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Richmond casino referendum gets court’s OK for ballot
The Richmond Circuit Court approved the Richmond City Council’s petition Tuesday to place a referendum on the November ballot for city voters to weigh in on the Urban One Inc.-backed ONE Casino + Resort project. It’s the next step in a process that started early this year with the city’s request for proposals f[...]
Proposals for Norfolk’s Military Circle Mall redevelopment narrowed to 3
Three groups have submitted full proposals to the city of Norfolk to redevelop Military Circle Mall. In late 2020, Norfolk put out a call for developers to turn the struggling mall into a thriving mixed-use community. The city narrowed the list to four, but on Friday, just three proposals were released by the city, including [&h[...]
Roanoke construction firm to renovate Homestead’s Warm Springs Pools
Roanoke-based Lionberger Construction Co. has been selected as the general contractor to renovate The Omni Homestead Resort’s historic Warm Springs Pools, Omni Hotels & Resorts announced Monday. The contractor will restore the men’s and ladies’ bath houses at the formerly named Jefferson Pools and the reception house o[...]
Yorktown’s Duke of York Hotel sells for $3M
The Duke of York Hotel in Yorktown sold for $3 million, M.A. Bowry & Co. announced July 2. Built in 1965, the 57-room, 26,084-square-foot, limited-service hotel is located on the York River. It will remain open as the company renovates it. Crockett Enterprises LLC sold the hotel to a limited liability company connected to M.[...]
Va. hotel revenues still lagging pre-pandemic levels
Virginia hotel revenues for June 2021 were down 22% compared with pre-pandemic levels in June 2019, according to newly released data from STR Inc., a CoStar Group division that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. During the same period, rooms sold decreased by 14%. The average daily rate (ADR) paid for hotel rooms […]
TowneBank acquires Tennessee cabin rental company
Suffolk-based TowneBank acquired Tennessee-based vacation property rental company Venture Resorts Inc. on July 1, the bank announced Monday. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. “This is an exciting development for Towne Vacations,” Brian Skinner, president and CEO of Towne Financial Services Group, the d[...]
Northam proposes $353M for small biz, tourism relief
Ahead of the General Assembly’s August special session, Gov. Ralph Northam said Monday he wants to spend $353 million of Virginia’s federal relief funding on small business recovery and assisting the tourism industry. Virginia received $4.3 billion in federal funds through the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed in[...]
Va. Museum of Fine Arts plans $190M expansion
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has hired the Detroit-based firm SmithGroup to design a new wing of the Richmond museum in a $190 million expansion and renovation project announced Tuesday. The new wing will provide space for African art, photography and 21st-century works, according to the museum. Construction is expected to b[...]
Va. hotel revenues increased by 178% in May
Virginia hotel revenues for May 2021 increased by 178% compared with May 2020, according to data released Tuesday by STR Inc., a CoStar Group division that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. During the same period, rooms sold went up by 96%. The average daily rate (ADR) paid for hotel rooms rose 42% […]
Richmond City Council approves casino referendum, which heads next to voters
Richmond City Council on Monday voted 8-1 for a casino referendum to appear on the city’s Nov. 2 ballot. If passed by city voters, the proposed $600 million ONE Casino + Resort would be the only casino under Black ownership in the country. Urban One Inc., which owns and operates 55 radio stations and the […]
State program would incentivize new workers with up to $1,000
To combat Virginia’s tight labor market, the state plans to invest $3 million in a program to provide new employees of qualifying small businesses with up to $1,000 to support their transition back into the workforce, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday. The Virginia Return to Earn grant program will match up to $500 from [...]
Indie movie starring Jon Heder to film in Central Va. this summer
“Tapawingo,” an indie feature film starring Jon Heder and Billy Zane, will film in Hopewell, Petersburg and Richmond this summer, Gov. Ralph Northam announced June 4. Directed by Dylan K. Narang, it’s described as a coming-of-age comedy centered on “a listless oddball who becomes the unlikely bodyguard for a misfit t[...]
