Richmond Business & Commercial News

Don't be left out of these decisions -- VOTE!

This is a big year for politics.  Yeah, I didn't expect that would be news to anyone this year, but it made for a good way to motivate people for this next call to action:  VOTE! 

It is important every year, and for every special election that comes up.  This year it is especially important because we are electing a new president at a very crucial time for our country and a new mayor to take charge of Richmond.  Despite your particular slant on politics, or mine for that matter, participation is key.

From the website of the Virginia State Board of Elections:

How do I find out if I'm registered to vote in Virginia?
   If you have questions about your voter registration status, contact your local county or city general registrar.  If you believe that you are registered to vote in Virginia, you can verify your voter registration status on-line from our website. 

 Where Do I go to vote?
   To determine your polling place location, contact your local county or city general registrar's office.  You may also get information about your polling place by using our on-line Where Do I Vote application.

 How do I register to vote in Virginia?
   Registering to vote in Virginia is easy and convenient.  To register to vote in Virginia, you must fill out and submit a voter registration application.   If it is determined that you qualify to vote, your local county/city general registrars will add you to the county/city voter registration database.  For more information about becoming a registered voter contact your local county or city general registrar.

On that last point, the voter registration deadline for the upcoming election on November 4, 2008, is this upcoming Monday, October 6.  Per the VSBE website, "Applications must be in the voter registration office or posted marked by that date."  Being this close to the deadline, I would suggest that you register either online or in person.

The second part is equally as crucial -- when November 4th comes, get to your local polling place and vote!

When legislators go crazy, but oddly harmless at the same time

File this under:  "Some people just have too much time on their hands."

A county in the state of New York is considering legislation that would require restaurants to list the prices of daily specials.  Apparently even that isn't going far enough for some folks, and these same legislators are tempted to require lists of prices for desserts, cocktails, and coffee.

I wonder when this same county is going to regulate the font on the menus and the quality of the paper that they use?

Has anyone else found this to be a problem in their restaurant experiences?  I can't think of an example where the consumer "needs to be protected" from not having a list of prices.

A note on political mud-slinging

I found this post at Seth's Blog this morning to be particularly interesting.  All of his posts are compelling -- I encourage you to check out his blog if you don't already follow it yourself.  This one about negative campaigning by politicians is an insightful look at whether or not it is effective, and what makes a negative campaign more effective than another.

My favorite quote from the post resonates with my own view of the unfortunate situation:

The reliance on negative stories in politics makes me sick. I think we should be above that. The fact that negative stories have influenced every election of my lifetime, though, means that I'm wrong, we're not above it. If politicians are going to tell negative stories, they might as well pick useful ones. [my emphasis]

I try not to pay attention to the negative campaigning in general, but I wonder if the same reasoning that Seth uses in his article can be applied to Richmond politics.  Are there negative statements that are being made about any of the candidates that, regardless of the truth of the statement, may shake up that candidate's base?  I hesitate to ask for fear of drawing out the political negativity that may come with the answers...

City Council votes on hot projects

Two high-profile votes came before Richmond City Council last night -- one for a four-story condo/apartment complex in the Springhill historic neighborhood and the other regarding the proposed public marina site beside the Rocketts Landing development.

Manchester on the James - 200 unit residential complex

This has been flying under the radar for quite some time.  I remember seeing stories about this proposed development from a couple of years ago, but I haven't heard a peep about it until this vote last night.

Although, this posting from 01/18/08 on River District News explains some of the more up-to-date information that I apparently missed.  The original proposal was for a 17-story high rise with "luxury condos".  The revision was to a 4-story building with smaller units.  The shift in focus to more of a rental use rather than owner-occupied units is what provoked the ire of nearby residents.

From an article in this morning's RTD:

Crosland, a Charlotte, N.C.-based development company, plans the complex on a 2-acre block bounded by Cowardin, Riverside Drive, West 19th Street and Stonewall Avenue. The company plans to build and market the complex as condominiums, but it also asked for the ability to offer apartments to provide market flexibility. The project calls for ground-level retail along Cowardin and a 320-space parking deck.

Despite the protests of the neighbors, City Council passed the proposal and Crosland LLC should begin construction on the 200-unit complex before too long.

Property beside Echo Harbor to be purchased -- but will there be a marina?

City Council voted to back the plan for the City to purchase the Lehigh property, 1.6 acres at 3111 Water Street.  The property is located immediately adjacent to the Richmond Intermediate Terminal, where the mayor has proposed the hotly contested public marina.

The Council reserved the right to allow a private developer to develop part of the site, and deliberately stayed silent on their stance regarding the proposed marina.  So, the saga continues.

Another chance to give your 2 cents about the future of Richmond

Just received via email:

>>>

DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN PUBLIC HEARING

1:30 pm MONDAY, MAY 19, 2008
5^th FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM
CITY HALL
900 E. BROAD STREET

The City of Richmond Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the Revised Draft Downtown Master Plan. The Commission will consider adoption of the plan and recommendation for approval to City Council.  The public is encouraged to attend the public hearing to share thoughts on the plan with the City Planning Commission.

