Richmond, VA local news

Shenandoah Mansions hotel secures ABC license in Richmond

Richmond Rule Changes Nearly 6 Years in Development

Shenandoah Mansions will open for guests on Dec. 31, 2026, and reservations opened Nov. 5, Ash Hotels said. The 73-room boutique hotel at 501 N. Allen Ave. in the Fan District has been in the works since 2021.

Why it matters: The opening adds 73 hotel rooms and three restaurants to the Fan District, with reservations already open.

The Collective Cup receives Virginia ABC restaurant license

Richmond Rule Changes 10 days

The Collective Cup, a coffee shop in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom, received a Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control restaurant license on November 5, 2026. The license allows the cafe to serve beer, wine, and mixed drinks on premises.

Why it matters: The license lets a mission-driven cafe sell alcohol, potentially boosting funding for recovery housing in Richmond.

Richmond contract for water treatment plant sewer improvements takes effect

Richmond Built World 390-day performance term

Richmond has a $3.4 million contract in place for sanitary sewer improvements at its water treatment plant. The term began Oct. 20, 2026, and runs to Oct. 25, 2028.

Why it matters: The contract sets the price and 390-day performance window for replacing sewage pumping and force main equipment at Richmond's water treatment plant.

Richmond signs $3 million sole-source contract for gas measurement equipment

Richmond Built World Two-Year Contract

Richmond's Department of Public Utilities holds a new two-year, $3 million contract with Ed Young Sales Company. The city's contract register lists it as a sole-source purchase of EC350 pressure, temperature and cloud-link units, effective October 14, 2026 through October 13, 2028.

Why it matters: A $3 million no-bid purchase shows how specialized gas equipment gets bought: through regional reps who control access to a handful of manufacturers.

Richmond starts a two-year, $10 million utilities contract with Jacobs

Richmond Built World Two-year contract term

Richmond, Virginia's contract register lists a two-year, $10.0 million deal with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. for the Department of Public Utilities. The term runs from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2028.

Why it matters: A $10 million, two-year utilities contract is set to run in Richmond, and the public register does not say what the city is buying.

Richmond's $10 million Arcadis utility contract starts in January

Richmond Built World 24-Month Contract Term

Richmond's contract register lists a two-year, $10 million agreement with Arcadis U.S. Inc. for the Department of Public Utilities. The term runs from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2028, and the city chose Arcadis through a request for proposals, the route used when officials want a proposed approach rather than a fixed price list.

Why it matters: Richmond ratepayers are on the hook for up to $10 million over two years, and the public register does not say what the work is.

House of Diemonds LLC receives Richmond restaurant liquor license

Richmond Rule Changes Single licensing record, October 2026

Virginia's Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority issued a restaurant liquor license to House of Diemonds LLC on October 16. The license names 2030 Chamberlayne Ave in Richmond as the location.

Why it matters: The license registers a restaurant operation at 2030 Chamberlayne Ave; opening depends on approvals the record does not show.

Virginia gets $9.9 million to expand 988 crisis line capacity

Richmond Money Moves 4 Years, 3 Months of Crisis-Line Buildout

Texts to Virginia's 988 crisis line grew 470% between July 2022 and June 2026; calls rose 205% and chats 82%. The $9.9 million federal grant meant to absorb that growth was scheduled to start September 30, paying for more counselors and for follow-up that connects a crisis contact to ongoing care.

Why it matters: A 988 call only helps if a counselor answers fast and there is somewhere safe to send the person next.

Richmond starts on-call traffic signal contract with Lumin8 Transportation

Richmond Built World Municipal procurement cycle, one year into a potential five-year term

Richmond has a new on-call contractor for traffic signal work. Effective Sept 8, 2026, Lumin8 Transportation Technologies LLC holds a $1.3 million indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract from the city's Public Works department, with four one-year renewal options.

Why it matters: A private-equity-owned firm now handles Richmond's on-call traffic signal work, under a contract registered at $1.3 million with up to four one-year renewals.

Virginia ABC issues licence to Winners Sports Bar at 1313 Hull St

Richmond Rule Changes Single licence issuance

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority issued a restaurant-with-caterer licence to Winners Sports Bar at 1313 Hull St in Richmond on October 22, 2026. The record is one approval in a multi-step process; it does not confirm the business is open or has every permit it needs.

Why it matters: A new alcohol licence is a signal that a sports bar is moving toward operation, but it is not proof of opening.

