The new apartment building was completed last fall. (Mike Platania photo)

The owners of Longoven restaurant are ordering a fourth course in Scott’s Addition. 

Andrew Manning, Megan Fitzroy Phelan and Patrick Phelan, who opened Longoven in 2018 at 2939 W. Clay St., have signed a lease to open a new restaurant around the corner at 3001 W. Leigh St.

It’ll be the group’s fourth restaurant. They’re also opening Japanese concept Nokoribi at 1509 Belleville St., in a mixed-use project anchored by The Veil Brewing Co.’s new taproom, and earlier this year Manning and the Phelans opened Italian restaurant Lost Letter within Longoven’s space on Clay Street. 

The new Leigh Street restaurant will fill 1,900 square feet on the ground floor of Capital Square’s “Gem” apartment building at the corner of Altamont Avenue. The building was part of Capital Square’s 212-unit, three-part “Scott’s Collection” development that also brought new buildings to 2900 and 3000 W. Clay St.

From left: Longoven co-owners/chefs Patrick Phelan, Megan Fitzroy Phelan and Andrew Manning. (BizSense file photo)

The plans were confirmed by Capital Square’s executive vice president of development, Natalie Mason. Patrick Phelan declined to comment for this article. 

Though details on the restaurant are scant, city documents offer a possible answer as to what the name will be. Earlier this week a building permit was filed for the space, describing the project as “The Salt House Restaurant.”

Longoven and Capital Square became neighbors last year when the developer bought the former N. Chasen & Son buildings next door to Longoven in a record-setting deal to clear the way for another three apartment buildings totaling around 350 units. The Chasen family held onto Longoven’s building and continues to lease it to the restaurant. 

In addition to The Veil, Nokoribi will be joining Richmond Capital Management at 1509 Belleville St. as the longtime local investment advisory firm is relocating its office there. 

Capital Square also recently struck a deal with local restaurateurs Paulo and Nelson Benavides to open a new restaurant in The Otis, a massive building that Capital Square is developing with Greystar at 1601 Roseneath Road. The Benavideses, who also own Y Tu Mamá and Hibachi Box, are planning to open a Mexican restaurant, Cochiloco, in their new space.

The post Longoven owners plotting yet another restaurant in Scott’s Addition appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

RVA Iron Gym co-owner Brandon Garner outside the gym at 3910 Adams Road in Henrico County. (Jack Jacobs photos)

Adding more weight to its regimen, a Henrico-based bodybuilding gym has plans to pump out two new locations south of the James River in the near future, and also just became its own landlord in Henrico.

RVA Iron Gym is planning to open a new outpost at 361 E. Hundred Road near Chester. Gym co-owner Brandon Garner said work is underway on the 6,000-square-foot space and he hopes to open it in June.

And Garner is already thinking about what he said would be a third and final location, which would open in Midlothian in a couple years.

Garner, who opened RVA Iron Gym’s first location at 3910 Adams Road in Henrico County in May 2021, said he feels there’s a gap in fitness options in the Chester area comparable to his gym, which caters to bodybuilders and power lifters and has grown its membership by peeling off other gyms’ users.

“We tend to pull the most serious folks from these gyms. Those gyms will always maintain their $10, $20 membership clients who want to get to the gym but aren’t as serious as some of the competitive bodybuilders or just people who make fitness a priority, and that’s who we cater to,” Garner said.

The Henrico gym has grown to 750 members, Garner said.

RVA Iron Gym caters to bodybuilders. It’s located at 3910 Adams Road in Henrico County. (Jack Jacobs photo)

He expects to invest $250,000 to $300,000 in the build-out and equipment for the upcoming Chester-area location. The new gym is also planned to feature showers, which aren’t currently available at the original location.

RVA Iron Gym’s month-to-month rate is $65, and Garner said he is planning to increase the cost of most membership packages by $10 when the Chester gym opens.

The East Hundred Road space was formerly home to the long-running Chester Furniture store.

In addition to signing the lease on the Chester space this month, Garner recently bought the building on Adams Road in Henrico where his gym is located.

An LLC tied to Garner bought the building for $1.4 million in a deal that was recorded with the county in early February, according to online land records.

Garner’s gym occupies 7,500 square feet, while the other half of the building is home to Warren Services Inc., an ice machine leasing and service company.

Garner said that Warren Services intends to relocate, and that RVA Iron Gym plans to eventually expand to occupy the entire roughly 14,000-square-foot building.

As for his Midlothian plans, Garner hopes to have a gym up and running there by 2025. He’s on the hunt for a space of at least 20,000 square feet.

While that gym would be larger than what he’s done thus far, Garner said the demand he anticipates in Midlothian requires upping the ante.

“With Midlothian, I feel like I’d be shooting myself in the foot if I did 7,000 square feet,” Garner said.

A bodybuilder and former Marine, Garner co-owns RVA Iron Gym with business partner Bobby George. The duo also co-own supplement company Perform Nutra. They formerly operated another supplement company called Phantom Nutrition, which they have shut down.

The post Bodybuilding gym bulks up regional presence with new Chester outpost appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

TOP THREE SALES

#1 Casa Linda Dos LLC purchased 112 units at 6745, 6741 Route 1, 2517, 2501, 2401 Alfalfa Lane in Chesterfield for $6 million. Tom Rosman, Ryan Rilee and Lory Markham with One South Commercial represented the seller.

#2 Hamlet Watkins Centre purchased 30 acres at Watkins Centre Parkway and East West Road in Chesterfield for $4.5 million from Watkins Land LLC. Commonwealth Commercial Partners’ Chris Jenkins, Joe Buhrman and Bill Barnett represented the seller and Randy Cosby represented the buyer.

#3 Ortho Watkins Building LLC purchased 8.551 acres at Watkins Centre Parkway and East West Road in Chesterfield for $2.7 million from Watkins Land LLC. Bill Barnett, Joe Buhrman and Chris Jenkins with Commonwealth Commercial Partners represented the seller.

TOP THREE LEASES

#1 Niche Logistics leased 60,000 square feet at 10463 Wilden Drive in Hanover. Kevin Cox with Porter Realty Co. represented the landlord.

#2 Convergint Technologies leased 31,744 square feet at 1460 E. Parham Road in Henrico. Colliers’ Rebecca Barricklow, Joe Marchetti and David Wilkins represented the landlord and Jimmy Martin represented the tenant.

#3 Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corp. leased 25,000 square feet at 5600-5750 Hopkins Road in Chesterfield. Connie Jordan Nielsen and Alicia Brown with Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer represented the landlord.

Email submissions to Pipeline@RichmondBizSense.com

Joyner Commercial reports the following deal:

Idiana LLC purchased 4,305 square feet at 7103 Brook Road in Henrico for $580,000. Todd Buttner represented the seller.

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer reports the following deals:

Fire & Chicken leased 3,800 square feet at Mechanicsville Turnpike and Lee Davis Road in Hanover. Richard L. Thalhimer represented the landlord.

Premier Pools and Spas – West Richmond leased 3,264 square feet at 1101-1135 Alverser Drive in Chesterfield. Danielle Beckstoffer and Isaac DeRegibus represented the landlord.

One South Commercial reports the following deals:

JSJ Bias LLC purchased 976 square feet at 201 Hull St., Unit 1B, in Richmond for $220,000. Justin Sledd and Isaac Weintz represented the seller.

