In June 2021, Fairfax County supervisors adopted a plan, known as the McLean Community Business Center, to redevelop the town’s 230-acre downtown, bounded by Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road, to […]
NW Harrisonburg sees revival with investment
Northwest Harrisonburg used to be a place to buy a tire. Beyond the 116-year-old City Produce Exchange building, which was converted into lofts in 2006, and the Local Chop & Grill House, which opened in the same building in 2009, there wasn’t much else to draw people to that corner of the city. That’s changing, […]
Richmond City Center project awaits city decision
The City of Richmond continues to evaluate four proposals to demolish the shuttered Richmond Coliseum and redevelop the surrounding downtown area — 9.4 acres comprising the City Center Innovation District. In May 2023, the Richmond Economic Development Authority and the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority released renderings from four developer groups — Capstone Development, City [&he[...]
Small biz pilot program to aid Phoebus retailers
Five small retailers in Hampton’s Phoebus downtown historic district will receive micro grants and nearly a year of free professional guidance, thanks to funding from a state grant awarded to The Retail Alliance, a nonprofit trade association in Norfolk. The Retail Alliance and the Phoebus Partnership, a nonprofit organization bolstering area small businesses, won the […]
Lynchburg association lands $310k in grants to aid downtown efforts
With help in part from three state grants, Downtown Lynchburg Association is working to brighten the city’s scenic Bluffwalk for the holidays and fill downtown stores. DLA combined a $75,000 Virginia Main Street Downtown Investment Grant with other funding to launch Bright Nights on the Bluffwalk, an eight-week event set to kick off Nov. 17 […]
Dixie Theater renovation means show will go on in Staunton
Teens got their first jobs and couples experienced their first kisses at the former Dixie Theater in downtown Staunton. Now the vacant building, which opened in 1913 at 125 E. Beverley St., is a step closer to becoming a community cultural center, thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the state Industrial Revitalization Fund, which […]
Serving a repurpose
In Alexandria’s Old Town North, a collection of three brick office buildings built in the 1980s is being transformed into Tide Lock, a community of 234 luxury apartments and condominiums featuring Potomac River views and space for retail and a nonprofit music school. And last summer in the city’s Alexandria West neighborhood, tenants began moving […]
Norfolk eyes $18M purchase of MacArthur Center mall
Read update: Norfolk City Council votes to buy mall Norfolk City Council will discuss acquiring the struggling downtown MacArthur Center mall for $18 million during a special meeting Wednesday. MacArthur Center is owned by Wells Fargo & Co., which holds the mall following a loan default by the mall’s previous owner, Connecticut-based Starwood Property Trust. […]
Richmond receives 5 proposals for City Center project
Five groups of developers sent in proposals to redevelop Richmond’s newly rebranded City Center Innovation District, a 9.4-acre downtown area that includes the closed Richmond Coliseum, the Richmond Economic Development Authority and the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority announced Wednesday. An evaluation panel will assess the five entries and pare them down to a short […]
Theater project aims to put Wytheville in limelight
Soon after Todd Wolford became executive director of community revitalization nonprofit Downtown Wytheville Inc. in 2015, he began seeking pictures of the Soda Shop, the Main Street hotspot his grandfather owned in the late ’50s and ’60s. After locating a couple photos of his grandfather’s packed establishment, Wolford had an epiphany: His job was to […]
