Richmond’s Economic Development: Building New, Reusing Old

VPM | By Rich Meagher

Published May 6, 2026 at 8:07 PM EDT

People wait in line at the Delta counter at Richmond International Airport. AAA forecasts nearly 200,000 Virginians will travel via air during the 2025 holiday season. (File photo)

It’s all anyone seems to think about – how can we develop our economy? But do we actually need to build more to get more? On this episode, the answer is yes and no. One Richmond business has a big plan to capture international attention. But down the street, a second-hand store shows you don’t need something “new” to attract customers. Oh, and we get a tour of the new Lego factory.
Featuring
Jennifer Wakefield, President and CEO for the Greater Richmond Partnership
Amy Turner, Executive Director of SCRAP RVA

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About RVA’s Got Issues

VPM’s award-winning podcast exploring the politics and big issues in the news that are defining life in and around Richmond, Virginia.

Hosted by Rich Meagher, Professor of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College, this weekly show tackles everything from housing and public transportation to education policy and local government transparency.

Each episode features expert guests who provide insights into Richmond’s biggest issues while offering actionable solutions for community engagement. Whether you’re curious about City Council decisions, school board policies, or how to get involved in local politics, RVA’s Got Issues delivers the knowledge you need.

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Rich Meagher

Richard J. Meagher [pronounced MARR] is Professor of Political Science, Director of Social Entrepreneurship at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, and the host of RVA's Got Issues.

Meagher is an expert observer of local and state politics in Richmond and has been featured everywhere from print to television to radio. He is a political analyst for WRIC 8 News, and his commentary and opinion have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and his own RVAPolitics site.

He is also a Faculty Fellow for Brandeis University’s Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation (ENACT), a national program engaging undergraduates in state-level legislative change. Meagher's 2020 book, Local Politics Matters, argues for the importance of participation in city and county politics.

In 2023, he launched the Virginia Amendments Project, a resource for scholars and citizens about amendments to the Constitution of Virginia.

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