Casa Linda Dos LLC purchased 112 units at 6745, 6741 Richmond Hwy., 2517, 2501, 2401 Alfalfa Lane in Richmond for $5,880,000 at. Tom Rosman, Ryan Rilee, and Lory Markham represented the seller.

Vishal Mehta and Surbhi Bansal purchased a duplex at 1625 W. Grace St. in Richmond for $899,000. Tom Rosman and Justin Sledd represented the seller.

1842 Monument LLC purchased six units at 1842 Monument Ave. in Richmond for $1,250,000. Tom Rosman and Justin Sledd represented the seller.

Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate report the following deal:

Flexible Holdings sold 9,861 square feet at 11310 Business Center Drive in Richmond for $1,270,000. Health Placer Mull represented the seller.

Taylor Long Properties reports the following deals:

Drip Dealer leased 3,600 square feet at 3125 and 3129 Mechanicsville Tpke. in Henrico. Robert Marshall and Rebecca von Meister represented the landlord.

Lake Chiropractic leased 1,554 square feet at 2560 Anderson Hwy., Suite A, Powhatan. Robert Marshall represented the landlord.

Commonwealth Commercial Partners reports the following deals:

Raymond Engineering- Georgia Inc. leased 3,006 square feet at 7130 Glen Forest Drive in Henrico. Eric Hammond, Eliza Izard and Russell Wyatt represented the landlord and Tucker Dowdy and Ben Boykin represented the tenant.

Burton & Associates leased 2,471 square feet at 4198 Cox Road in Henrico. Eric Hammond, Eliza Izard and Russell Wyatt represented the landlord.

Safe Haven Security Services leased 521 square feet at 201 N. Washington Hwy. in Hanover. Eric Hammond and Michael Good represented the landlord.

Gray and Pape Heritage Management leased 2,100 square feet at 2119 E. Franklin St. in Richmond. Ben Boykin and Nash Warren represented the landlord.

Morse Investigation Services leased 1,460 square feet at 4196 Innslake Drive in Henrico. Ben Boykin and Nash Warren represented the tenant.

Coharie Enterprises dba Stretch Zone leased 1,315 square feet at 14169 Midlothian Tpke. in Chesterfield. Thomas Lynde represented the tenant.

Crosswinds,LLC purchased 2,322 square feet at 3918 Grove Ave. in Richmond for $687,500 from CBL Associates. Jamie Galanti represented the seller.

Richard and Anita Hutchinson purchased 10,000 square feet at 11012 Richardson Road in Hanover for $1,450,000 from PN Construction. Ben Bruni and Michael Mayhew represented the buyer.

Bocce Two LLC purchased 9,861 square feet at 11310 Business Center Drive in Chesterfield for $1,270,000 from Flexible Holdings LLC. Colton Konvicka and Michael Mayhew represented the buyer.

Weidmuller Inc. purchased 4.715 acres at 630 Johnston Willis Drive in Chesterfield for $1,117,000 from Whitco. Nash Warren and Ryan Fanelli represented the buyer.

Colliers reports the following deals:

FRD Inc leased 3,138 square feet at 1324 W. Cary St. in Richmond. Peter Vick and Harrison Hall represented the landlord.

Green Clean Holdings leased 1.5 acres at 151 James View Drive in Chesterfield. Harrison Hall and Peter Vick represented the landlord.

Retail Data leased 23,217 square feet at 4461 Cox Road in Henrico. Frank Hargrove and Malcolm Randolph represented the tenant.

Morse Investigation Services leased 1,460 square feet at 4196-A Innslake Drive in Henrico. Rebecca Barricklow represented the landlord.

Porter Realty Co. reports the following deal:

Anytime Golf leased 2,225 square feet at 11147 Air Park Road in Hanover. Wilson Flohr represented the landlord.

The post The Pipeline: Commercial real estate roundup for 3.24.23 appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

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The ongoing transformation of the city’s riverfront was the topic du jour Wednesday morning in the latest installment of Richmond BizSense’s Future Of panel discussion series.

A crowd of more than 350 filled the Foundry at Tredegar to hear the Future of the Riverfront, featuring a slate of panelists consisting of:

Kevin Vonck, director of planning and development review for the City of Richmond

Nadia O’Dea, senior director of corporate real estate and facilities at CoStar Group

Ken MacDonald, president of IMGoing Events and Starr Hill Presents

Lisa Sims, CEO of Venture Richmond

Jason Vickers-Smith, principal at WVS Cos.

Key points of the discussion included CoStar Group’s massive office complex that’s under construction at 600 Tredegar St., the Richmond Amphitheater proposed on the neighboring Tredegar hillside, as well as ongoing development, conservation and urban planning efforts in the works along the stretch of the river spanning from Rocketts Landing to the Lee Bridge.

Enjoy the slideshow above with photos of the event from HDBros.

The sold out event was the first of at least two Future Of events planned for 2023. Stay tuned for more event announcements.

And thank you to all the Future of the Riverfront sponsors listed below:

The post Slideshow: Recap from Future of the Riverfront panel discussion appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

For a sortable list click here

The post New Business Licenses: 3.24.23 appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

The 3-acre Public Safety Building property at 500 N. 10th St. (BizSense file photo)

After the demise of its previous plan for the property, VCU appears to be moving forward with a larger and more expensive development project for the former Public Safety Building site downtown.

VCU’s Board of Visitors is slated to approve a $415 million capital project for its planned VCU Dentistry Center, which would replace the School of Dentistry’s Lyons Dental Building and Dental Building 1 on the nearby MCV Campus.

VCU has said the new 314,000-square-foot facility is envisioned for the 3-acre site at 500 N. 10th St., which until recently had been planned for a private development with VCU Health signed on as a master tenant.

That project, valued at $325 million, effectively died last month, when the City of Richmond took back the property after finding the private developer, Capital City Partners, in default of the terms of the development agreement.

That 2021 agreement had called for a 20-story tower and three-building complex totaling 240,000 square feet of office space, 150,000 of which was to be used by VCU Health to support its nearby Children’s Hospital Pavilion and Adult Outpatient Pavilion.

A rendering of the previously proposed office tower and complex that had been planned to replace the Public Safety Building. (Courtesy of Capital City Partners)

The board is scheduled to vote at its meeting today (Friday) to initiate the project and amend VCU’s six-year capital plan to reflect the Dentistry Center project’s revised cost estimate. VCU has previously requested funding approval from the General Assembly for pre-planning of the project.

The amendment and project authorization are included in the board’s consent agenda, consisting of items typically voted on as a group and with minimal discussion.

A memo to the board describes the Lyons Dental Building, at 520 N. 12th St., and Dental Building 1, at 521 N. 11th St., as “beyond their useful life” with more than $90 million in deferred maintenance needs. The buildings were built in 1975 and 1954, respectively, and “do not meet current educational or patient care needs” and “present accessibility concerns,” the memo states.

The new facility would serve more than 500 students and include various classrooms, simulation and practice labs with manikin stations, academic labs, practice clinics with operating rooms, and support spaces. The memo states that the size and scope of the facility would be refined through the planning phase.

Architecture firm Hanbury is the pre-planning consultant on the project.

