Welcome Inc. - 2021-22

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10 The Phlow of Things

A multimillion-dollar effort to produce more essential medicines in America finds its focus in metro Richmond.

13 How’s It Growing

Metro Richmond business developments and projects

20 The Innovators

Business incubators and nonprofits that foster innovation and creativity

24 An SnapshotEmployment

Tracking national unemployment trends in a pandemic and a survey co-developed by a VCU economist

30 Henrico’s Moon Shot

Henrico County is a rising star in global technology and economic development.

36 Extras Essential

Lessons learned outside the classroom are an important part of education.

50 Left Out of the Party

High demand, low inventory and low interest rates fuel a volatile, exclusive housing market. Power to the Pedal

Bicycling, a longstanding, popular pastime in Richmond, has seen a boom in new ridership in the past year. Dear Richmond

A love letter to a city, nearly two decades in the making Bernard Harkless, Austin Green, John Gregory and Brad Cummings of Hatch RVA. Photo by Zaid Hamid

PUBLISHER/DIRECTOR OF Richard Malkman

ED ITORIAL DIRECTOR Jessica Ronky Haddad

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Justin Vaughan

EDITOR Tharon Giddens

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Eileen Abbott, Tayler Butters, Don Harrison, Chris Jones, Nikhil Mehta, Eileen Mellon, Susan W. Morgan, Valerie Parker, D. Hunter Reardon, Gary Robertson, Melissa Scott Sinclair, Dina Weinstein

EDITORIAL INTERN Tayler Butters

ART DIRECTOR Heather Palmateer

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jay Paul

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ash Daniel, Sarah Der, Monica Escamilla, Adam Ewing, Ethan Hickeron, Zaid Hamid

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Martha Hebert

P RODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGER Scott Bunce

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Phong Nguyen Winiecki Virginia 23220-2022

FROM THE EDITOR Love BusinessAnd

Richmond makes it easy to be passionate about your work and your life

BY THARON GIDDENS

From Fortune 500 perennials to a host of pace-setting entre preneurs, Richmond boasts a thriving, diverse business community.

We’re glad you’re part of it. We hope Welcome Inc. will provide some insights on how this metro area works, outline its business climate and outlook, and give you an introduction to what it’s like to live here. I think you’re going to find there’s much to love about this place.

For starters, this is a community that thinks big, with a strong infrastruc ture of support. Learn about the massive Green City project that’s in the works and how Henrico County laid the groundwork to become a leader in global technology and economic development in “Henrico’s Moon Shot” on Page 30.

There’s also a roundup of economic and business projects in the works around the metro region, from The Lake, a 105-acre mixed-use development in Chesterfield County, to CarLotz’s headquarters expansion in Richmond, in “How’s It Growing” on Page 13.

The metro region has become a hub for advanced pharmaceutical man ufacturing. Read about one of the major players in “The Phlow of Things” on Page 10. In a Q&A, Phlow’s cofounder and CEO, Eric Edwards, explains how metro Richmond is a focal point in a multimillion-dollar effort for domestic production of essential medicines.

You can also meet some of the drivers of creativity in Richmond. In “The Art of Work” on Page 26, there are profiles of entrepreneurs whose businesses are all about design and creation, including Jamie Coffey, who created XOJ, a mobile interior design showroom.

“The Innovators” on Page 20 serves as an introduction to supportive ini tiatives in the region, including Hatch RVA, an incubator and commissary kitchen for food startups, and Lighthouse Labs, a seed-stage accelerator for small businesses.

You’re going to love living here, but buying a home can be a challenge in the turbocharged market. Learn about housing trends on Page 50 in “Left Out of the Party.”

This issue also has you covered in learning about other essential areas of living in Richmond, including education resources, hiring and employment, and recreation and leisure opportunities, including Richmond’s long-standing passion for bicycling.

And while it’s usually great advice to never look back, check out the final page of this publication for one resident’s take on what makes this city spe cial. There, you’ll find a love letter from Melissa Scott Sinclair, who delivers an ode to a city she’s called home for two decades.

