Economy

City’s economic future takes center stage at summit

Business owners, entrepreneurs and city leaders crowded the floor of the Civic Center Memorial Auditorium Tuesday morning to swap business cards, study up on market trends and discuss Richmond’s economic future–one that’s looking bright, if you ask organizers of the city’s second annual economic summit. The event, presented by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, featured a half-day series of workshops, mostly tailored for small- and medium-sized businesses, ranging in topics from company branding to business loans. But the summit’s overarching…

Economic summit to spotlight Richmond’s future

Business owners, investors and local leaders will gather to network and talk through local retail trends, marketing technologies, and the possibility of a game-changing lab coming to Richmond at the second annual Economic Summit on Tuesday at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium.

A festival for the soul of Richmond

When Amanda Elliott, the executive director of the Richmond Main Street Initiative, describes the menu for the upcoming Spirit and Soul Festival, she scoots to the edge of her seat and flashes a smile. “There’s greens,” she says, “smoked-baked chicken, red beans and rice, and cornbread.” The caterer calls it “healthy soul food,” Elliott says, and it’s a fitting menu for a fundraiser dedicated to the health and soul of downtown Richmond. On Saturday, Sept. 17, the third annual Spirit…

Chevron offers a glimpse inside

Chevron’s Richmond Refinery will open its gates to the public Saturday morning, during its second annual Community Tour Day. Over 500 people from Richmond and surrounding cities have signed up to tour the refinery, an event that Chevron officials hope will help demystify its operations. “People have a lot of misinformation about the refinery, and are not sure about what happens behind the gates,” said Chevron spokesperson Melissa Ritchie. “We want them to know what’s happening here.” Local residents had…

Mayor, police chief pledge tougher stance on blight and banks

Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Police Chief Chris Magnus pledged Tuesday to crack down on any banks that are neglecting foreclosed properties in the city. And they said they’ll push harder to enforce a city ordinance that fines banks $1,000 a day for vacant properties with code violations. At a meeting at the Nevin Community Center, Magnus said empty, foreclosed houses have become havens for crime and that the banks and mortgage companies that own them are deliberately obscuring their…

Green economy means greenbacks for RichmondBUILD graduates

Sixty-six graduates of the RichmondBUILD Green Careers Academy were awarded certificates of completion Friday morning at their training facility on 23rd Street. The green academy trains residents in energy-efficient home construction, hybrid automotive technologies, solar installation and environmental literacy