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Local fence company Good Neighbor expanding to Hampton Roads 23 Oct 10:03 PM (yesterday, 10:03 pm)

A Henrico-based fence company is building its presence throughout the state.

Good Neighbor Fence is expanding its service area to include parts of Hampton Roads, following its entry into the Northern Virginia market late last year in Spotsylvania, Prince William and Stafford counties.

The company, which sells and installs residential and commercial fences, expanded into Williamsburg this month and plans to push farther east in early 2026, said Shane Lacks, who runs the company alongside his dad, Shane Lacks Sr.

The younger Lacks said Good Neighbor sees an opening in eastern Virginia that could be more fruitful than its recent northward expansion.

“It’s a booming market. There are a lot of clients out there and a lot of need for quality fence contractors there,” Lacks said of Hampton Roads. “From the market research we’ve done, the demand is higher in that area versus Northern Virginia. We want to branch out there to bring our name to more communities.”

Good Neighbor plans to operate initially in the Peninsula areas of Newport News, Hampton and the Middle Peninsula’s Gloucester. The company doesn’t have immediate plans to operate on the Southside of Hampton Roads, such as Norfolk or Virginia Beach.

“It’s going to be all of the communities west of the tunnel,” Lacks said.

Good Neighbor primarily works with residential clients, but plans to further expand its commercial client base moving forward.

Amid its expansion plans, Good Neighbor has contended with tariff-driven disruptions including cost increases on materials, which include wood, aluminum and vinyl, because of changes in U.S. trade policy in recent months. However, Lacks said, Good Neighbor has largely been able to absorb the cost increases.

He said it’s been crucial to maintain relationships with Good Neighbor’s suppliers during the tumult. He said the business stuck with its aluminum manufacturer, in particular, despite issues like long lead times for deliveries and a period where the aluminum supplier stopped shipping products to the United States.

“We want to have a good relationship with everyone we do business with. Sticking it out through thick and thin is the best we can do,” Lacks said.

Good Neighbor has its headquarters and warehouse at 1352 Mountain Road in Glen Allen. The company has more than a dozen employees, counting sales warehouse and work crews.

The fence installation business was founded by Lacks’ dad 20 years ago. This spring the younger Lacks came aboard the company as a general manager and runs the business alongside his father.

“He wanted me to come in and assist with the day-to-day operations and oversee different aspects of the business. … It makes me feel good to run this business with my dad and carry on our family’s legacy,” said the younger Lacks, who is also a co-owner of local electronics repair company Computer Cave, which has likewise been in expansion mode.

The post Local fence company Good Neighbor expanding to Hampton Roads appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

Weinstein JCC completes $11M capital campaign, renovations to facilities 23 Oct 10:02 PM (yesterday, 10:02 pm)

A local community center has just closed on a sizable capital raise and capped off renovations to its Monument Avenue facility.

The Weinstein Jewish Community Center announced it has completed a donor-funded, $11.6 million capital campaign to renovate its facilities and expand some of its programming. Along with the campaign completion, building renovations were finished earlier this month.

The capital campaign, called “Building a Bright Future Together,” was completed after launching around two years ago, Weinstein JCC CEO Brad Finkel said. The funds supported several updates to its 100,000-square-foot Monument Avenue building, including an updated fitness center and aquatic center, a renovated lobby and some expanded child programming areas.

Located at 5403 Monument Ave., the JCC provides a host of fitness, wellness and aquatics amenities, children’s programming, arts and theater opportunities and other services. It has been in the building for over 65 years.

Cornerstone was the architecture and design firm for the renovation project, while Leipertz Construction was the construction firm. Weinstein JCC held a ribbon cutting Oct. 19 to commemorate the end of the renovations and the completion of the campaign.

Construction stemming from the capital campaign began in April of last year, when a new pavilion was added to the JCC’s 110-acre Camp Hilbert, a summer camp site at 2240 Maidens Road in Goochland County. Construction on the Monument Avenue facility commenced two months later, and was completed in increments to minimize impacts, Finkel said, with the work finishing up this month.