We hope you discover a similar passion for Richmond as a great place to live, work and play.

PUBLISHED

RICHMOND BY THE NUMBERS

The Borderline

Greater Richmond includes the city and the counties of Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover. The Richmond Met ropolitan Statistical Area’s population is 1.3 million in an area that includes greater Richmond and additionally the counties of Amelia, Caroline, Charles City, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Goochland, King and Queen, King William, Louisa, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, and Sussex. Other cities in the MSA include Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell.

Topping the List

Richmond and Virginia lead the nation

PLACEDVIRGINIANO.

PLACEDRICHMONDNO.

1Virginia tops the list for the second consecutive year in CNBC’s “Top States for Business 2021.” The state earned high marks for its workforce, its commitment to equity and inclusion, and its education system.

PLACEDRICHMONDNO.

The James River Park System trails are among Men’s Journal’s “15 Best Running Trails in America.” “With more than six miles along this urban trail loop, it’s got something for everyone,” according to the magazine.

The city of Richmond comes in third on a list of 38 metropolitan areas that attracted the most new residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to LinkedIn, March 2021.

PLACEDRICHMONDNO.

Richmond ranked 23rd out of 182 localities, Best Cities to Start a Career 2021 wallethub.com,

Fortune 500 Members

There are seven companies with headquarters in the Richmond region that earned listings in the Fortune 500 for 2021:

1 Performance Food Group (No. 114, $25.1 billion revenue, food distribution) CarMax Inc. (No. 136, $21.4 billion revenue, automotive retailer) Altria (No. 138, $20.8 billion revenue, tobacco products) Dominion Energy (No. 193, $16.1 billion revenue, electric and gas utility) Markel Corp. (No. 311, $9.7 billion revenue, insurance) & Minor (No. 345, $8.7 billion revenue, medical equipment) Genworth Financial (No. 348, $8.6 billion revenue, insurance)

PLACEDRICHMONDNO.

Richmond is the highest-ranked city in Virginia on U.S. News & World Report’s 150-location list of the Best Places to Live 2021-2022, and it’s noted for its range of housing options and varied demographics, as well as its dining and entertainment options.

Top 50

RICHMOND MSA’S LARGEST EMPLOYERS

Previous year’s ranking in ()

What They’re Saying

—Amtrak Chief Executive William J. Flynn in The Washington Post, June 2021. The state in March 2021 inked a $3.7 billion agreement with Amtrak and other concerns for to passenger service in Virginia passenger traffic on the rails.

“Virginia is a model for the nation in recognizing the role passenger rail can play in connecting people and communities.”

Eric Edwards is the founder and president of the Richmond-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Phlow Corp.

The Phlow of Things BY THARON GIDDENS

An advanced manufacturing hub is in the works in the south metro Richmond area, built around a multi million-dollar project to build a national stockpile of essential med icines and to ramp up production of crucial pharmaceuticals and the ingredients from which the finished products are made. Richmond-based corporation Phlow is a focal point of the effort, receiving $354 million in federal money in May 2020. Phlow is working with partners, including the Medicines for All Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University, Civica Inc. and AMPAC Fine Chemicals. Richmond maga zine talked with Eric Edwards, the co-found er and CEO of Phlow, about the business.

RICHMOND MAGAZINE: It looks like an intri cate interlay of connections between Phlow,

Civica, the Medicines for All Institute and AMPAC Fine Chemicals. How does that work, and what will that mean for the future?

ERIC EDWARDS: Phlow is a trailblazing essential medicine impact company that is reimagining essential medicines from the start, utilizing flow chemistry, to finish, by reimagining the way we get these med icines into the hands of our customers. Medicines for All Institute, they’re really acting as the R&D partner for us, leveraging their innovative flow chemistry experience

and their proprietary process manufactur ing technology, to transfer that method over to Phlow, where we are bridging the gap until we have our own infrastructure with partners like AMPAC Fine Chemicals, a domestic manufacturer of active phar maceuticals and precursor chemical ingre dients. They have a large facility in Peters burg. Phlow will work with them, as well as other approved manufacturers, to secure capacity for immediate production while we build our own manufacturing capabil

A rendering of Civica Inc.’s $124.5 million metrobringisPhlowaPetersburg.underwayprojectinCivica,partnerwithandothers,projectedto186jobstoRichmond.

ities adjacent to AMPAC.