The memo does not provide more details about the project, such as whether VCU would buy the Public Safety Building property from the city. University ownership would take the 3-acre property off the city’s tax rolls, as VCU is exempt from paying city real estate taxes.

The previous Capital City Partners project called for VCU to lease that building, which as a privately owned property would have remained taxable. As the master tenant, VCU Health had agreed to contribute to real estate tax obligation payments tied to the project. In a statement last month, VCU said the university and health system “will uphold our obligations as they relate to prior real estate tax commitments.”

The same statement described the Public Safety Building property as “designed to be a signature development for VCU and Richmond” and said its “desired centerpiece” is a new facility for the School of Dentistry and potentially a new research building to replace the aging Sanger Hall, a 486,000-square-foot building at 1101 E. Marshall St., a block away. Sanger Hall is not mentioned in the latest memo about the Dentistry Center project.

The post New VCU project for Public Safety Building site pegged at $415M appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

The Wells Fargo branch at 4020 Cox Road. (BizSense file)

A longtime local bank branch that’s seen its flag change many times over the years through various mergers is set to go dark.

Wells Fargo is planning to close its location at 4020 Cox Road in Innsbrook, according to a regulatory filing this month.

Its expected closing date is June 7, according to a sign on the door at the branch. The bank did not respond to questions about the closure Wednesday afternoon.

The 4,200-square-foot building was built in 1990 as a branch of Dominion Bank of Richmond, which was merged into First Union Bank in the mid-’90s. The parent company, Dominion Bankshares, was at the time Virginia’s fourth-largest bank with more than 280 branches in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Tennessee, according to a Washington Post report. First Union in 2001 merged with Wachovia, which was absorbed by Wells Fargo in 2010.

Wells Fargo inherited the property and is the owner. Henrico County most recently assessed the property at $1.98 million. That value includes $1.15 million for the land.

The bank also wasn’t able to answer questions regarding the future disposition of the property or whether it intends to lease the building.

The Innsbrook location would be the fifth local Wells Fargo branch to close in the past 18 months. Earlier this year its shuttered 415 E. Belt Blvd. in the city’s Southside. In 2022 it closed 9000 Patterson Ave. in the western Henrico and 13241 Rivers Bend Blvd. in Chester. And in late 2021, just up the road from the Innsbrook branch, it closed its location at 11151 W. Broad St. in West Broad Village.

The Innsbrook closure would leave Wells Fargo with 47 branches in the Richmond region. That’s still the largest branch footprint of any bank in the area, with Truist’s 45 branches a close second.

Wells Fargo held $8.87 billion in deposits in those local branches as of June 30, 2022, the most recent figures from the FDIC. That gave it the third-largest market share in terms of deposits, following Bank of America and Truist.

The Cox Road branch housed around $266 million in deposits as of June 30, making it one of Wells Fargo’s larger branches in the region by deposit amount.

The post Longtime Innsbrook bank branch to close appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

Mitchell Homes President Scott Sleeme, left, in the new design studio with sales associates Cabell Hatchett, Angie Griffin and Thomas Joyner, from left. (Jonathan Spiers photos)

After nearly 30 years in Powhatan, an area homebuilder is entering its fourth decade with a new headquarters and design studio across the county line.

Mitchell Homes has relocated to Midlothian, where it has set up shop at 14300 Sommerville Court, in the Sommerville Office Park off Midlothian Turnpike.

The move marks a new era for the family-owned firm, which had been based five miles west at Route 60 and Holly Hills Road, where namesake Mitchell Sleeme founded the company in 1992.

The 12,000-square-foot building at 14300 Sommerville Court is now home base for Mitchell Homes.

The 12,000-square-foot building doubles the size of its previous space, a 5,000-square-foot office that was converted from a residence. It also accommodates a larger home design studio, which at 4,000 square feet is the largest of the company’s showrooms The others are in Fredericksburg, Newport News, and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

Scott Sleeme, the founder’s son, has led the company as president for over a decade. He described the design studios as a more effective version of the roadside model homes of his father’s generation. The company had a sales office on Brook Road in Henrico but closed it a few years ago in favor of the studios.

Scott Sleeme is the company’s second-generation president.

“My dad founded the company 30 years ago, and the (business model) was to put a model home right off of a highway, in an easy-to-access commercial area. It would be an actual home with furniture, and we would have a small area where we could meet with customers,” Sleeme said.

“Over time, we developed a retail center, and we’ve evolved to the point where we’re able to show multiple vignettes. This allows us to show so much more.”

The building also houses offices and amenities for Mitchell Homes’ workforce, which had grown from 33 in 2018 to 51 when it moved in late 2021. Sleeme bought the building that October for $1.85 million, using an LLC. He said the company spent $175,000 into upfitting the space, and finished the design center late last year.

Of the previous office, Sleeme said, “We had nowhere to put anybody; we were doubling up offices. There were maintenance problems because it was an older house, and I felt like it didn’t give the image that we wanted for our employees or our customers.”

Sleeme said he found the Sommerville building working with Colliers’ Peter Vick, who represented his LLC in the purchase. The 17-year-old building previously housed medical supplier Zimmer Mid-Atlantic and was owned by Moseby Enterprises LLC, which bought it in 2006 for $2.19 million. Chesterfield County has assessed the 0.8-acre property at $2.14 million.

Sleeme, 47, said he preferred the building for its access to Route 288 and location in a developing corridor. Sommerville Office Park is just west of Winterfield Crossing and across 288 from Westchester Commons, where fellow builder Main Street Homes has its headquarters.

“It makes it easy for our customers, who come from as far as two hours away, to find, being close to a highway, and for our employees to access,” he said. “The building was perfect for us in terms of size, it was in excellent condition, and the office space was already developed.”

The design studio was completed in recent months.

The design studio, previously a warehouse for Zimmer, features design displays and selections for different rooms in the house, as well as customization options ranging from paint colors to granite and quartz countertops and other finishes. Sleeme said customizations have increased as Mitchell has evolved from a primarily rural customer base.

“Our customers were always rural and they wouldn’t do as much in terms of upgrades. We’ve seen that change significantly over the last five years. Our options and upgrades and average prices have just increased significantly.”

As a scattered-site builder, Mitchell builds individual homes on land already owned by its customers, most of them built on family-owned plots. Sleeme said the company doesn’t buy land or sections in established neighborhoods.

The company offers a selection of 40 floor plans that customers can further customize. Homes average  2,200 square feet in size and $350,000 in price, Sleeme said.

Mitchell is active in Virginia, southern Maryland and in North Carolina, where it expanded five years ago. Sleeme said the company built 205 homes last year and brought in about $72 million in sales revenue – up from 110 closings and $23 million in sales in 2017. He said it’s on track to build 220 homes this year.

The company is marking the design studio’s opening with an open house this weekend, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Sales staff from each of Mitchell’s offices will be present for the event, which will include a food truck, kids’ activities and tours of the studio.

Mitchell follows other builders that have drawn up new digs in recent years. Across the river in Henrico, Eagle Construction of VA relocated its headquarters from West Broad Village to Canterbury Shopping Center on Patterson Avenue.

The post Homebuilder moves from Powhatan to Midlothian, opens design studio appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

Before becoming a ghost kitchen, the building along West Broad had been occupied by TitleMax. (Mike Platania photos)

The latest entrant into the local ghost kitchen scene has made its debut near Willow Lawn. 