The goal of the capital campaign was to look at modernizing and making the facility as “relevant” as possible to meet its mission of providing services to the Richmond community, he said.

The JCC publicly launched the campaign with a goal of $8.5 million. Seeing more support than expected, the center’s capital campaign committee and board of directors decided to elevate the goal to $10.5 million, ultimately raising $11.6 million.

“There was an initial goal of $8.5 million and we were able to exceed that not once, but twice,” Finkel said, “which really just kind of put into perspective the importance that I think we play in the community.”

Finkel said the project focused on renovating existing spaces and modernizing them, adding things like new lighting and floors to several areas.

Specific renovations include a revamped 4,800-square-foot space for the center’s preschool and Kids’ Place after-school program, adding one new preschool classroom and two new Kids’ Place classrooms, and renovating aspects of the existing classrooms.

“When you walk down the hallway today, it’s light, it’s bright, it’s warm and it’s welcoming, which is exactly what we want to be,” Finkel said.

The facility’s fitness center revamp included expanding the “stretching area,” adding square footage to the fitness studio area and adding new flooring and lighting and a new sound system.

The facility’s pool, locker rooms and gymnasium also got a refresh, as did seating areas in the lobby. First-floor restrooms also were modernized.

Per the JCC, roughly $7.1 million from the capital campaign went toward the building renovations, while almost $3 million went toward other improvements and professional fees. The remaining $1.6 million was put in the center’s endowment fund, to support funding future projects for the nonprofit.

“This was all donor-funded with a commitment that we were going to put money to an endowment to secure the future as well,” Finkel said.

With the renovations modernizing the existing facility, Finkel said he’s excited for members of the JCC to see that the building it’s used for decades is being taken care of.

“What we’re most proud of is the renewal of the commitment to the larger Richmond community,” he said.

The JCC currently has roughly 8,000 members and 200 employees, per its website. It was founded in 1946, when it first opened on Idlewood Avenue with about 300 Jewish members. The center moved to its current Monument Avenue location in 1959, where it has remained since.

Though the center maintains its name, it now serves as a community center for all, not only Jewish people. Officially called the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Jewish Community Center, it operated with $14.2 million in revenue and $10.8 million in expenses in 2024, according to the nonprofit’s most recent public financial reports issued to the IRS.

The post Weinstein JCC completes $11M capital campaign, renovations to facilities appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

The Pipeline: Commercial real estate roundup for 10.24.25 23 Oct 10:02 PM (yesterday, 10:02 pm)

TOP SALES

#1 Dominion Energy purchased 115,200 square feet at 4881 Cox Road in Henrico for $11.5 million from Capital One National Association. Andrew Ferguson and Chris Wallace represented the buyer.

#2 2529 Professional Rd Investments LLC sold 4,536 square feet at 2529 Professional Road in Chesterfield for $805,925 to LAC219 LLC. Trib Sutton, Andrew Brodie and Emma Will with S.L. Nusbaum Realty represented the seller.

TOP THREE LEASES

#1 Youngblood, Tyler & Associates leased 8,194 square feet at 4405 Cox Road, Suite 100, in Henrico. David Wilkins and Greg Nachman with Range Commercial Partners represented the landlord. Catherine Walker and John Carpin with Colliers represented the landlord.

#2 Corporate Relocation leased 6,940 square feet at 5300 S. Laburnum Ave., Suite 5360, in Henrico. Matt Anderson and Marc Allocca with Range Commercial Partners represented the landlord.

#3 Virgin Med Transportation leased 5,590 square feet at 1521 & 1519 Brook Road in Richmond. Lebs Breeden with Pollard & Bagby represented the landlord.

