BizSense Beat is a weekly collaboration between VPM News and Richmond BizSense that brings you the top business stories during NPR's Morning Edition on Fridays.
Here’s a recap of the top stories for the week of May 19, 2023:
City releases years-in-the-making Shockoe area plan
Reported by Richmond Bizsense’s Jonathan Spiers
As momentum builds for a long-sought slavery museum and commemorative campus in Shockoe Bottom, a yearslong effort to create a guiding blueprint for the neighborhood’s growth has culminated with the release of a draft area plan.
The city on Friday released its Shockoe Small Area Plan, a 150-page document in the works for four years that’s meant to supplement the citywide Richmond 300 master plan.
Medical office building, commercial space included in HCA’s Hanover hospital plan
Reported by Richmond Bizsense’s Jack Jacobs
A clearer picture has emerged of what healthcare giant HCA has in mind for its proposed Hanover hospital, as the project approaches a planning commission hearing this summer.
HCA plans to establish an 80,000-square-foot medical office building and “an outparcel with commercial or civic uses,” in addition to its proposed $233.6 million, 60-bed hospital on Sliding Hill Road just off of Interstate 95 near Ashland, according to a rezoning application received by Hanover County in early April.
Former owner of Emilio’s ready for his Richmond restaurant comeback
Reported by Richmond Bizsense’s Mike Platania
After more than a decade out of the game, Emilio Peiro is getting back into the Richmond restaurant scene.
In the early 2000s, Peiro owned Emilio’s, a local chain of Spanish restaurants, but closed or sold all three locations around 2012.
He’s now preparing to open Importante Bodega Bar, a new restaurant at 3031 W. Cary St. in Carytown.
Nonprofit JWC Foundation expands programming for Blck Street business conference’s second year
Reported by Richmond Bizsense’s Jack Jacobs
A relatively new business conference aimed at black entrepreneurs has grown its programming for its next installment.
Blck Street Conference is gearing up for its second event after holding its inaugural gathering in 2022. The Blck Street brand is an arm of the JWC Foundation, a local nonprofit that offers programming intended to help black entrepreneurs establish and grow their businesses.
Local tortilla chip company expands with new Lakeside market
Reported by Richmond Bizsense’s Jack Jacobs
It took a couple years, but a local tortilla chip maker has finally scooped up a bigger space where it has also opened a retail store.
Capital Chips’ owner Jennifer Davidson recently opened Capital Chips Fine Foods and Gifts at 5956 Brook Road in Lakeside.
While the company’s expansion into retail has taken top billing at the storefront, the 2,500-square-foot space is primarily devoted to the production of its tortilla chips, which will naturally be for sale in the market.
You can find these and other local business stories at richmondbizsense.com.
