Economy
The Transient Occupancy Tax, typically paid by hotels, motels and tourists homes, may soon impact unincorporated areas like El Sobrante, Kensington and North Richmond, where there are no existing restrictions on short-term rentals, or the rules are not enforced.
Hilltop Mall is in limbo, suspended somewhere between the bustling commercial and social center it once was and the vision of what it could become.
Wendell Pierce and his real estate partnership are planning to invest in Downtown Richmond. They are working with local developers to provide housing units and 70,000 square feet of retail space.
Local businesses and organizations are stepping up to help those affected by the North Bay fires by collecting donations of food, water, and other supplies.
Richmond residents and small businesses are dismayed by the planned closure of the Main Post Office. Mayor Tom Butt hopes the city can keep it open by purchasing the property.
The state housing bills signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 29 have created optimism in Contra Costa County, but affordable-housing advocates see them as just the start of a long process.
As Bay Area traffic increases, many Richmond residents are excited by the new ferry terminal project while others wonder how the anticipated economic development will impact the future of the city.
Richmond city council to discuss following Berkeley and Oakland’s lead in establishing the Bay Area’s first public bank.
Members of a citizens-oversight committee questioned how the West Contra Costa school district uses bond money to construct or improve school facilities. They raised concerns about the district over-spending its budget and draining funds slated for future projects.