Then you have to get it into that finished dosage form, and we’re starting by focusing on sterile injectable drugs. The reason we’re focusing on sterile injectable drugs initial ly is because the majority of drug shortag es in America are sterile injectables. Our partners in Civica will then be building their North American manufacturing head quarters adjacent to our facility, really cre ating this unique industrial campus dedi cated to manufacture essential medicines.

RM: How should we envision the national stockpile of essential medicines?

EDWARDS: Right now, there is a strategic national stockpile of medical supplies and finished drugs managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. We have through this contract developed a unique public-private partnership with the feder al government to stand up a new type of stockpile, and that is called the Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Reserve. This reserve is a first of its kind reserve of the most critical active pharmaceutical ingredients and critical chemical input that are needed for these essential medicines. [The reserve can be drawn from] when we see times of increased demand. That can be due to a trade dispute; it could be due to a natural disaster that takes out a plant [necessary to synthesize] a specific drug; it could be due to the next public health threat such as another pandemic. Phlow believes in a global supply chain; however, we also think that the United States should have access to the most important and crit ical ingredients for the medicines that are needed to sustain lives.

RM: What does what you do mean for someone living in metro Richmond?

EDWARDS: It’s allowing us to become an advanced manufacturing hub, it allows us to attract highly technical jobs and is really [beneficial] to the workforce, for bringing over 350 jobs here to the central Virginia region and Petersburg, which is in an eco nomic opportunity zone. It means not only high-paying jobs and highly technical jobs, but also a workforce development program where we will be partnering with leading universities to ensure that we have that workforce for the future and advanced manufacturing.

// Originally published March 2021 and updated for Welcome Inc.

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How’s It Growing?

A sampling of economic development and expansion projects across metro Richmond

// BY TAYLER BUTTERS

Chesterfield County

PROJECT: The Lake

The Chesterfield County Planning Commission in May 2021 approved a boost in the allowable residential density for a mixed-use development in the works on Genito Road in Midlothian that will feature a 6-acre surf park powered by artificial waves. The Lake, as the development is called, will have a maximum of 1,190 residential units and up to 830 multifamily homes. While the surf park is The Lake’s main selling point, there will also be an amphitheater that is expected to host more than 200 yearly events, as well as retail space, a hotel and office space.

TYPE: Mixed-use development SIZE: 105 acres

Richmond

PROJECT: Lotz of Growth

Used car business CarLotz is expanding its headquarters in Richmond, according to Gov. Ralph Northam’s announcement. The strongbenchManchestercompanyconsignment-to-retailisthelargestinthecountry,anditsmovefromtoScott’sAdditionincludesnearly200newjobs.“CentralVirginiahasadeepofskilledworkersandacommitmenttodevelopingarobusttalentpipeline,makingtheregionanideallocationforfast-growingbusinesseslikeCarLotz,”NorthamsaidintheJune2021statement.

TYPE: Headquarters expansion

EMPLOYMENT IMPACT: 192 new jobs

Henrico County

PROJECT: GreenCity

Soon to be northeast of the I-95 and Parham Road interchange, Henrico County’s newest arena, appropriately named “GreenCity,” is touted as the greenest of its kind in all of North America. In addition to the arena’s focus on sustainability, the developers of this property are the ones facing the risk, not taxpayers. The venue will accommodate up to 17,000 people for concerts, shows and possibly sports such as ECHL hockey and G League basketball. It will be placed on 200 acres of land and will have 2 million square feet of office space, 280,000 square feet of retail space, 2,4000 housing units and two hotels in addition to the arena.

