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The retail experience
Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall, entertains its Tea Club members with monthly tastings, while nearby New Dominion Bookshop offers story times and “Friday Night Writes,” an event featuring emerging writers. And about a mile north at McIntire Plaza, outdoor gear and clothing consignment shop High[...]
Atlantic Park expected to open in spring 2025
The $350 million Atlantic Park project backed by music icon Pharrell Williams in his hometown of Virginia Beach is progressing, with the 2.6-acre surf lagoon, entertainment venue and other pieces of the project expected to be delivered in spring 2025, Kathy Warren, Virginia Beach’s planning director, told the city council [...]
Va. casino gaming revenues total $60.1M in April
Virginia’s three casinos reported about $60.1 million in gaming revenues for April, according to Virginia Lottery data released last week. Last month, the Bristol Casino: Future Home of Hard Rock reported about $13.9 million in adjusted gaming revenues (wagers minus winnings), of which about $11 million came from its 903 slots[...]
Visit Williamsburg names new CEO
The Williamsburg Tourism Council, also known as Visit Williamsburg, has named Edward Harris its new CEO, the organization announced Wednesday. Former CEO Victoria Cimino stepped down from the role in January after more than four years leading the destination marketing organization for Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown. With m[...]
Cashing in
In 2019, a state study forecast that if the General Assembly allowed five casinos to operate in five economically disadvantaged Virginia cities — Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond — that one-third of the revenue generated would stem from out-of-state visitors. In other words, if you build it, casino backers[...]
Visit Alexandria appoints next president and CEO
A veteran tourism marketing executive from California, Todd O’Leary, will be Visit Alexandria’s new president and CEO, effective July 8, the tourism marketing organization announced Monday. Visit Alexandria’s board of governors has appointed O’Leary to succeed Patricia Washington, who announced her plans to retire in Dec[...]
Fed’s Fifth District economy grows slightly
The economy in the Federal Reserve’s Fifth District (a multistate region including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) grew slightly in recent weeks, according to the latest edition of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released April 17. Published eight times per year, the Beige Book is bas[...]
Norfolk mayor says apartments, hotel could replace MacArthur Center
MacArthur Center mall in downtown Norfolk is expected to be replaced by a major mixed-use development, which could be called “The Anchorage,” featuring a 400-room, military-themed hotel and 518,000 square feet of high-rise residential space, Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander announced April 12 during his State of the Cit[...]
Petersburg casino referendum could take place in 2024
Petersburg voters will likely get the opportunity to vote on a casino referendum this fall, as a Virginia General Assembly obstacle has been removed from its path. SB 628, sponsored by Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, replaces Richmond with Petersburg among Virginia cities eligible to host a casino following approval by voters[...]
Petersburg casino competitors roll out details
More details have rolled in about the five Petersburg casino contenders, all of whom presented their plans during a town hall Sunday at the Petersburg Public Library. Hosted by state Sen. Lashresce Aird, D-Petersburg, the town hall saw officials representing Bally’s, Cordish Cos., Penn Entertainment, Rush Street Gaming and[...]
Bruce Smith teams with Cordish on Petersburg casino plan
Virginia Beach developer and NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith is vying for the chance to develop a casino in Petersburg and has joined forces with Cordish Cos., the Baltimore-based entertainment company that has already made inroads in Virginia. There’s just one obstacle facing Smith and other prospective developers, includi[...]
Pharrell biopic musical to film in Va. this year
Virginia Beach-born-and-bred entertainment superstar Pharrell Williams will film a movie this spring and summer in Virginia based on his childhood, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. There had been rumors about the musical film project, called “Atlantis” in movie trade publications recently, but Youngkin confirmed[...]