Email submissions to Pipeline@RichmondBizSense.com

CBRE reports the following deals:

The Veiled Mirror leased 1,200 square feet at 209 N. 3rd St. in Richmond. Matt Hamilton represented the landlord.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints leased 1,400 square feet at 8101 Vanguard Drive in Hanover. Matt Hamilton represented the tenant.

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer reports the following deals:

IvyRehab leased 3,474 square feet at 3960 Stillman Parkway in Henrico. Jenny Stoner represented the tenant.

Richmond Sew Vac leased 3,059 square feet at 8900 W. Broad St. in Henrico. Danielle Beckstoffer and James Ashby IV represented the landlord.

Revelare Kitchens leased 2,850 square feet at 2103-2119 Dabney Road in Henrico. Chrissy Chappell and Craig Douglas represented the landlord.

Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig subleased 4,403 square feet at 9011 Arboretum Parkway in Chesterfield. Brian K. Berkey and Karla Knight represented the sublandlord.

Pollard & Bagby reports the following deals:

ClearDefense Pest Control of North Richmond leased 3,140 square feet at 6719 Janway Road in Henrico. Lebs Breeden represented the landlord.

Top Tier Solar Solutions leased 3,814 square feet at 6315-A Jahnke Road in Richmond. Tony Rolando and Lebs Breeden represented the landlord.

Cornerstone Law Group leased 165 square feet at 1701 Raintree Drive, Suite A, in Henrico. Lebs Breeden represented the landlord.

GENSUN LLC sold 2910-2916 Hungary Spring Road to Woodville LLC on October 15, 2025 for $2,465,000.00. Scott White and Lebs Breeden represented the Seller.

Range Commercial Partners reports the following deal:

Stuart C. Siegel and Cornerstone RPO leased 1,172 square feet at 5540 Falmouth St., Suite 103, in Henrico. David Wilkins and Rebecca Barricklow represented the landlord.

Colliers reports the following deals:

Liberty Tax leased 700 square feet at 10815 W. Broad St. in Henrico. Peter Vick and Harrison Hall represented the landlord.

Eirene Counseling and Consulting expanded by 1,989 square feet at 8100 Three Chopt Road in Henrico. Gray Bryant and John Carpin represented the landlord.

Vapor World and Tobacco leased 1,777 square feet at 8131 Brook Road in Henrico. Peter Vick and Harrison Hall represented the landlord.

CJ Global Enterprises leased 1,482 square feet at 2727 Enterprise Parkway in Henrico. Catherine Walker and John Carpin represented the landlord.

The post The Pipeline: Commercial real estate roundup for 10.24.25 appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

From code to concrete: Richmond’s future hinges on execution (Guest Commentary) 23 Oct 10:01 PM (yesterday, 10:01 pm)

Richmond’s zoning rewrite is in its final stages. The debate has been fierce, but most public comments are rooted in fear: fear of change, fear of losing character, fear that new growth will overwhelm neighborhoods. What’s needed is an honest assessment of how our outdated zoning has shaped the city since 1970, and why modernizing it now is crucial.

Because Richmond has no actual plan for growth, neighbors at Special Use Permit hearings often demand that every developer address decades of deferred maintenance, repair the pipes, improve traffic flow and fix the broken sidewalks. Their concerns aren’t wrong; they are rational. However, their demands reflect a city not yet ready to grow rather than an argument against the need for growth itself.

That’s the elephant in the room. Without modernizing how City Hall delivers services and infrastructure, no rewrite of the zoning code can succeed.

Richmond’s current zoning code still reads like a snapshot, not a plan. It polices change instead of organizing it. The irony? The very places we brag about – Church Hill, the Fan, the Museum District – don’t even conform to today’s zoning. They were built before we layered on lot-size requirements, use separations and variance traps. By today’s rules, much of what we love would be illegal to build.

Meanwhile, starter homes are bulldozed into oversized by-right boxes. Outdated rules don’t defend character and preserve charm; clear, predictable tools do.