ChefSuite recently opened at 4711 W. Broad St., where it offers 16 rentable kitchen suites from which tenants can operate restaurants for delivery and pick-up only. 

The business is a new concept from Jay Modi and Jarnail Tucker, who have been working on the venue since 2021 when they purchased the former TitleMax building.

Three of ChefSuite’s kitchens are leased, though Modi said they have a few additional leases signed for to-be-announced operators. 

Its current lineup consists of Southern comfort food concept A Pinch of Sugar from Nikita Moore, and Dionis Taveras’ Latin Quarter Kitchen, which specializes in sandwiches made from smashed plantains. The third space is occupied by On A Roll Italian Subs, which is owned by Modi and Tucker. 

“It’s something we took on so we’re able to learn every single step of the way of what it takes to start a restaurant at ChefSuite,” Modi said of On A Roll. “Things like the process with the city, getting vendors and the equipment tenants would need in place.”

Tenants at ChefSuite must provide their own stoves and other hardware.

Dishes from On A Roll, A Pinch of Sugar and Latin Quarter are available exclusively for takeout and delivery. Modi said each is signed on with national delivery platforms Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub as well as ChefSuite’s website. 

Kitchens at ChefSuite are rented from $2,700 per month and each includes a commercial hood, sinks, shelving, a water heater and oil removal systems. Modi said it’s up to tenants to fill out the rest of their cooking hardware, some of which can be rented from ChefSuite. 

Ghost kitchens began arriving in Richmond after the pandemic, landing in the Fan, Regency Square Mall and Scott’s Addition. The Fan ghost kitchen, The Coop, had been operated by local chef Mike Ledesma but closed shortly after Ledesma closed his Perch restaurant last year. 

Modi and Tucker, meanwhile, are looking to bring ChefSuite into multiple markets. The duo is working on building out a second location in the Atlanta, Georgia, suburbs and has a few other, unidentified cities in mind for further expansion. 

“We like to target areas outside of the main hubs because frankly that’s where people really live,” Tucker said. “People work in central business districts and there is a lot of density and money that goes there, but the neighborhoods where people live day-to-day also need options and we want to be able to provide that.”

Another eatery is en route to ChefSuite’s block of West Broad is Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which is preparing to raze a former Burger King at 4800 W. Broad St. and replace it with a new drive-thru location. 

The post Ghost kitchen concept ChefSuite opens rentable kitchen venue on West Broad appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

The interior of Brocade Wedding Salon, a bridal gown studio near Scott’s Addition. (Photos courtesy of Brocade Wedding Salon)

A pair of wedding planners are trying on another segment of the wedding industry.

Tabitha Roberts and Bryce Carson recently opened Brocade Wedding Salon, a new bridal gown shop at 4010 W. Broad St. in the Belmont on Broad development just west of Scott’s Addition.

Tabitha Roberts

Roberts said that in the course of planning weddings through her D.C.-based Roberts and Co Events, she saw demand for a gown studio that features a wide range of dress sizes, a situation she and business partner Carson hope to capitalize on with Brocade.

Roberts said in her experience it’s most common for bridal gown stores to stock sample dresses in sizes smaller than what most women wear, which can create a challenging shopping experience.

“When women come in they struggle to see themselves in the dresses,” Roberts said of some stores. “It’s harder for them to shop more fully in a way someone of a smaller size could.

“More than half of our gowns are larger than sample size and we really worked with our consultants to make sure they know how to get these girls into the dresses,” she said.

Bryce Carson

Brocade sells gowns by designers such as Chic Nostalgia, Enaura, Pronovias and Eva Lendel, with prices ranging from $1,000 to $5,500, according to its website.

The studio is in a 1,300-square-foot space. Roberts said the spot was both close to the energy of Scott’s Addition and has access to a parking lot.

Brocade officially opened in January after a soft opening late last year, and represents a fuller expansion into the wedding industry for the D.C.-based Roberts and for Carson, a local resident.

Roberts founded her event planning company in 2009. The company runs weddings and other events in Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland. Carson has been an employee there for a decade.

The duo started to plan Brocade in early 2021. The studio takes its name from a type of woven-fabric textile that features elaborate decoration.

The post Wedding planners open bridal gown shop near Scott’s Addition appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

Chesterfield Circuit Court

NVR, Inc. d/b/a Ryan Homes v. RREFII-TFC Greenwich, LLC
Plaintiff, a home builder, says defendant, which develops and sell subdivided lots to builders, has violated/breached a purchase agreement to sell developable land condominium units in Section 5 of “Greenwich Walk at Foxcreek” community, and seeks a declaratory judgment and compensatory damages of at least $100,000.
Attorneys: Sean P. Sherman and Mark R. Mann of Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker
Filed: 3/7/2023
CL23000867

Kapitus Servicing, Inc. v. C&R Goods & Produce, Inc. d/b/a C&R Goods & Produce; and Ryan DaCosta
Plaintiff says the New York business is in default of a forward purchase agreement and seeks judgment in the principal amount of $130,835.
Attorneys: Nhon H. Nguyen, Timothy A. Hennigan and Charles D. Waters of Nguyen|Ballato
Filed: 3/9/2023
CL23000906

Innovative Behavioral & Mental Health Services LLC v. Holistic Therapeutic Services, LLC
Plaintiff says it had a contract to provide psychiatric consultative services for adults and children through a collaborative relationship with defendant, and defendant has failed to pay for services rendered August-October 2022. Plaintiff asks judgment of $59,250.
Attorneys: Richard M. Bing
Filed: 3/10/2023
CL23000920

L&W Supply Corporation v. Blanco Construction, LLC and Vladimir Blanco Zurita
Plaintiff says it provided goods and services on credit, and defendant has failed to pay $86,652.10 due.
Attorneys: P. George Eliades II of The Eliades Law Firm
Filed: 3/13/2023
CL23000930

Henrico Circuit Court

Kimberley Washington v. Select Recovery Agents, Inc.; PAR, Inc.; and Santander Consumer USA, Inc.
Plaintiff says in September 2022 she purchased a 2018 Kia from Haley Toyota, obtaining financing from Exeter Financing, and her payments are current. Plaintiff says Santander, at some time prior to Feb. 23, 2023, believing that the vehicle was financed by them and the loan was delinquent, contacted PAR to initiate repossession. Plaintiff says Select took possession of the vehicle on March 2 or 3 and refuses to return the vehicle or any of its contents, and has refused her access. Plaintiff alleges illegal repossession and violation of federal fair debt collection practices and seeks an injunction against efforts to dispossess her of the vehicle and damages of $49,999.
Attorneys: Jason M. Krumbein of Krumbein Consumer Legal Services
Filed: 3/10/2023
CL23001855

Alina McCabe v. Richmond Fitness, Inc.
Plaintiff says on April 16, 2021, at defendant’s American Family Fitness on Brook Road, she was thrown to the floor and severely injured when a stair-climbing machine malfunctioned. Plaintiff asks judgment of $650,000.
Attorneys: Christopher Booberg of BoobergLaw
Filed: 3/15/2023
CL23001945

Kapitus Servicing, Inc. v. O’Coyne Electric Inc. d/b/a O’Coyne Electric; and Christopher O’Coyne
Plaintiff says the California business is in default of a forward purchase agreement and seeks judgment in the principal amount of $230,607.
Attorneys: Nhon H. Nguyen, Timothy A. Hennigan and Charles D. Waters of Nguyen|Ballato
Filed: 3/15/2023
CL23001963