 
A copy of the revised draft plan is available for review at the following locations:

Online:
 (http://www.richmondgov.com/departments/communityDev/DownTownMasterPlan.aspx)

 

City Hall (900 E. Broad Street)
5^th floor, Room 510

Libraries
Main Branch (101 E. Franklin Street)
Hull Street Branch (1400 Hull Street)
Belmont Branch (3100 Ellwood Avenue)
East End Branch (2414 R Street)
North Avenue Branch (2901 North Avenue)
Ginter Park Branch (1200 Westbrook Avenue)
Broad Rock Branch (4820 Warwick Road)
Westover Hills Branch (1408 Westover Hills Boulevard)
West End Branch (5420 Patterson Avenue)

For more information contact
Brooke Hardin, City of Richmond

Telephone: (804) 646-6310
E-mail: Brooke.Hardin@richmondgov.com

The final countdown for Sixth Street Marketplace

As reported by Style Weekly in "Street Talk" this week, the final deadline has been set for closing the remaining vendors at Sixth Street Marketplace.  The original deadline was August 9, 2007, but that has been extended three times due to lengthy relocation agreement negotiations and the search for two city agencies currently housed in the Blues Armory.

The deadline,  as it stands now, is May 12.  Deals have been struck with approval from all sides regarding the relocation packages (forgiving 50% of back rent owed and $25k for relocation expenses).  There are seven remaining food vendors that were part of the negotiations.

It's good to see that things are moving forward, and the city can finally put the space to good use.  Now if only I could remember what the new use was supposed to be......  Does anyone else remember?

Henrico is giving away money!

Henrico County is giving away money for new businesses, and for redevelopment projects!

...and so is Richmond City, and Chesterfield County, and Hanover County. 

Per Henrico County's website regarding the Enterprise Zone program in Virginia:

What is an Enterprise Zone?

The governing body of any county, city or town may make written application to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to have an area or areas declared to be an Enterprise Zone. The purpose of the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program is to stimulate business and industrial growth in such areas, which would result in neighborhood, commercial and economic revitalization. Upon the recommendation of the Director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development the Governor may designate the proposed areas as Enterprise Zones. Upon designation of an area as an Enterprise Zone state and local incentives become available to qualified business firms that participate in the Program.

The trick is learning the details of the different programs that are available.  Given that we are talking about free money (grants) and cheap money (loans), and that these are government programs, there is quite a bit of red tape and a complex set of regulations regarding how to qualify for the programs.

I'm no expert on the intricate regulations involved, which is why I am attending the Henrico County Enterprise Zone Spring Workshop at Belmont Recreation Center on May 7th.  It is FREE to attend, but you have to register beforehand (and space may be limited).

If you're interested in the program, you may have to pull some strings since the registration deadline was April 3rd (SORRY -- it's been very busy here, despite all the dark clouds cast by the media).  You could still call 804-501-7615 or email to arz@co.henrico.va.us and see if they have any open spots.

Otherwise, if I can find a good way to summarize what will be an enormous amount of useful information, I will post a follow up on here after the workshop!

Video from AngryRenter.com

I forgot to add this to my post this morning about the government "bailout" of the mortgage industry, but it summarizes the points made by the opposition to the bailout very well (and especially well if you prefer video over text):



Enjoy!

Bailing out irresponsible investors?

I've been on the fence for a while about whether the proposed mortgage "bailout" is the right thing to do. 

I believe very much in the free market economy and that what we do with our money is each individual's responsibility.  The thought of using taxpayers' money to subsidize bad investments is horrifying to me, and only encourages unscrupulous behavior.

There is a large contingent of the general public that believes the same as my initial reaction, and some of them have gone public on a site called Angry Renter.  There is a petition that you can sign that will be presented to Congress in opposition to what they are describing as, " Congress is getting ready to pass a multi-billion dollar bailout of homeowners and their banks. That's right, Congress is going to use your tax dollars to bail out big banks and keep housing prices too high!"

A post on the Inman Blog echoed my doubts pretty much exactly:

No doubt, on the surface it does appear as if irresponsible investing will be subsidized by taxpayers. But what angry renters may not realize is that they will pay for these mistakes whether there is a government bailout or not -- in the form of depreciating home values, loss of city revenues, and a dragging economy.

While I'm still on the fence, a little too able to see both sides, I'm curious to hear what you all think of the situation.  Is this a tax on the responsible, to bail out the irresponsible?  Or is it a necessary part of stabilizing our economy?

When are you getting your money?

Whether you agree with the tax incentive program or not, I doubt anyone is going to turn down money from the government.  Of course, you have to file your tax return this year in order to get a tax rebate check.

We have all seen the general info repeated in the news (and pretty much everywhere else) that the tax rebate checks will be anywhere from $300-600 per person.   Here is what the IRS website has to say about the rebate checks:

Starting in May, the Treasury will begin sending economic stimulus payments to more than 130 million households. To receive a payment, taxpayers must have a valid Social Security number, $3,000 of income and file a 2007 federal tax return. IRS will take care of the rest. Eligible people will receive up to $600 ($1,200 for married couples), and parents will receive an additional $300 for each eligible child younger than 17. Millions of retirees, disabled veterans and low-wage workers who usually are exempt from filing a tax return must do so this year in order to receive a stimulus payment.

But when will you get your money?

The IRS has put out a schedule (see below, or click here) showing how the last two digits of your social security number will determine when your money is sent out.  Also, the method of payment will be determined by whether or not you provide your direct deposit info on your tax return.

Also, see this USAToday.com article that gives more details on how your actions may delay or facilitate the process.

DIRECT DEPOSIT

Last two SSN digits:	Payment will be transmitted:
00 through 20	May 2
21 through 75	May 9
76 through 99	May 16

 

 

 

PAPER CHECK

Last two SSN digits:	Payments will be mailed by:
00 through 09	May 16
10 through 18	May 23
19 through 25	May 30
26 through 38	June 6
39 through 51	June 13
52 through 63	June 20
64 through 75	June 27
76 through 87	July 4
88 through 99	July 11