The Museum District illustrates the problem. It has a Design Overlay District plan, but it isn’t enforceable. Residents refused to create an Old and Historic District because they didn’t want restrictions on painting their homes or window frames. Still, they want new developments to match the existing character. That leaves the city in an impossible situation, forcing leaders and residents into case-by-case battles that no one can win.

This is why enforceable, corridor-specific guidebooks matter. They strike a balance between character and growth, giving neighborhoods confidence while providing developers predictability. They codify the charm of stoops, porches, stepbacks and shopfronts, while allowing new buildings to move forward without the need for endless public review. These guidebooks prevent the next generation of leaders from being stuck in the same unwinnable fights.

After the approval of Richmond 300 in 2021, a lengthy amendment process addressed concerns from neighborhoods worried about losing character and charm. Communities such as Oregon Hill, the Near West End and Northside brought unique, place-specific issues. While zoning should be uniform citywide in defining what can be built, overlay districts with guidebooks can capture the specific character each neighborhood wants to preserve. Combined with a demolition permit review process, which the city lacks and is among its most significant shortcomings, this approach would honor resident objections without overcomplicating an already complex zoning rewrite. We can and must do both.

Zoning sets the framework for what can be built. But it’s DPW, DPU, Parks and Rec, and Police that make those rules livable. Richmond 300 lays out a strong growth map, but it will be realized only if every department transforms its service model.

Until the city modernizes its revenue strategy, investment strategy and service model, Richmond will repeat the same fights. Good zoning embraces what we already enjoy, such as walkable streets, duplexes, cottage courts and shopfront corridors, while making clear where and how future growth should occur. Good services deliver the pipes, transit and public spaces that make those rules real.

Richmond 300 and the zoning rewrite demand this type of coordinated delivery from City Hall: a Growth & Services Implementation Team that aligns Planning, Utilities and Transportation on a single schedule, with public scorecards to track progress. Residents shouldn’t need to FOIA to know who’s accountable.

This is not a YIMBY piece. It’s not about choosing sides in a culture war over growth. It’s about recognizing that the frustration residents express at zoning hearings is not always opposition to growth; it’s opposition to a city that hasn’t modernized to handle growth. Their concerns are legitimate.

Zoning should set the framework for growth. City Hall must modernize its services to make them work. Richmond 300 and the zoning rewrite both point to the same truth: we cannot deliver the future city we’ve planned unless City Hall modernizes to keep pace.

I’ve seen firsthand where the process breaks down. The next step isn’t more debate, it’s execution. The city we want isn’t theoretical. It’s a calendar and a checklist away.

The post From code to concrete: Richmond’s future hinges on execution (Guest Commentary) appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

The DeedBook: Local property transfers for 10.24.25 23 Oct 10:01 PM (yesterday, 10:01 pm)

Location	Sale Date	Seller	Buyer	Amount
Chesterfield
5138 Centralia Road	10/3/2025	Spencer Earle Jr Trustee	Singh Amarinder	$750,000
2530 Gayland Ave	10/2/2025	WDV LLC	N & G Properties	$2,000,000
11643 Midlothian Turnpike	10/2/2025	GG Midlothian TC LLC & VAD VA Retail LLC	Magnolia Commons SC LLC & ORF X Towne Crossing LLC	$18,850,000
2923 Polo Parkway	10/6/2025	S & G Development 2 LLC	RFCA RVA Real I LLC	$1,300,000
830 Southlake Boulevard	9/30/2025	Southlake Group	MCCA Properties	$650,000
4807 West Hundred Road	10/1/2025	Yates Edie I & Panther C A	West Hundred Properties	$745,000
517 Turner Road	10/1/2025	KEDP LLC	517 Turner LLC	$1,145,000
16401 Walthall Industrial Pkwy	10/21/2025	CC Gateway 95 Owner LLC	LPF 16401 Walthall Industrial Parkway LLC	$70,500,000
2529 Professional Road	10/16/2025	2529 Professional Rd Inv LLC	LAC219 LLC	$805,925
13030 Sweet Clover Lane	10/21/2025	HK Cloverleigh Property Owner LLC	Hull Hotel LLC	$1,350,000
Henrico
5225 Hickory Park Dr #A	10/20/2025	Veeraneni Venkateswar Rao	Lorvenk Properties	$470,000
4881 Cox Road	10/16/2025	Capital One VA Properties	Dominion Energy Services c/o Blaine Garrett	$11,500,000
2420 Grenoble Road	10/17/2025	JTM Acoustical Real Property	Odin VA OP LLC	$1,750,000
2910 Hungary Spring Road	10/15/2025	Gensun LLC	Woodville LLC	$2,465,000
3807 Mechanicsville Tpke	10/15/2025	Klotz Christopher L & Julia K	Crater Road Partners	$1,450,000
Richmond
23 E Main St	9/2/2025	M & P Properties	Biscuit & Gravy	$1,050,000
3408 W Leigh St	9/4/2025	Sisbro Associates	B & S Real Estate Attn: Stephen Deraffele	$1,060,000