Kapitus Servicing, Inc. v. Glamour Nails, L.L.C. d/b/a Glamour Nails; and Pun Heng
Plaintiff says the North Chesterfield business is in default of a loan agreement and seeks judgment in the principal amount of $50,396.
Attorneys: Nhon H. Nguyen and Charles D. Waters of Nguyen|Ballato
Filed: 3/15/2023
CL23001967

Kapitus Servicing, Inc. v. Nassau Health Consultants Corp. d/b/a Medi Weightloss Garden City; and Jay Shayevitz
Plaintiff says the New York business is in default of a forward purchase agreement and seeks judgment in the principal amount of $130,442.
Attorneys: Nhon H. Nguyen, Timothy A. Hennigan and Charles D. Waters of Nguyen|Ballato
Filed: 3/15/2023
CL23001970

Kapitus Servicing, Inc. v. Mechanical Star Systems, Inc. d/b/a Mechanical Star Systems; and Cesar Zepeda
Plaintiff says the Texas business is in default of a forward purchase agreement and seeks judgment in the principal amount of $136,935.
Attorneys: Nhon H. Nguyen, Timothy A. Hennigan and Charles D. Waters of Nguyen|Ballato
Filed: 3/15/2023
CL23001971

Kapitus Servicing, Inc. v. MIV Kitchen and Bath Corp. d/b/a MIV Kitchen and Bath; and Guan Zhao Hu
Plaintiff says the New York business is in default of a forward purchase agreement and seeks judgment in the principal amount of $164,633.50.
Attorneys: Nhon H. Nguyen, Timothy A. Hennigan and Charles D. Waters of Nguyen|Ballato
Filed: 3/15/2023
CL23001973

Richmond Circuit Court

Kapitus Servicing, Inc. v. Franklin Concrete, LLC d/b/a Franklin Concrete; and Elizabeth Campbell-Franklin
Plaintiff says the Denver business is in default of a forward purchase agreement and seeks judgment in the principal amount of $123,203.
Attorneys: Nhon H. Nguyen, Timothy A. Hennigan and Charles D. Waters of Nguyen|Ballato
Filed: 3/13/2023
CL23001176

Kapitus Servicing, Inc. v. Adnan Shariff Inc. d/b/a Florida Foot Specialist; and Adnan Shariff
Plaintiff says the Florida business is in default of a forward purchase agreement and seeks judgment in the principal amount of $157,816.
Attorneys: Nhon H. Nguyen and Charles D. Waters of Nguyen|Ballato
Filed: 3/13/2023
CL23001177

William A. Broscious, as liquidating trustee for Richmond Rocket Auto Sales, LLC v. City Wide Auto & Truck Sales, LLC; David Lynn; and Eric St. Clair Clarke
Plaintiff says City Wide and Lynn wrongfully assume or exercised the right of ownership over Richmond Rocket’s property, including but not limited to office and repair shop equipment, real estate fixtures and improvements, and a fully operational auto dealership and repair shop, and that City Wide and Lynn took a motorcycle to which Richmond Rocket held title and gave it to Clarke. Plaintiff seeks judgment of no less than $1 million, and an order that Clarke return the motorcycle.
Attorneys: Vernon E. Inge Jr. and Patrick D. Houston of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston
Filed: 3/9/2023
CL23001251

Sylvia Eubanks and Larock N. Inc. v. Homemades by Suzanne, Inc.; The John Marshall Ballrooms; and John Marshall Catering, Inc.
Plaintiffs say defendants agreed to provide a venue and services for an event to be held on Nov. 13, 2022, for a total price of $35,633.92, and they held ongoing written communications by electronic mail with defendant’s agent Maria Hall at the business address from Aug. 8 to Oct. 31, 2022, and per terms of the contract, on Oct. 28 sent a wire transfer to Hall, at the same email address, for the full amount and received a confirmation. Plaintiffs say owner Suzanne S. Wolstenholme received a copy of the emails, but defendants failed to secure their account from fraud, and the money was wired to an unknown individual. Plaintiffs says defendants refused to credit them, and forced them to pay $35,033.92 a second time in order to hold the event, which was just three weeks away. Plaintiffs seek judgment of $35,033.92.
Attorneys: Pietro F. Sanitate and Katherine M. Lennon of Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black
Filed: 3/10/2023
CL23001307

Daphne D. Field and Jennifer D. Inchausti, personal representatives and co-executors of the estate of Allen D. Wykle; Daphne D. Field; Jennifer D. Inchausti; and Allen D. Wykle v. Office Depot, Inc.; Harper Associates, LLC; Chipp North 9, LLC; The Buckman Group LTD, LLC a/k/a Brightview Landscape Services, Inc.; John Doe 1; John Doe 2; and Jane Doe
Plaintiffs say because of the negligence of defendants, on/about Feb. 15, 2016, at 7101-A Forest Hill Ave., decedent slipped on ice build-up near the front door, sustaining significant injuries to his head, neck and back, and leading to permanent disability and his death on/about March 22, 2022. Plaintiffs seek judgment of $20 million.
Attorneys: Elliott B. Bender of Bender Law Group; and David C. Reinhardt of Reinhardt Vandenbrook
Filed: 3/13/2023
CL23001316

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The interior of an existing Psycho Bunny store. The men’s clothing company plans to open a new store at Short Pump Town Center in summer 2023. (Photo courtesy of Psycho Bunny)

A men’s clothing brand that already has a presence in local department stores has a shop of its own in the works at Short Pump Town Center.

Psycho Bunny, which sells polo shirts, hoodies, pants and other clothing that feature rabbit-skull-and-crossbones motifs, is planning to open in the mall in late June or early July, according to a company spokeswoman.

The upcoming store is planned to be the company’s first in the Richmond region, though Psycho Bunny attire can currently be purchased locally from the Dillard’s stores at the Short Pump mall and Stony Point Fashion Park, per the Psycho Bunny website.

The new Short Pump outpost would open in suite 1044, a 1,600-square-foot space that’s currently occupied by women clothing chain Francesca’s. The space is on the mall’s ground-level, across from Pottery Barn and next to skincare retailer L’Occitane and near the upcoming Vineyard Vines.

It’s unclear whether Francesca’s is planning to relocate to another space in the mall, relocate elsewhere in the region or close down entirely. The company didn’t respond to emails seeking comment earlier this week, but its Short Pump store was open as of Tuesday.

Suite 1044 at Short Pump Town Center. (Jack Jacobs photo)

Psycho Bunny originally launched in 2005 in New York as an online retailer. It’s currently headquartered in Montreal, Canada, and has an office in New York City.

In October 2018, the company opened its first pop-up store in a Miami, Florida, mall and Psycho Bunny opened a permanent location there in April 2019.

The company currently has more than 60 stores in the United States and Canada. Psycho Bunny opened its first store in Virginia at the Town Center of Virginia Beach in late February.

Psycho Bunny said it plans to continue to offer its products at the Short Pump and Stony Point Dillard’s after its own local store opens.