TYPE: Multiuse development centered on a new arena INVESTMENT: $2.3 billion

COMPLETION: TBD

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New Kent County

PROJECT: Betting on the Future

Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, a casino chain with a location in New Kent, is partnered with Colonial Downs Racetrack. The two bring in crowds that largely benefit New Kent as well as the state of Virginia due to tax revenue. While the pandemic harmed just about all businesses in 2020, Rosie’s has been able to bounce back in 2021. The company’s post-pandemic prosperity has resulted in nearly $800,000 in taxes paid to New Kent County in May alone. Collectively, Rosie’s has paid almost $2 million in taxes to Virginia Meanwhile, Colonial Downs could result in over $25 million in tax revenue each year once it reaches full capacity.

TYPE: Tax Revenue

ECONOMIC IMPACT: Varies

Charles City County

PROJECT: High-Speed Broadband

High-speed broadband internet access may get a boost in Charles City County. More than $2.6 million in federal funding is targeted for the project from the 2022 House Appropriations on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and related agencies. “High-speed internet infrastructure is critical to a thriving community,” says County Administrator Michelle Johnson. “We are so thankful for this additional funding, which will help ensure all Charles City residents are properly resourced with internet services to enhance their online needs.” U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin announced the funding in a June 2021 release.

TYPE: Expansion of access to fast Internet service

I NVESTMENT: $2.6 million federal grant

COMPLETION: TBD

Goochland County

PROJECT: Development Site

Selling earlier in 2021 for just over $3 million, three buildings on Granite Ridge Road bought by Coasting LLC hold the highest industrial price per square foot in Goochland County. The site was originally underdeveloped, but Commonwealth Commercial, a real estate agency located in Innsbrook, worked with engineers and architects to create a fully leased property. It includes a 10,000-square-foot shed and two 6,000-square-foot buildings — 22,000 square feet in total. The buildings sold before construction ended in 2020. “I think the industrial market has withstood COVID extremely well,” says Ben Bruni, Commonwealth Commercial’s vice president. “One of those reasons is that the users that occupy that space are essential businesses. They can’t operate or work from home. They’ve got to be in that kind of real estate.”

TYPE: New Construction COST: Unavailable

COMPLETION: 2020

TYPE: Relocation COST: Unavailable COMPLETION: 2021

Powhatan County

PROJECT: Expanding a Fortune

The Fortune Auto North America operations center, located in Powhatan County, is expanding, with an investment of $250,000. The expansion will increase the company’s workforce by 10 employees and will secure new equipment. The company manufactures, engineers, assembles and inspects racing suspension systems for Japanese and European cars. At this time, the company’s only location is in Powhatan. “We’re expanding our operations and manufacturing because currently, we do a lot of engineering, design, quality control and assembly,” says Managing Director Terry Awad. “As far as making the products, we usually outsource that to suppliers, and the goal is [to] bring everything in-house.”

TYPE: Production expansion EMPLOYMENT IMPACT: 10 new jobs INVESTMENT: $250,000

Hanover County

PROJECT: Caravati’s Moves On

The Richmond area’s oldest salvage supplier, Caravati’s Inc., has moved to a new location. Originally, the 80-year-old business was in a historic Manchester warehouse and has since moved to the former Ford Motor Co. site on England Street in Ashland. The shop reopened in June of 2021 and now has a more focused inventory to accommodate the smaller space. “Moving has been an arduous process that has spanned several months, but we are excited for what the future holds for the business. [The new location] lends itself to a more comfortable and efficient shopping experience,” says Ben Kastelberg, Caravati’s chief operating officer. “Caravati’s legacy and history are still very much present in our new location,” he says. “I hold paramount the values and dedication that my great-grandfather Louis Caravati held in the early years of this business.”

THE INNOVATORS

Bernard Harkless, Austin Green, John Gregory and Brad Cummings of Hatch RVA

Hatch RVA

// BY EILEEN MELLON

HISTORY

Hatch RVA has demanded the attention of the local food and beverage indus try since opening in January 2019. Part nering with developers Lynx Ventures, founders Austin Green, former co-own er of Texas Beach Bloody Mary Mix, and Brad Cummings, co-founder of Startup Virginia, worked with budding businesses to craft an incubator and a 9,000-square-foot commissary kitchen at 2601 Maury St.