For a sortable list click here

The post The DeedBook: Local property transfers for 10.24.25 appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

New Business Licenses: 10.24.25 23 Oct 10:00 PM (yesterday, 10:00 pm)

Business Name	Location	Zip	Business
	Henrico
Boubacar Cheikhsidi	8608 Queensmere Pl, Apt 1	23294	Transportation
Great Clips	11369 Nuckols Road	23059	Retail
LWW Jerk & Slice Kitchen	201 Towne Center West Blvd Ste 709	23233	Restaurant
SM Realty & Services	10861 Holman Ridge Road	23059	Retail
McCool Holdings	4801 Avia Circle Apt 206	23233	Other
Superior Medical Transportation	2818 Hungary Road	23228	Transportation
Shannon Black	11520 Nuckols Roa, Ste 102	23059	Other
Grant Childs	2925 Hilliard Roa	23228	Transportation
Curly Girl Desserts	4920 Cedar Summit Road	23223	Retail
K&A Bookkeeping	326 Siena Lane	23059	Business Services
Harmony Unlimited	1914 Flintwood Drive	23238	Consulting
Harris HVAC and Maintenance	901 Palace Way, Apt A	23238	Construction
Rebekah’s Legacy	2770 Beowulf Court	23231	Retail
Sho Media Group	3905 Montclair Road	23223	Other

For a sortable list click here

The post New Business Licenses: 10.24.25 appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

Dominion, Capital One strike second Innsbrook office deal, this one for $11M 23 Oct 10:00 PM (yesterday, 10:00 pm)

For the second time this year, Dominion Energy has added to its presence in Innsbrook. 

Last week Dominion purchased the Knolls I building at 4881 Cox Road for $11.5 million, per Henrico County records. The 115,000-square-foot office building had been owned by Capital One.

The deal marks the second time this year that the two firms struck a deal in Innsbrook. In the spring, Dominion bought the neighboring Knolls III building from Capital One for nearly $15 million. 

The two buildings are just north of Dominion’s Innsbrook Technical Center, a multi-building facility that recently received a nine-figure renovation.

A Dominion spokesperson said the planned use for Knolls I is to “accommodate current and future utility workforce growth stemming from our operations at the Innsbrook Technical Center.”

Capital One continues to own the Knolls II office building at 4871 Cox Road. Spokespeople for the financial giant did not respond to a request for comment.

The Knolls I sale closed Oct. 16 and was brokered by CBRE’s Andrew Ferguson and Chris Wallace. The county most recently assessed the 29-year-old building and the nearly 10 acres it sits on at $13 million. 

In total, Dominion spent $26.1 million on the two office buildings, which are a combined 269,000 square feet. 

Last year, the energy giant was a seller in a high-profile office deal downtown. In December it sold a 20-story office tower at 707 E. Main St. to Douglas Development for nearly $20 million. Douglas, a D.C. developer with a significant local presence, is converting the tower into hundreds of apartments and hotel rooms. 