“The experience we’ve had thus far opening mono-brand Psycho Bunny stores in markets that have existing wholesale and e-commerce business is that a rising tide lifts all ships and heightened awareness of the brand in a market will benefit all channels and customers,” Psycho Bunny Chief Development Officer Kenny Minzberg said in a prepared statement.

The post Menswear brand Psycho Bunny hopping into Short Pump mall appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

Max’s on Broad opened in 2013. (Mike Platania photo)

A longtime Arts District restaurant is getting ready to undergo a transformation. 

Max’s on Broad at 305 Brook Road is preparing to close as owner RVA Hospitality makes way for a new concept in the space.  

Owner Liz Kincaid said she can’t yet disclose details of what will replace Max’s, but that the evolution of the surrounding neighborhood influenced the decision to shift gears. 

“One of my managers six months ago was like, ‘Did you notice the dining room looks different? These aren’t our old customers,’” Kincaid said. 

Liz Kincaid

“We’d never had so many young people and such a diverse crowd coming in. We were excited about it. The Arts District has just changed. There’s still a lot of people down here, it’s just a different demographic.”

The late Ted Santarella opened Max’s, named for his son, in 2013, offering French and Belgian cuisine served on white tablecloths. It has a raw bar downstairs and its upper level offers views of Broad Street and the Maggie Lena Walker statue at the intersection of Broad and Adams streets. 

RVA Hospitality also owns the nearby Tarrant’s and Bar Solita, as well as Tarrant’s West in western Henrico. Kincaid is the sole owner of the business and rents the Max’s building from Ted’s widow, Frances Santarella, who had previously co-owned the restaurants with Kincaid but exited the business in late 2021. They also previously ran Little Saint in the Museum District but sold it in 2018 to a group that now operates Izzy’s Kitchen.  

Kincaid said she’s aiming to open the new restaurant in Max’s space in late summer. 

“We’re looking at a full renovation inside, it’ll be totally different,” she said. 

Assisting with the branding and design is local firm Campfire & Co., which also helped RVA Hospitality with its conversion of the former Graffiato space into Bar Solita in 2018. 

Kincaid added that she’s working with Max’s current staff to try to place them in jobs at RVA Hospitality’s other restaurants or find work outside the restaurant group. 

Max’s was where Kincaid first became a general manager as she was working her way up in the industry. As she prepares to draw the curtains on the concept, she said there’s a feeling of bittersweetness. 

“I was working here when I got married, so it’s been with me as long as my husband. There’s a lot of memories here with the guests and staff,” she said. “Being part of the Arts District, we have two other restaurants (in the neighborhood), so rather than sell the concept or space, I want to be here and be investing in this area.”

The post Max’s on Broad restaurant to close, make way for new concept appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

The four- and five-story building is planned to house 252 apartments. (Jonathan Spiers photos)

As work starts across the street on a massive mixed-use development at the Spring Rock Green shopping center site, new construction at the further-along Stonebridge development is likewise turning heads along Midlothian Turnpike and Chippenham Parkway.

Framing is underway for Aura Stonebridge, a 252-unit apartment building by Dallas-based developer Trinsic Residential Group. The four- and five-story structure is taking shape between the Kroger grocery store and the three-building Element at Stonebridge apartments.

Planned to total 268,500 square feet, the Aura building is filling a 4-acre parcel that Trinsic purchased through an LLC last July. Chesterfield property records show the LLC paid $5.54 million for the parcel at 311 Karl Linn Drive.

The county had assessed the property last year at $1.4 million. It’s currently assessed at $4.6 million.

The seller was an LLC tied to Boyd Homes, the Virginia Beach-based firm that developed Element at Stonebridge and had positioned the parcel for a second phase of apartments. It sold the 400-unit complex last August to Florida-based American Landmark Apartments in a $96 million loan assumption deal.

The building is planned to total 268,500 square feet.

The Aura project appears to be the first in the region for Trinsic, which focuses on multifamily residential developments. The company’s website lists Aura as its only project in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Beyond its home state of Texas, Trinsic also is active in Arizona, Colorado, Florida and the Carolinas, where it’s currently building other Aura-branded developments in Chapel Hill and Durham. Its website says it controls more than 20,000 units valued at more than $4 billion.

Attempts to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful. A message left on the company’s corporate office number Friday and an email to its regional director were not returned.

The company’s website does not list monthly rents for Aura Stonebridge, which will consist of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Surface parking totaling 274 spaces will surround the building, which will include air-conditioned corridors and elevators. Planned amenities include a pool, fitness and business centers and a clubroom.

A rendering of the Aura Stonebridge building. (Image courtesy Trinsic Residential Group)

Aura is scheduled for completion by mid-2024. Utah-based Colt Builders is constructing the project, which was designed by Glen Allen-based Poole & Poole Architecture. Chesterfield-based Timmons Group is the engineer and landscape architect.

Aura’s construction coincides with the demolition this week of the Spring Rock Green shopping center across Midlothian Turnpike, where Chesterfield County is spearheading a massive mixed-use development called Springline at District 60. The District 60 branding for the area will also include Stonebridge and the nearby Boulders office park.

Also in the works for Stonebridge is Shamin Hotels’ plan for a mixed-use development to include a 250-room Embassy Suites hotel and conference center, 300 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space that could include a brewery. Shamin CEO Neil Amin said the project is in the site plan review stage and has been revised a few times based on feedback from county planning staff.

The Shamin development would fill the vacant 14-acre parcel between the Firestone service center and Richmond Volleyball Club’s Stonebridge facility. Amin said a timeframe for the project is contingent on plan approval.

Another project in the pipeline is Starview Village, a mixed-use development planned to fill 110 acres generally south of Stonebridge with 1,250 residential units that would share buildings with lower-level office and retail spaces.

Zoning for that project was approved in 2020. A construction schedule has yet to be announced. A 2022 marketing flier for Stonebridge from Taylor Long Properties listed 2024 as an estimated groundbreaking date for Starview Village.

The post Fourth apartment building rising at Stonebridge appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

Humanitarian Ambassadors of America Community Development Corp. bought 151 acres of the former Royal Virginian Golf Course. (Photos courtesy of Humanitarian Ambassadors of America CDC)

Less than a year after being purchased by a local nonprofit, a portion of a long-dormant Goochland golf course is back up for grabs as the owner rethinks its plans for converting the site into a Covid memorial.

Approximately 150 acres that were once part of Royal Virginian Golf Course were listed for sale last week for $1.8 million.

The seller is Humanitarian Ambassadors of America Community Development Corp., which bought the same acreage in May 2022 for $750,000.

Led by Arlene Simmons, the group’s initial vision for the property included a memorial for those who died from Covid, along with rock gardens, water features, vegetable gardens and agricultural and educational programs. The plan was budgeted to cost $33 million, much of which was to be donated.

But Simmons said this week that her Goochland plans are on hold while her organization deals with the loss of multiple key members due to illnesses and deaths.

Arlene Simmons

“Due to some issues, it’s back on the market as of Friday and we are exploring options as far as the property is concerned,” Simmons said. “We’ve put everything on hold right now.

Simmons said the listing doesn’t necessarily spell the end of the memorial project altogether, as it may take shape in another location elsewhere in the region. She said they are looking for a new site for the memorial closer to her group’s headquarters in South Richmond.

“In the meantime we are exploring an alternative (memorial site), something closer to home because we don’t have the manpower now to be able to do this in Goochland,” she said.

