Fairfax County’s Richmond Highway area ripe for development during next decade
Between the development of Amazon.com Inc.’s $2.5 billion East Coast HQ2 headquarters in Arlington and Virginia Tech’s $1 billion Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Northern Virginia is ripe for commercial and residential development during the next decade. According to a market assessment study presented to Fairfax County’s Economic Advisory Commission, the Richmond Highway corridor (a 10-mile […][...]
Va. saw slight uptick in jobless claims last week
Initial jobless claims filed last week rose 4.9% from the previous week, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission, while continued claims slightly dropped. During the week ending Feb. 13, 14,901 Virginians filed initial unemployment claims, compared to 14,203 from the week prior. Last week, [...]
Short Pump Hilton enters receivership
The Hilton Richmond Hotel and Spa in Short Pump has entered receivership after its owner, Shamin Hotels, fell behind on loan payments, according to documents filed in Henrico County Circuit Court. In an order dated Jan. 21, Fairfax-based based Crescent Hotel Management Services LLC was named special receiver for the Short Pump H[...]
BAE Systems wins $247M Space Force contract
Arlington-based defense contractor BAE Systems announced Wednesday it has received a $247 million U.S. Space Force contract to design and manufacture an advanced GPS receiver and semiconductor. Work on the contract will be performed for the Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center. The technology will provide positio[...]
Tysons tech company buys Md.-based cybersecurity firm
Tysons-based tech company Applied Insight announced Wednesday it has acquired Hanover, Maryland-based cybersecurity firm Bridges Inc. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Applied Insight is backed by private equity firm The Acacia Group and provides cloud, data and cyber services to federal government customers. Bridges also provides network security and analytics services using […][...]
MicroStrategy ups the ante on bitcoin investment
Tysons-based business software company MicroStrategy Inc. is going all in on its bitcoin strategy: The company announced Wednesday it would raise $900 million from a convertible senior notes offering set to close on Friday. On Tuesday, the company announced a $600 million offering, which it upped to $900 million on Wednesday. Proceeds from the offering […]
State launches COVID-19 vaccine hotline
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday that a COVID-19 vaccine hotline, staffed with about 750 customer service employees, has launched. The number is (877) VAX-IN-VA, or (877) 829-4682. The phone number, targeted for Virginians without reliable internet access, opened the day after the Virginia Department of Health started a st[...]
Yorktown consulting firm sues SCHEV over VMI probe contract
A Yorktown-based consultancy is suing the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the firm conducting an investigation into Virginia Military Institute’s racial attitudes and practices, a contract the plaintiff unsuccessfully bid on last year. In a civil suit filed Feb. 11 in Richmond Circuit Court, the Center f[...]
Northrop Grumman passes early stage of $85B Air Force ICBM contract
Falls Church-based Fortune 500 defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. announced Tuesday it underwent the first major design review — a key baseline — for the Air Force’s $85 billion Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) contract. In September 2020, Northrop Grumman announced the Air Force had awarded it the first [...]
Business groups ask Va. lawmakers for higher PPP tax deductions
Virginia’s two legislative bodies have not yet agreed on an amount that Virginia businesses can deduct from federal Paycheck Protection Program loans they received last year, and how much of the loans they’ll have to pay state taxes on. Business groups are asking state lawmakers to allow higher deductions — especia[...]
Toronto acquisition firm buys Richmond software company
Volaris Group, a Toronto-based buyer and operator of vertical market software companies, announced last week it has acquired Richmond-based educational software company SoftChalk LLC. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Using the SoftChalk platform, instructors can develop custom course materials and interactive content, including quizzes and annotated text. “The team at Volaris shares […][...]
Virginia Rent Relief Program receiving extra $524M
Landlords and tenants have additional rental assistance on the way. On Tuesday, Gov. Ralph Northam announced that $524 million in federal funding will go toward the Virginia Rent Relief Program (RRP), funded through the Emergency Rental Assistance program. “RRP is based on a unique, collaborative partnership between tenants and landlords to ensure both remain whole […]