Dominion also continues to own the entire city block at 701 E. Cary St., where it previously planned to build a 17-story office tower to complement its 21-story tower at 600 E. Canal St. 

The post Dominion, Capital One strike second Innsbrook office deal, this one for $11M appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

First-time local entrepreneur launches new dog food brand. He’s calling it HumanFood 22 Oct 10:03 PM (2 days ago)

Though the startup scene may be a dog-eat-dog world, Rafe Wilkinson Jr. is diving in with both feet for those with four furry paws.

The 25-year-old Richmonder has just launched a dog food brand called HumanFood.

Marketed as a gut healthy, real ingredient alternative to major pet food brands, the kibble company began sales this month both online and in a local Richmond pet shop. 

A Richmond native, Wilkinson is the son of Rafe Wilkinson, a local Richmond venture investor and partner at Miami-based business consulting firm CEO Coaching International, as well as a former NFL player for the Denver Broncos. 

Before launching HumanFood, the younger Wilkinson, a University of Alabama alum, spent his early professional life in both the startup and tech sales worlds, working at places like logistics platform Rising Tide and at local consulting firm S10XR, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

Last year, Wilkinson said he found himself becoming increasingly interested in branding, and after what he described as long nights spent on Reddit and YouTube doing market research, the idea to found a kibble brand began to come to him. 

As a dog owner of a shepherd mix named Rufus, Wilkinson said he noticed the landscape for kibble brands can often be homogeneous, with not much variance between brands’ strategies. 

“It’s all portrayed as the perfect pet, the golden retriever jumping through a field of daisies,” Wilkinson said. “But I’ve never seen my dog do that.” 

With that thought in mind, he began formulating what has become HumanFood. The marketing strategy, which is targeted primarily toward Gen Zers and young, often single people with pets, is “crass and humorous,” he said. 

“Built for great poops, shiny coats, and all your dog’s nonsense,” reads one slogan on the startup’s website. “HumanFood is for the imperfect pet,” reads another. 

As for the name, that one didn’t take Wilkinson long. He said that after trying out a couple of ideas, he thought of HumanFood for its online searchability and for its subversion of the expectations people may have for dog food. (HumanFood is safe for humans to eat, though Wilkinson doesn’t recommend everyday use for noncanines.) 

“So many people are Googling ‘What people food, what human food can I feed my pets,’” he said. “And as I started thinking down that path, I thought I could name it HumanFood.” 

Wilkinson got the kibble brand started through incubator Startup Virginia’s Idea Factory, a seven-week program for early-stage entrepreneurs looking to develop their business ideas. 

He participated in the incubator’s fall 2024 session, which, amid meetings with mentors and pitching the company, gave him the gumption to keep going with HumanFood.

“I napkin-mathed some ideas and showed up with a rough draft of HumanFood and what I thought it could be,” he said. 

He later attended Global Pet Expo, a pet industry trade show based in Orlando, Florida, which, after chatting with competitor brands and distributors, he said made him feel confident that his kibble brand was different from other, often much larger and more buttoned-up, pet food brands. 

“Coming out of there and still having a fire to want to do this, even after looking at some of those huge brands, I think just pushed me to make it (through) these 12 months and eventually to launch,” he said. 

Now, HumanFood is officially a go. The brand launched its first product on its website last week, and this week launched in Dig, a local pet shop at 322 Libbie Ave. in the West End. 

HumanFood is selling a chicken and brown rice flavor in an 11-pound bag for roughly $55. The kibble contains no additives, and has real chicken, lamb meal and salmon meal along with brown rice and other ingredients, including flaxseed, carrots and cranberries. 

Wilkinson said he worked with veterinary nutritionists in Indiana to get a formula that would both taste good and be a multifaceted, healthy option for dogs. The kibble also includes freeze-dried chicken hearts, liver and sweet potato for some added texture. 