Virginia issues special events liquor license to The FirePit in Richmond

Richmond Rule Changes Five days since approval

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority issued a special events facility license to The FirePit at 1617 W Broad St in Richmond on October 16, 2026. The record is a single approval, one of several the venue would need before it can serve alcohol.

Why it matters: A special events liquor license at 1617 W Broad lets a new operator serve alcohol in a building now used for faith gatherings, signaling a possible shift in the space's use.

James River Insurance files layoff notice in Richmond

Richmond Money Moves 60-day advance notice

James River Insurance filed notice with Virginia's workforce agency on October 1 to lay off 19 workers at its Richmond office. The layoff is set for November 30, 2026.

Why it matters: Nineteen Richmond jobs end November 30 as the insurer sheds fronting business and cuts expenses.

Passion Fruit Prime receives Virginia liquor licence for Richmond steakhouse

Richmond Built World In Development

Passion Fruit Prime, an Afro-Caribbean steakhouse, received a Virginia liquor licence on October 10, 2026. The restaurant's website says it plans to open at 111 Virginia St in Richmond, in the former Morton's steakhouse space, in 2026.

Why it matters: The licence moves Passion Fruit Prime closer to opening, giving Richmond diners a new Afro-Caribbean steakhouse option.

Chesterfield County Airport lands $4.9M federal grant to extend runway

Richmond Built World Ongoing expansion

Chesterfield County Airport has secured $4.9 million in federal funding to extend runway 15/33 by 800 feet. The Federal Aviation Administration awarded the money in mid-September 2026 as part of a $1.1 billion nationwide airport grant package, covering part of Phase 7 of the airport's expansion.

Why it matters: A longer runway means more aircraft can use Chesterfield County Airport, supporting business travel and the Richmond region's economy.

Richmond signs $1.6 million contract for Whitcomb Community Park first phase

Richmond Built World 9-month construction contract

The City of Richmond has hired Webb Development LLC to build the first phase of Whitcomb Community Park, a $1.6 million project that adds basketball courts, a walking trail, and green infrastructure. The contract took effect September 29 and runs through July 12, 2027.

Why it matters: This first phase unlocks a neighborhood park residents have helped design for three years, with new basketball courts, a walking trail, and stormwater improvements that address local flooding.

Richmond signs $4.7M Verizon contract through Fairfax County cooperative agreement

Richmond Money Moves 60-Month Contract

Richmond's city government now pays Verizon $78,492 a month for wireless voice and data. The 60-month contract, worth $4.7 million, took effect September 29.

Why it matters: Cooperative contracts let Richmond skip its own bid but bind the city to $4.7 million in Verizon payments over five years.

Richmond awards $8.3 million contract for Forest Hill sewer phase 3

Richmond Built World Multi-year sewer replacement

Richmond's Department of Public Utilities has signed an $8.3 million contract with Tidewater Utility Construction to replace sewer laterals along Forest Hill Avenue. It is the third phase of a multi-year project that began after a sewer line collapsed under the road in 2021.

Why it matters: Residents and businesses on Forest Hill Avenue face another year of construction noise and traffic disruption as the city replaces aging sewer lines.

Richmond council approves shelter, family crisis and opioid fund amendments

Richmond Money Moves FY2027 budget amendment cycle

Richmond's City Council has approved roughly $1.6 million in budget adjustments that keep the city's winter shelter running and take in new opioid settlement money. On Sept. 28, after a public hearing, the council adopted ordinances giving CARITAS $844,143 for its surge overflow shelter and warming center and moving $100,000 to ACTS to run the Family Crisis Fund. On Oct. 13 it adopted a third, accepting $614,406 in opioid settlement funds.

Why it matters: The adopted funds keep Richmond's winter shelter beds open this season and bring new opioid settlement money into the city budget.

Asado Wing & Taco Co. secures state liquor license for W Broad St

Richmond Money Moves Opening in progress

A new wings-and-tacos spot on Richmond's W Broad Street received a license. State records show the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority issued a restaurant liquor license to Asado Richmond LLC on September 24.

Why it matters: For Richmond diners, this signals a new wing-and-taco option is coming to W Broad Street, pending final city approvals.

Virginia issues ABC license to Tribeca Kitchen in former Criterion Cinemas

Richmond Built World Ongoing conversion since 2020

The former Criterion Cinemas building has been vacant since 2020, when pandemic closures hit small theaters. On September 23, Virginia's ABC Authority issued a restaurant license to Tribeca Kitchen and Hospitality for the 5,300-square-foot space as a deli and market.