WHAT THEY DO

Hatch RVA provides a network of resources and a one-stop shop for culi nary entrepreneurs. Located at Clop ton Siteworks, Hatch has more than 50 members. Its commissary kitchen hosts businesses from Joyebells Sweet Pota to Pies to flagship member Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches, which since joining has started to distribute its prod ucts nationally. Other members include food trucks, bakers, candy makers, health food businesses, online meal ser vices, meat purveyors and more. Part of Hatch’s appeal is 24/7 access to kitchen equipment.

PROJECTS

Hatch introduced a namesake cafe inside its main building that highlights members. Another recent addition is an almost 2,500-square-foot butchery led by Warren Haskell, director of opera tions for packaging and butchery and a 20-plus-year veteran of the food industry. Inside, a full prep line, convection oven, steamer and USDA-approved smok er present a playground of untapped potential. Meat products can be USDA approved on site and distributed for wholesale. Haskell says he sees the potential for restaurants to use the facili ty to make their own custom sausage, or for farmers to process animals for sale to stores.

HAMIDZAID

Richmond is home to a host of business incubators and nonprofits that foster innovation and creativity. Here’s a sampling.

Lighthouse Labs

// BY DINA WEINSTEIN

HISTORY

Todd Nuckols wishes Lighthouse Labs, a nonprofit seed-stage accelerator for small businesses, had existed when he was creat ing his own business, DPL Financial Part ners. “Trying to start my own high-growth company in ’06, ’07 was challenging, and I thought it could have been better,” he says. Taking matters into his own hands, he started Lighthouse Labs in 2012 to help other businesses get off the ground.

Even though he has stepped down as the organization’s director, he is still on the board and continues to serve as a men tor to founders who are in or who have passed through the program.

WHAT THEY DO Lighthouse Labs offers a 13-week program twice a year to six to 10 companies at a

time. These businesses receive mentoring and extensive programming and education in all things startup, from keynote speakers and hands-on workshops to financial mod eling, valuation model creation and reviews of core legal documents. They also work with students at the VCU Brand Center to produce marketing materials. Each startup receives $20,000 in funding that they do not have to pay back. “We are an equity-free accelerator,” says Ali Greenberg, Light house Labs’ former outreach manager. “So we give them money, no strings attached.”

The money comes from government grants and corporate sponsors. “We are focused on creating a community of founders and not a portfolio of companies,” Greenberg says. “We aren’t worried about the invest ment return. We are just worried about really serving their needs.”

PROJECTS

Previous projects Lighthouse Labs has funded include: Tenant Turner, a webbased software company for property managers; KYNDI, which provides map ping technology to government agencies and commercial companies; Kamana, a health-care credential and staffing work flow management system; Terravive, which creates single-use compostable products; and Goodfynd, which helps pop-up retail and mobile vendors connect with existing and new customers virtu ally. Lighthouse Labs has accelerated 63 startups, offering more than 3,000 hours of mentorship and investing over $1 mil lion in equity-free funding. More than 50% of the startups it has helped have founders who are from underrepresented communities.

From left: Lighthouse Labs’ former outreach manager Ali Greenberg, Executive Director Erin Powell and Program Manager Laura Shibut

Center for Innovative Technology

// BY CHRIS JONES

HISTORY

Founded in the mid-1980s, the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) is a commonwealth-sponsored nonprofit with a mission to provide startup capital and support programs that enable entrepreneurs in high-growth technology companies to launch and create highpaying jobs for Virginians. In 2019, CIT moved its headquarters from Herndon to Richmond.

WHAT THEY DO

“CIT is focused on the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship in all sectors of Virginia, or all regions,” says Bob Stolle, president and CEO of CIT. Its programs include the Growth Accelerator Program (GAP) and the

Virginia Founders Fund.