“A lot of people are buying toppers and meal supplements to go onto their kibble, and this does it all in one swoop,” he said. 

He told BizSense that his goal is to launch both a beef and a salmon variety of his kibble by the middle of next year. 

Wilkinson declined to comment on the current scale of his production. HumanFood is produced at a manufacturing facility in Indiana, warehoused in Ashland and fulfilled by Wilkinson himself. He chose the Indiana facility because of its flexibility in producing for smaller brands, he said. 

“They have the facilities and the equipment I can then use to manufacture my product at a scale that I think makes sense currently,” he said. 

Wilkinson also declined to comment on how much money has been invested in HumanFood, but noted that he has financed the company thus far through family and friend support. 

“I have not raised institutional capital at all,” he said. “That is something that could possibly take place in the next year or two.” 

Running HumanFood is a full-time gig for Wilkinson, who said that although he is flying solo for now, he will likely look to hire some help in the near future. 

Though HumanFood is technically still based at Startup Virginia’s building at 1717 E. Cary St., Wilkinson often works remotely. 

And though Wilkinson said he’s received a positive human response to his ingredients and his marketing thus far, it’s the opinions of their furry friends he’s really watching. 

“Dogs can’t talk, which is unfortunate, but they lick the bowl clean, which is all we can look for,” he said. 

The post First-time local entrepreneur launches new dog food brand. He’s calling it HumanFood appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

City to issue RFPs for affordable housing developments on surplus lots in Manchester, Shockoe Bottom 22 Oct 10:02 PM (2 days ago)

The City of Richmond is looking to turn some of its surplus land into housing.

Mayor Avula’s administration is preparing to seek proposals from private developers who would bring some form of “affordable” residences to two city-owned lots in Shockoe Bottom and Manchester.

The larger of the two lots, both of which were recently declared surplus, is at 212 N. 18th St. in the Bottom. The 1-acre parcel is a surface parking lot that sits between the recently completed 12-story Bakery apartment tower and the Exxon gas station at Broad and 17th streets. 

The second lot is at 911-913 Hull St. in Manchester. It totals about 0.25 acre and is catty-corner to an 116-unit, income-restricted housing development from The Lawson Cos. that’s under construction.

The city will issue requests for proposals for the two sites Nov. 5. 

Merrick Malone, director of the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development, outlined the plans in a presentation to City Council’s Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee earlier this week. 

Malone told the committee that Mayor Avula, who appointed him to lead the DHCD earlier this year, challenged the department to “strategically use our surplus properties for the development of affordable housing.”

“This is another tool in our toolbox,” Malone said. “We are going out everywhere to get the very best to come and bid on these particular parcels. … We want the best.”

Proposals for each site must include a minimum of 20% of the units for households earning between zero and 80% of the area median income, but outside of that requirement the RFPs will not have many restrictions. Malone said they’ll be open to proposals from private and nonprofit developers, proposals that include for-sale units, and those that allow the city to retain ownership of the land. 

Councilmembers Andrew Breton and Ellen Robertson, who serve on the committee, emphasized that they’d like to ensure high levels of affordability in each prospective development. Robertson said she’d like the city to be “as aggressive as we can” in reserving the parcels for affordable housing, while Breton said it’s a “big opportunity and we don’t want to squander it.” Councilwoman Nicole Jones is the other member of the committee. 

Malone said the city could maximize affordability on the two lots in multiple ways, be it through lowering the purchase price of the land in exchange for deeper affordability, or prioritizing proposals that include lower priced units. 

“That all will come when we see what (responses) we get. We want to be prescriptive, but we don’t want to be so prescriptive that we lose creativity,” he said. 

Both lots are zoned B-5 Central Business District, which allows for a mix of uses but requires ground-floor commercial space and has a height limit of 5 stories. 

The city most recently assessed the Shockoe Bottom lot at $2.1 million and the Hull Street lot at $485,000, though Malone said the city plans to get appraised values for the properties as well. 