Simmons’ nonprofit has been around for 25 years. She describes the group as community advocates doing work related to issues of health, crime and homelessness. She said the group helped relocate the homeless after the closure of the so-called “Tent City” in the city of Richmond during the pandemic. The group also accepts and distributes in-kind donations for larger nonprofits during instances of disaster or trauma.

The idea for a Covid memorial came to her after several of her relatives died after being stricken with the virus, and also volunteering as a hospice counselor for Covid patients and their families.

With the vision for the memorial in her mind, she then set out to find a tranquil setting somewhere in the region. She found just that at the old golf course that’s been mostly reclaimed by nature.

Hole markers still remain on the old course. (BizSense file)

The Royal Virginian course fell into foreclosure in 2011 and sold for $525,000, before being purchased by an entity tied to Charlotteville businessman Justin Beights in 2018 for $750,000. Beights then shuttered the course and has since floated uses for the pastoral property, including planting trees for conservation tax credits and creating substance abuse recovery homes near a pond on the site.

Beights still owns the course’s remaining 107 acres, which sits across Royal Virginian Parkway from Simmons’ portion.

A message left for Beights this week was not returned.

Simmons said her efforts in Goochland went as far as holding an honorary groundbreaking last year, doing minor clearing and renovations at the course’s old clubhouse, and meeting with county administrators last month.

Simmons’ group is represented in the sale by Stephanie Taylor of EXP Realty, who also handled the group’s purchase of the land.

“We’re asking people to bring any options to the table,” Simmons said.

“We remain excited about honoring those who have lost their lives to Covid and to health challenges and those that are grieving. And just doing everything that will strengthen people’s outlook on health and the daily challenges.”

The post Part of old Goochland golf course back up for sale as proposed Covid memorial is put on hold appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

The 18-acre estate overlooks Rivergate Lake. (Photos courtesy CVRMLS)

The house that Circuit City and CarMax built is hitting the market this week, with one of the heftier residential price tags seen in the region in years.

Sherry Sharp, the widow of the late Circuit City CEO and CarMax founder Rick Sharp, is putting their lakefront estate in Goochland’s Rivergate community up for sale with an asking price of $9.5 million.

Anchored by a 21,000-square-foot mansion, the 18-acre estate at 501 Rivergate Drive is scheduled to be listed this Thursday, nearly a week after it was entered as a “coming soon” property in the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service.

Sharp is listing the property with Scott Ruth and Scott Shaheen of Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate. They said Sharp is remaining local but would not discuss her plans further.

The main house totals 21,000 square feet.

Ruth and Shaheen noted the mansion’s size in discussing the listing, which they said came to them through longtime family friendships with the Sharps.

“As you can see by the square-footage, she’s ready to make some change in her life,” Ruth said.

“She’s been there eight years since Richard passed away,” added Shaheen, referring to Rick Sharp’s death in 2014, four years after the 67-year-old was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Sherry has since led the Rick Sharp Alzheimer’s Foundation, which according to its website has raised more than $2 million for Alzheimer’s research.

The late Rick Sharp, who died in 2014. (BizSense file)

The Sharps built the estate as the centerpiece of Rivergate, which Rick Sharp developed with Realty Ventures Group. The gated community is between River Road and Patterson Avenue just south of West Creek.

The Sharps moved to the estate from nearby Mooreland Farms, where they previously built a 9,000-square-foot house at 201 Cyril Lane that they sold in 2002 for $985,000. Rick Sharp retired in 2000 from Circuit City, the now-defunct electronics retailer. He retired as board chairman of CarMax in 2007.

Totaling 25,000 square feet of space across multiple buildings, the Rivergate listing includes the primary 16-acre parcel and an adjoining 2-acre buildable lot at 495 Rivergate Drive. Goochland County has assessed the two parcels at $5.5 million combined.

The listing does not include another 2-acre parcel that’s been improved and is owned by the same entity, RLS Rivergate LLC. Larger parcels flanking the estate are currently home to or have been owned by other members of the Sharp family.

Ruth and Shaheen said the estate took four years to build, with local builder Jake Tucker performing the work. The main house was completed in 2000 and totals eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms and six half-baths.

The property includes terraces overlooking the lake, a pool and a detached basketball gym.

The 2½-story house has 11 fireplaces and a finished basement with a golf simulator room, a movie room and an exercise room with sauna and steam room. A guest suite is attached to the house, and an apartment is above a detached two-car garage, which contributes to 11 cars’ worth of garage space overall.

The property also includes a detached basketball gym with bathroom, a pool with pool house, terraces with an outdoor fireplace and lake frontage with a dock and gazebo.

Ruth and Shaheen said by-appointment showings start next Tuesday, March 28. They said they’ve started scheduling appointments and have been fielding inquiries since the property hit MLS on Friday.

“We got three agents that have called to inquire further details and tell us they’re getting in touch with their clients and they’ll be calling us back to schedule,” Shaheen said. He added that interior photos of the mansion would be added to the listing when it becomes active Thursday. John Hancock Productions is handling the photography.

The estate is the centerpiece of the Rivergate community in Goochland.

With few comparable properties in the vicinity, Ruth said the asking price was based on other properties in the market that could be listed in the same price range.

“Even though a lot of homes have not sold at this price point in the Richmond market, there are homes of this size that have just not come onto the market,” Ruth said. “We may be one of the few that have come out at a price at this level, but there’s a lot of homes in the Richmond market that would equal this price point; they just haven’t come to market.”

As the centerpiece of Rivergate, Ruth described the estate as a testament to Rick Sharp’s vision for the neighborhood.

“It was always Rick’s vision to develop Rivergate,” he said. “He built everything there, he designed the lake. He designed everything out there to give it a very private setting with a gated community. I think it’s something that he’d been very proud of, based on how long they’ve lived there.”

At $9.5 million, the listing is the priciest in the Richmond area since 2019, when the 261-acre Glen Roy estate hit the market at $9.9 million. The River Road estate, about two miles east of Rivergate, ended up selling for $10 million.

The post Sharp family estate coming to market with $9M price tag appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

The new restaurant opened above Switch Pop-Up Bar in the Arts District. (Mike Platania photos)

A new arrival to the Arts District’s dining scene is offering up Asian flavors with a rock-and-roll vibe. 

Wok This Way recently opened at 13 W. Broad St. in Monroe Ward. The Asian street food restaurant is in Switch Pop-Up Bar’s upstairs space.

Switch, which has been open since 2019, continues to operate in the building’s basement. 

Behind Wok This Way is Trey Owens, co-owner of Soul Taco and JewFro, and LX Group, which operates Switch and Nama Indian restaurant next door, as well as downtown’s Kabana Rooftop and Botanya in Carytown.

Soul Taco took over the food operations at Kabana in 2020.While that arrangement has ended, Owens said that deal helped set the stage for Wok This Way. 

Trey Owens

Named after Run D.M.C. and Aerosmith’s 1986 hit song Walk This Way, Wok This Way features rock-and-roll homages aplenty in its decor and menu, with items like Back in Black Pepper Beef Stir Fry and Sweet Child of Thai Pad Thai. 

“We want it to be fun and approachable, not stuffed-shirt or highbrow,” Owens said. “Anyone can come in, hear rock and roll music and see some flavors you’re used to, and be introduced to some others.”