The GAP investment team vets companies in order to determine their viability. Stolle says the team sees approximately 400 companies every year and currently invests $100,000 to $200,0000 each in 30 to 35 of those hightech, high-growth companies. Over 15 years, CIT has invested nearly $35 million million, as well as over a billion dollars in follow-up money, leading to the creation of 6,000 high-tech jobs.

The Virginia Founders Fund is an equity-based fund that targets minority, female, veteran and rural founders, with the goal of increasing early-stage venture capital in Virginia that gets invested in companies meeting any one of these criteria.

PROJECTS

Past beneficiaries of GAP funding include EdConnective, a Richmond-based virtual coaching platform that aims to ensure student success through transformative, AI-driven teacher training, and Divvy Cloud, an Arlington-based cybersecurity firm for hybrid cloud environments.

While CIT is focused on developing the high-tech sector, other areas receiving support include life sciences, biotech and medical products, pharmaceuticals, clean energy, and data analytics. “Virginia is one of the leaders in the nation for data analytics, so we want to encourage the growth of data analytic companies and new startups,” Stolle says. // Originally published November 2020 and updated for Welcome Inc.

The Center for Innovative Technology President and CEO Bob Stolle

REAL-TIMES ECONOMICS

National unemployment numbers get an updated look in survey co-developed by a VCU economist // BY CHRIS JONES

Economist Adam Blandin tracked COVID-19 pandemic num bers for more than a year, but not the ones you’re thinking of.

Blandin, a Virginia Com monwealth University assistant professor of economics, worked with Alex Bick of Arizona State University to develop the RealTime Population Survey, an online econom ic survey centered on pandemic unemploy ment trends. Blandin says it was created as a tool to provide up-to-date data that was unavailable from larger federal government surveys. It was conducted in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The final survey was released in July 2021.

“We were both macroeconomists and labor economists and wondered, ‘Is there something we can work on that in some small way can contribute to trying to solve this problem related to the pandemic?’ ” Blandin says. “The typical government survey is high quality and for the most part reliable, but the government survey was coming out once a month, and the data was roughly between one and two months old on the day it came out because it took sev eral weeks to build the data.”

This prompted Blandin and his research team to replicate and expand the existing government survey to be more robust, useful and frequent. “We wanted to provide more timely and more frequent informa tion,” he says. “And because it was just a two-man operation with some good help from some research assistants, we could publish the results in a few days instead of several weeks. And so we were able to put

out two labor market reports before we’d heard anything from the government survey.”

The Real-Time Population Survey covers a gamut of socioeconomic variables, including unemployment numbers and factors, job mobility and vocational chang es, and the impact of ethnicity, gender and educational disparities on employment. One indicator on their survey not found on the federal government survey is data that pertains to people working from home. Blandin used a combination of targeted questioning and commuter data garnered from GPS information supplied by Google.

“You see striking disparities in who is working from home,” he says. “For exam ple, in May, half of the people with a college degree worked from home versus only 15% of people with a high school degree or less [who did not]. And so, if you think about who’s most exposed to the pandemic, that’s pointing towards a higher risk for lower-ed ucation people who weren’t able to work from home as much.”

There has been a shift in women’s role in the workforce as well, with the effects of COVID-19, virtual learning by the public school system, and the dilemma of balanc ing work and family. “The female laborforce participation rate has dropped more for women than for men, and so you could see career implications of that down the road that haven’t manifested themselves yet,” Blandin says. “Women with kids are working from home at pretty high rates. Men have gone back to the office, on average.”

The data also shows that people with advanced education or four-year degrees experienced fewer instances of job loss, and high-income earners also kept their jobs. “If you were earning, say, $100,000 or more before the pandemic hit, it was very unlikely that you lost your job,” Blandin says. “If you were earning $50,000 or less,

Economist Adam Blandin is a co-creator of the Real-Time Population Survey.

it was much more likely that you lost your job. And you see a large number of people having received earnings cuts. We see that many people who were temporarily laid off and then who were recalled back to their jobs. Those people [receiving lower wages] are especially likely to be called back.”

