Business

Measure U passes, but businesses remain divided

The change in the tax code could increase the city’s revenues by nearly $6 million dollars, according to a financial analysis by the city attorney. The city, according to a finance department presentation from October 6, is currently operating on a $6 million deficit.

No TOPA bill for Richmond, Council holds

Richmond’s City Council on Tuesday halted the drafting of a rule that would have required landlords to offer local tenants the first opportunity to buy their homes before they are put on the market or demolished.

CoBiz workspace celebrates grand opening with celebrity, locals

CoBiz, a new 9,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art co-working space and business incubator opened its doors November 6 at 1503 Macdonald Ave., in the latest effort to boost the prospects of entrepreneurs and revitalize Richmond’s downtown. Strategically located next to the Richmond BART and Amtrak station, a hub for 8,000 daily commuters, CoBiz is the third project to be funded under Chevron Corp.’s eQuip Richmond Initiative, a $10 million investment program offered by the energy company as a pathway to economic self-sufficiency…

Richmond event gives female entrepreneurs advice on funding their businesses

Female entrepreneurs from across the Bay Area came to Richmond to attend “Finance Your Business! for Women Entrepreneurs,” free evening workshop on October 28. The event was hosted by the Richmond Main Street Initiative in partnership with the Mission Economic Develop Agency (MEDA), a San Francisco-based organization which helps provide resources for low-to-moderate income families, particularly Latinos, in the Bay Area. Representatives from Wells Fargo Bank, the City of Richmond, Pacific Community Ventures, San Pablo Economic Development Corporation, the nonprofit…

California backs Council, developer preference for Zeneca cleanup plan

California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) on Friday announced its selection of a cleanup plan for one of Richmond’s most notorious brownfields: an industrial site located on the city’s south shoreline, once occupied by a succession of corporate tenants including Stauffer Chemical Co. and pharmaceutical company Zeneca Inc. The plan will excavate contaminated soil and install barriers in areas where tainted soil will be left in place. It would take about eight fewer years to implement and involve tens…