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 of the week of February 7, 2025:
A Maryland-based developer reached a plea agreement with federal producers for embezzlement charges related to a development in South Richmond
Reported by BizSense’s Jonathan Spiers.
The developer behind the Model Tobacco Lofts, was accused of skimming loan proceeds for the housing project in Richmond and another in North Carolina.
Chris Harrison’s C.A. Harrison Cos. led the multimillion-dollar apartment conversion and pleaded guilty last week to one count of wire fraud.
Harrison pleaded guilty to putting some of the funds toward unauthorized expenses, including litigation costs related to his failed redevelopment of the since-razed Ramada Inn hotel in Petersburg.
Harrison received his indictment in October 2024 and had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In late December, Harrison filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for his Model Tobacco Development Group LLC, which owns the partially-developed, 15-acre complex at 1100 Richmond Highway.
Harrison’s sentencing hearing is set for June 17 in the federal courthouse in Alexandria.
A Denver-based developer seeking to land a data center park in Chesterfield County
Reported by BizSense’s Jack Jacobs
Tract – the company behind the 1,200 data center development in Hanover County – submitted a request to rezone over 700 acres of land for a new data center park.
The company hopes to gain approval to allow the construction of up to 11 data centers totaling around two million square feet.
The land located between Branders Bridge Road and Swift Creek, contains a portion of property related to the Fall Line Trial, the planned paved, multi-use trial connecting Ashland and Petersburg,
Tract have submitted their rezoning request and the company’s next steps will be to meet with Chesterfield’s planning commission.
The creative minds behind the Duke’s Mayo advertising campaigns share their thoughts in a new interview
Reported by BizSense’s Jonathan Spiers.
The Richmond-based ad-firm Familiar Creatures made waves when enlisting hip-hop hype man Flavor Flav in this year’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl tradition.
The tradition of dumping a tub of mayonnaise on the winning football team’s coach began in 2021, a year after Duke’s took over as sponsor for the game.
This year, the matchup between the University of Minnesota and Virginia Tech resulted in a win for Mnnestoa’s Head Coach P.J. Fleck, who was doused with Duke’s Mayor after the victory.
The minds behind the creative madness, sat down with BizSense to discuss how the idea came about through the culmination of months of work by Richmond ad firm and its continuous rise to prominence.
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