Ethnically, whites outpaced Black and

Hispanic populations in employment, and vocationally, retail, recreation and fast food/ hospitality workers took the largest hits. Blandin notes that more than a third of food and hospitality workers lost their jobs.

The June 2021 report found that about 23% of workers were making less than they were before the pandemic; about half of those

earning less were not currently working, while the others had sustained cuts in pay.

More than 37% of workers had sus tained pay cuts in the April 2020 report. Also, as of June 2021, a third of pre-pan demic workers had new employers or were unemployed. // Originally published February 2021 and updated for Welcome Inc.

THE ART OF WORK

The Suter family has kept the tradition of handcrafted, neoclassical American fur niture alive for six genera tions, producing a collection of 18th-century reproduction furniture made with the same artisanship and style

\\ Originally published May 2021 in R•Home and updated for Welcome Inc. BY VALERIE PARKER

as the originals. Owen Suter III continues the family tradition by crafting period fur niture pieces for clients and collections for resale in partnership with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Colonial Wil liamsburg, as well as the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, which has managed

the National Historic Landmark since 1858. To introduce the relationship, the associa tion auctioned off Suter’s solid mahogany reproduction of George and Martha Wash ington’s Mount Vernon bed in February 2021. The four-poster bed, handcrafted from a felled Mt. Vernon mahogany tree, is the first in the 18- to 20-piece collection that was set to be introduced later in 2021.

Business is all about creation for these Richmond entrepreneurs

George Washington’s Bed, the first piece in Owen Suter’s Mount Vernon collection

Design on the Run

JAMIE COFFEY GOES MOBILE

// BY VALERIE PARKER

Jamie Coffey was at a loss when Williams & Sherrill design center closed in late 2019. He had been with the firm for 25 years, and he had dedicated his career to helping the business grow. He gave himself three days to grieve before assessing his vocational path. He decided to build a business for himself, creating XOJ, a mobile interior design showroom. Drawing from his decades of experience and his network of industry contacts, he decided to forego a bricks-andmortar location and bring the showroom to the designers, making himself available to meet at project sites, delivering samples and offering virtual meetings. “It would be a disservice not to share the wealth of infor mation I have with others,” Coffey says. XOJ is primarily open to members of the trade. Coffey also offers residential and commercial design services. \\ Originally published October 2020 in R•Home and updat ed for Welcome Inc.

Pillows by Adelene Simple Cloth, one of the firms collaborating on projects with Coffey

Jamie Coffey (the former creative director for Williams & Sherrill) created XOJ as a resource for design professionals.

Thread by Thread

KATE KOCONIS WEAVES MODERN TEXTILES USING AGE-OLD TECHNIQUES

// BY NIKHIL MEHTA

WHO: Kate Koconis, Little Black Sheep Studio

WHAT SHE MAKES: Woven banners, wall hangings, mug rugs, wool blankets and table toppers

HOW SHE GOT STARTED: The Wiscon sin native discovered weaving through a class at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. Fifteen years later, she has found passion and purpose in the beauty and simplicity of her handwoven creations. Koconis now resides in Prov idence Forge, a rural area that fits well with her weaving, “because it forces you to slow down. It’s a very tedious, slow, repetitive process, and it really makes you focus and think.”

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY: The quiet, open space and starlit skies provide inspira tion for her weaving. “Life is made up of a lot of those quiet moments,” she says. “If you pass over them, you’ll look back at them and regret it.” She describes her approach as “clean modern designs using an old, traditional technique.”

THE PROCESS: She starts by picking a

base color and making a warp, which she describes as a “base for your weaving.” She then strings the warp onto the loom, guiding each individual thread twice. Once the warp is attached, she begins weaving, thread by thread. All the while, Koconis is imagining new ideas for

future projects. “I get a lot of ideas when I’m making something,” she says. “The entire time while I’m warping and threading, I’m thinking in the back of my head” about new patterns and color schemes. \\ Originally published April 2021 in R•Home and updated for Welcome Inc.