Owens said he set out to create a menu that combined dishes from different cultures, something he’d helped do with JewFro, which combines Jewish and African food, and Soul Taco, which combines Southern and Latin food. 

“Any culture that uses a wok is or will be represented (at Wok This Way),” Owens said. “Wok This Way is pretty much my foray into all these different cuisines.”

Most of the entrees on Wok This Way’s menu are around $16. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 4 to 9:30 p.m. 

Wok This Way offers dishes from a variety of Asian cuisines.

Though he still has a stake in Soul Taco and JewFro, Owens said he’s mostly not involved with the day-to-day operations there, nor is he involved in Sear Burger, which had been a pop-up in Soul Taco’s Jackson Ward location and went permanent earlier this year, per a Style Weekly report. 

Owens said he’s instead focusing on Wok This Way, as well as a food hall he’s working on in Petersburg. He said he hopes to be able to disclose details on that project soon. 

The post Asian-style restaurant Wok this Way opens on Broad St. appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

Email submissions to TheHerd@RichmondBizSense.com

Departures

Haskell C. Brown III, Richmond’s city attorney, has retired.

Law

Elizabeth “Liz” Coleman has joined Sands Anderson as talent acquisition manager. She has degrees from Virginia Tech and Regent University.

Mayesha Alam has joined Hancock Daniel as an associate with the corporate team.

Real Estate

Jim Ransone and Donna Ransone have joined the Grove office of Long & Foster Real Estate.

Joining Shaheen Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate:

Greer Jones is an associate broker.

Chloe Iacob is a Realtor.

Joining Keeping Current Matters:

Caitlin Hesse is a marketing coordinator.

Shannon Johnson is director of brand management.

Bennett Morrow is senior video marketing specialist.

Finance

Tyler Finney has joined the Stoever & Palmore Investment Group as a vice president.

Housing

Stephanie Flanders has been promoted to director of tax credit programs at Virginia Housing in the rental housing division.

Consulting

Susan Dawson has been promoted to practice leader for talent consulting at Top Line Growth Partners.

Education

Trustees joining the John Randolph Foundation: Derrick A. Johnson with Timmons Group; Hal B. Miles Sr.; Luis Pedraza with Luca Italian Restaurant and Morelia Mexican Restaurant in Prince George; and Dana L. Rieves.

Insurance

Joining Kinsale Insurance Co.:

Julianne Bieron is an associate underwriter – allied health.

Wayne Brockwell is a claims counsel.

Seth Vance is an associate developer – IT development.

Amaia Moxon and Josh Foster are associate underwriters – commercial property.

Matthew Washburn is an associate underwriter – professional liability.
.
Thomas Reed is an actuary assistant.

Julie Behne is an IT director – IT data.

Grant Zabicki is a claims services assistant.

Ruevon Bester is a desktop team lead – IT infrastructure.

Cole Mansfield is an associate underwriter – commercial auto.

Jessica Marks is an associate underwriter – small business.

Marketing/Advertising/PR

Zinie Sampson joined Infinite Global as vice president. She is a graduate of Ohio State University.

Erin Bishop has joined Brand Federation. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia.

Joining The Hodges Partnership:

Jack Gorman is an account director.

Amanda Christian is an account executive.

Alejandro Leon is an account coordinator.

Construction

Lisa Mitchell is a project administrator with Emerald Construction.

The post The Herd: New hires, promotions & departures for 3.21.23 appeared first on Richmond BizSense.

A rendering of the planned Springline at District 60 mixed-use development in Chesterfield County. The development will be built on the site of Spring Rock Green shopping center. (Courtesy of Chesterfield County)

The redevelopment of an aging shopping center in Chesterfield is set to hit its first major milestone.

County officials plan to hold a ceremony today (Tuesday) to mark the start of demolition of the Spring Rock Green shopping center on Midlothian Turnpike. The site is being cleared to make way for Springline at District 60, which is the newly unveiled name for the massive mixed-use development planned to fill the property.

The District 60 brand, named for Route 60 (Midlothian Turnpike) which runs through the area, will include Springline, the Stonebridge development across the street and the nearby Boulders office park.

The creation of the District 60 brand is aimed at building a stronger sense of place and establish the area at the interchange of Chippenham Parkway and Midlothian Turnpike as a destination in its own right, said Chesterfield Economic Development Director Garrett Hart.

“We’re making it a place with a name, a place to go to and not to go through,” he said.

The first phase of Springline is planned to feature a six-story, mixed-use building; a 150,000-square-foot office building; a sports tournament and entertainment venue; and a “festival-like” common area, according to a county news release.

Connecticut-based Collins Enterprises has been tapped to develop the mixed-use building that’s part of phase one. The $85 million building is planned to include 300 apartments and structured parking along with 27,000 square feet of commercial space. Collins is expected to purchase its portion of the project site, though that deal had not yet been reflected in county records online as of Monday.

The class-A office building to be built in the first phase is anticipated to cost about $50 million. Hart declined to identify the developer of the office portion of the phase.

Construction on the mixed-use and office buildings is expected to start in May or June, Hart said.

Demolition work at Spring Rock Green shopping center in a photo dated March 15, 2023. (Courtesy of Chesterfield County)

Demolition of the center’s main commercial strip was expected to start today (Tuesday). Demolition work on the site’s parking lot was already underway as of mid-March. The center’s Midlothian Turnpike-fronting outparcels occupied by businesses like Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill aren’t part of the project and will remain intact.

Beyond the first phase, the overall vision for Springline includes more than 1,000 apartments and 100-plus townhomes, 300,000 square feet of office space and 125,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, as well as a police station. An extended-stay hotel with 100-120 rooms is also part of the plan.

The sports venue is planned to feature two NHL-sized ice rinks. That portion of the project would be developed by the Chesterfield EDA. Hart declined to name the planned operator, which would enter into a lease-to-own arrangement with Chesterfield for the facility.

Chesterfield currently expects to spend between $24 million and $44 million to build the sports venue, Hart said. A construction timeline hasn’t yet been determined.

The Springline project includes plans for a road connection between the mixed-use development and the Boulders office park.

The Chesterfield EDA bought the 42-acre project site for $16 million in 2021. The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors voted in April 2022 to rezone the Spring Rock Green property for the planned development.

A 2023 master plan of the Springline at District 60 mixed-use development in Chesterfield County. (Courtesy Chesterfield County)

The Springline name is a reference to the nearby Beaufont Springs, which served as a source of water and then as a recreational space in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In 1895, James Robertson bought the spring, and his Beaufont Lithia Springs Co. sold water extracted from the spring both locally as well as in D.C., New York and Philadelphia, according to a county-provided history of the site.

Robertson sold the property in 1916 to Frederick Sitterding, who used the spring’s water in carbonated beverages in addition to bottled water, and added a brewery to the site. Water-bottling operations came to an end in 1940 due to improvements in water treatment technology.

In the 1950s, the Sitterding family built a recreation and picnic area on the property. The historic spring house is still at the spring, which is next to the offices of the Boulders park.

Atlanta-based architecture firm Cooper Carry created the master plan for Springline and created the branding for the development and area.

The post Chesterfield to begin demolition of Spring Rock Green ahead of ‘District 60’ redevelopment appeared first on Richmond BizSense.