After the RFPs go out Nov. 5, the city will host a series of site visits and information sessions about the parcels this fall. Proposals will be due Feb. 24, 2026, and the city will look to make a selection in the spring of 2026. 

The city’s Economic Development Authority is also evaluating proposals received from an RFP on the Intermediate Terminal Building in Rocketts Landing. Multiple proposals were submitted to redevelop the century-old structure, but details are scant as to the developers who responded. 

The post City to issue RFPs for affordable housing developments on surplus lots in Manchester, Shockoe Bottom appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

Commercial fridge maker expands in Chesterfield with new manufacturing operations and warehouse 22 Oct 10:01 PM (2 days ago)

Having cooled on California, Dover Food Retail has shifted its expansion efforts to Chesterfield County.

An event was held earlier this week to mark the growth of Dover’s existing manufacturing operations in Chesterfield and opening of a massive warehouse in the county. County supervisors then on Wednesday approved local incentives to match a state grant to support the project.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday at Dover’s newest local facility – a 500,000-square-foot warehouse at 16401 Walthall Industrial Parkway.

The event also celebrated Dover’s recent move to relocate production of its Anthony brand products from Sylmar, California, to a 350,000-square-foot manufacturing center at 1301 Battery Brooke Parkway in Chesterfield, where subsidiary Hillphoenix currently operates.

New production equipment purchased for the Battery Brooke facility represents the majority of the overall $25.3 million project, which is expected to add more than 320 new jobs in Chesterfield. Dover currently has 1,100 local employees and has operated in Chesterfield since 1995.

“Dover has been a valuable part of our community for three decades. Today they take another step forward,” Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Mark Miller said in his remarks during Monday’s event.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Dover President Paul Sindoni and others also shared remarks at the event.

Sindoni told reporters following the event that Dover was motivated to move operations out of California and further invest in its Chesterfield presence due to the local workforce, proximity to customers and costs.

“It’s the availability of the workforce, the region is very good logistically for our customers across the East Coast. The cost was good too, it was very competitive,” he said. “As we looked fir our options and where we wanted to grow our business, we settled right here in Virginia. The long-term partnership has been fantastic, and we expect it to continue, build jobs and grow our business.”

Chesterfield landed the project with help from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Youngkin approved a $900,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to go to Dover. Dover will also be able to take advantage of the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which is a VEDP initiative that provides consulting services and funding for companies that create new jobs in Virginia.

A couple days after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors approved a $599,000 performance grant agreement with Dover. The funding support would be a repayment of real estate taxes paid by Dover to the county on the new warehouse. Dover rents the distribution facility, but also pays real estate taxes as part of its lease.

The county grant would serve as the local match needed to complement the state’s COF grant, with the remaining local match to be sourced by way of the benefits the company gets from being part of the county’s technology zone program, which provides perks like rebates on the machinery and tools taxes and other benefits.

To receive the grant, Dover Food would have to make an investment of at least $25.3 million at the Battery Brooke and Walthall Industrial sites within three years. Dover and Youngkin’s office announced the expansion plans in late September.

Dover decided to buy new equipment rather than relocate it from California to have redundancy and ensure a smooth transition during the phased relocation, which is already underway and expected to be completed next year, Sindoni told BizSense in an interview.

“We duplicated every piece of equipment and process here with brand-new stuff. We are not bringing over the core processing equipment from California. What we’ll do with it, we’ll see,” he said.

Dover began operating out of the warehouse on Walthall Industrial within the last few months. The distribution center is the company’s third local facility, following the manufacturing facilities on Battery Brooke, which opened around 2010, and a 600,000-square-foot plant at 1925 Ruffin Mill Road, which opened in 1995.

Dover manufactures commercial and industrial refrigeration systems, display cases, freezer doors and other related products. The Georgia-based company has more than 3,000 employees, and its products are sold to supermarkets, convenience stores and other food service and processing businesses. The company is a subsidiary of Dover Corp.

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