Richmond wants to add cannabis retail permits, doubling the number of permitted dispensaries from three to six. On Tuesday, the City Council will hold a public hearing on making the change possible, by amending the Richmond Municipal Code. The city staff says existing retailers are making significant revenue, even in the face of increased competition. But those in the business say sales have been declining post-pandemic. And some advocacy groups feel there is a health risk in increasing the number…
Twenty years ago, the Hilltop Mall was the place to be in Richmond. It was a bustling shopping area full of life, and around this time of the year, it would have been extra busy with holiday shoppers. Today, the mall is vacant and isolated, stores are empty and dark, with only Walmart open. But Hilltop’s owner says the site has a promising future providing three things Richmond needs: employment opportunities, retail space and mixed-use housing. Prologis, an industrial real…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Have you seriously considered leaving Contra Costa County? “All the time. A lot of different reasons, the cost of living is a lot more expensive than other places in the U.S., like what you get for the money. I am concerned when I have a family and kids that I won’t be…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: What is your favorite Richmond or Contra Costa County park, and why? “I spend most time at Wild Cat Canyon. Catch turtles, catch animals. ride my bike through the trail. I like it compared to many other parks in Richmond because at least that park has bears and wild lives. It actually…
Leftside Printing survived COVID-19, the Great Recession and the decline of print, and yet it is still here. A colorful shop on 15th Street and MacDonald Avenue, it has an unfamiliar smell of ink and a humming noise coming from the printing machines. “I started Leftside to change my life and my community,” Diego Garcia, Leftside CEO, said. “Things have been difficult, but here we are.” While the general consensus might be that screen printing is dead, Leftside has not…
More than 400 Kaiser Permanente health care workers at Richmond Medical Center are on Day 2 of the strike that is expected to end at 6 a.m. Saturday. Holding signs that said “Respect and value healthcare workers” and “Our patients need more staff,” they marched in a circle around the building in 90-degree heat, chanting “We are union, health care union.” Car horns honked and passersby cheered for the workers, who went on strike Wednesday demanding that Kaiser hire more…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity Q: Should Richmond City Council return to holding meetings only in person? “It’s a tough question, just because people can’t be exposed to COVID. It’s a good thing to have social settings, but maybe if there’s different ways to hold these meetings, that would be best.” (Angelica Zambrano, social media manager, pictured at…