Here’s a recap of the top stories for the week of April 19, 2025:
Prominent Richmonders challenge a North American railroad company in lawsuit
Reported by BizSense’s Michael Schwartz
Residents in a remote part of Henrico County are in a $2 million legal battle with railroad giant CSX.
The dispute centers around the upkeep of the Kanawha Canal Bridge, a 75-foot, wood-laid crossing that’s the only way in and out of an island neighborhood where a few prominent families live.
Over the years, ownership of the bridge was conveyed to CSX and island residents claim in their lawsuit that CSX has not kept the bridge in “proper repair” since 2004.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine if the billion-dollar railroad company should be required to repair the bridge, replace it or pay the plaintiffs directly so that they may repair it themselves.
A Goochland County brewery will reopen this Spring after a yearlong hiatus
Reported by BizSense's Mike Platania
The Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery will reopen its doors on May 15. Owner Lisa Reynolds Brotherton shuttered the storefront off 4100 Knolls Point Drive early last year as she was battling health issues.
Farris Loutfi, who co-founded Lickinghole with Reynolds Brotherton in 2013, is helping with the reboot.
Before its closure, Lickinghole had been producing around 3,000 barrels of beer per year. This time around, Brotherton said the brewery will aim for around 500 barrels annually.
Last year more breweries closed then opened nationally, according to data from the Brewers Association, a national trade group.
The slowdown also hit the Richmond region, as 2024 saw more local breweries close than in any previous year since the craft beer boom began in the 2010s.
Virginia Housing seeks to build a new $15 million parking deck across from Allianz Amphitheater
Reported by BizSense's Mike Platania
The public-private affordable housing agency is planning to build a four-story parking deck near its headquarters at 601 S. Belvidere St.
In addition to supporting its workforce during the work week, the 281-space deck would also be open for public use in the evenings and on weekends.
The development could benefit Allianz Amphitheater concert guest that’s nearing completion across the street.
The new deck would rise on a roughly 1-acre, Virginia Housing–owned parcel at 111 Spring St.
The proposal still needs approval from Virginia Housing’s Board of Commissioners, which is set to vote on it at its April 28-29 meeting.
If approved, the new deck could be completed by next summer.
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