Why it matters: A new deli could fill a long-vacant storefront and add a casual dining choice for nearby residents and moviegoers.

Eurofins to lay off 68 at Richmond lab after contract loss

Richmond Money Moves 60-day WARN notice period

Eurofins Professional Scientific Services will cut 68 jobs at its Richmond laboratory on October 9. The layoff follows the loss of a client contract at the Altria Center for Research and Technology, where scientists and technicians run on-site testing for the tobacco company.

Why it matters: The contract loss puts 68 Richmond lab scientists' jobs on a 60-day countdown as VCU takes over Altria's research center.

545 VCU Health workers face layoff as hospital switches cleaning contractor

Richmond Money Moves 2-month contract transition

Crothall Healthcare's contract to clean VCU Health's Richmond campus was set to end Oct. 31, with 545 workers covered by the company's August layoff notice. The handoff to Texas-based HHS Environmental Services was scheduled for Nov. 1.

Why it matters: The transition tests whether 545 unionized cleaning workers keep the raises and protections they won in March 2025.

Pho Heritage gets Virginia ABC license for former Heritage space

Richmond Money Moves 11 Months from Heritage Closure to Pho Heritage Opening

A Vietnamese restaurant is set to open in one of Richmond's most-watched dining spaces. Pho Heritage received its Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) license on September 2, for 1627 W Main St, the former home of Heritage, the acclaimed farm-to-table spot that closed in October 2025.

Why it matters: A beloved Fan district corner changes hands, trading acclaimed farm-to-table dining for family-run Vietnamese food.

Broad St Mini Mart cleared to sell beer and wine in Richmond

Richmond Money Moves Awaiting Store Opening

Broad St Mini Mart Inc. received a Virginia ABC license on September 2, clearing the convenience store to sell beer and wine at 1387 W Broad St in Richmond. The license permits operation; it doesn't mean the doors are open.

Why it matters: Virginia's alcohol rules mean this new convenience store can sell beer and wine but not liquor, which stays in state-run stores.

El Pulgarcito Restaurant gets Virginia ABC license at 2606 Broad Rock Blvd in Richmond

Richmond Money Moves Awaiting opening

El Pulgarcito Restaurant has a Virginia ABC license for 2606 Broad Rock Blvd in Richmond. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority issued the restaurant's license on August 31, 2026.

Why it matters: A new Salvadoran restaurant is cleared to open in Richmond's Broad Rock neighborhood, giving residents a new dining option.

House of Futbol gets ABC license to open in Richmond's Diamond District

Richmond New Capabilities Ongoing since June 2026

House of Futbol, a soccer-themed coffee bar planned for Richmond's Diamond District, received its Virginia ABC license on August 12, 2026. The approval clears the way for the business to open at 1365 Overbrook Road.

Why it matters: Richmond gains a soccer-first bar as the sport's U.S. audience keeps growing.

Pizzeria Delores opens in Richmond's Scott's Addition

Richmond Built World 1-Year Path from Pop-up to Storefront

Max Sayer and Jacky Welch spent nearly a decade talking about opening a pizza shop. On Aug 21, they opened Pizzeria Delores in Richmond's Scott's Addition—11 days after Virginia's alcohol authority issued the restaurant license that cleared them to serve beer, wine, and cocktails.

Why it matters: A new independent pizzeria bets that counter-service nostalgia can stick on a Scott's Addition corner that has churned through tenants.

Richmond's special use permits add infill housing, one project at a time

Richmond Rule Changes 5-year infill push, ongoing

Mayor Danny Avula's office released a third draft of Code Refresh, the city's zoning rewrite, on August 17. The draft scales back the special use permit process and drops a plan to allow duplexes by right on most residential lots.

Why it matters: Richmond's housing supply depends on a case-by-case permit process — a code refresh could change how fast the city grows.

Richmond planners back turning old Virginia Home into apartments

Richmond Built World 10-Month Redevelopment Push

The Virginia Home has cared for adults with physical disabilities in the same Byrd Park building since 1930. Now it's moving to a $128 million campus in Hanover County, and its old home is slated to become 131 apartments.

Why it matters: If the City Council approves, the century-old Byrd Park nursing home becomes 131 apartments, 30% income-restricted, and a historic Richmond institution moves to the suburbs.