From left: Deep Sea Stack Woven Banner, 14 by 19 inches, 100% cotton, $85; Kate Koconis

Collective Efforts DESIGN FLOURISHES IN JACKSON WARD

// BY SUSAN W. MORGAN

rising design tide floats all beautiful boats,” says Stevie McFadden, the principal of Flourish Design Studio and founder of The Flourish Collective on Clay Street in Jackson Ward.

McFadden wanted to create a show room where individuals and design pro fessionals can find inspiration and access to a range of resources. “I have always enjoyed the process and the hunt,” she says, “but it frustrated me that as a retail cus tomer I couldn’t gain access to some of the wallpapers and fabrics I was interested in without enlisting the help of a profession al. I think that there are lot of people who are in that boat right now.”

The first-floor showroom features fur nishings, artwork, accessories and textiles

created or represented by the collective members in vignettes of room settings. McFadden’s Flourish Design studio and

libraries are on the building’s second floor. Founding members include Umanoff Design, Wendy Umanoff’s bespoke light fixtures; Art for the Home, art and art cura tion by Whitney Forstner; XOJ, designer Jamie Coffey’s furnishings and linens; Sarah Rowland, custom wall coverings and tex tiles; Jason Lefton’s dimensional wall murals; and Devon Cushman’s tablescapes and holiday decor.

“I want [to create] a place that feels like an immersive, integrated experience, where people can come in and imagine their spaces in a different way,” McFadden says. “If there are more places to get people inspired and to really show the value of what we do in the design community, I am also happy to share in that.”

// Originally published January 2021 in R•Home and updated for Welcome Inc.

From top: The founding members of the Flourish Collective include (from left): Wendy Umanoff, Whitney Forstner, Jamie Coffey, Stevie McFadden, Alicia Conrad, Diana Matthews and Sarah Rowland; Flourish Collective’s Jackson Ward showroom

HENRICO’S MOON SHOT

Henrico County has laid the foundation to become a center for global technology and economic development // BY GARY ROBERTSON

n a 2019 state of the county address, Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas laid out an auda cious principle that has guided the county for years.

He recalled President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 challenge to the nation to put a man on the moon: “Not because it was easy, but because it was hard.

“What President Kennedy said — and

what our board [of supervisors] has focused on — is the simple notion of a moment in time,” Vithoulkas said. “What will we do with our moment in time? That is all we have and all that matters. What will we do? In a figurative sense, we choose to go to the moon.”

Henrico County’s self-described “moon shots” have included everything from laying the foundation for becoming an internet

hub attracting global technology companies to keeping a damper on taxes, making Hen rico a sought-after location for businesses and Withhomeowners.334,389residents, Henrico is the state’s fifth-largest county in population but is one of Virginia’s smaller counties in land area (81st) at approximately 245 square miles. Yet it is outsized in the number of jobs it offers to residents of this region.

A rendering of the GreenCity proposal

County officials say its job totals rank second only to Fairfax County statewide.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, Henrico had 193,000 jobs on the books. That number has dipped, but so have the job numbers for the state’s other top job producers. “We remain No. 2 in state jobs,” says Anthony Romanello, Henrico’s economic develop ment

Henricodirector.has maintained its property tax rate of 87 cents per $100 of assessed value since 1978 — more than 40 years with out an increase — and it has raised the exemption threshold on the business, pro fessional and occupational tax, so that now four of five businesses in the county are exempt from such tax. “This further cements Henrico’s reputation as a great place for business and investment,” Vithoulkas says.

In early February 2021, Henrico announced salary increases for its 11,800 employees that ranged from 4.4% to nearly 14%. County teachers received a 6.9% pay boost. No tax increases were needed to fund the raises.

A ‘UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY’

The latest turn in Henrico’s skyward jour ney is the proposed $2.3 billion GreenCity development. It would include a 17,000-seat arena, 2,300 residential units, two 300-room hotels, 2.2 million square feet of office space and 280,000 square feet of retail. It will be developed in four phases over 12 years at a site north of East Parham Road at Inter state 95 and extend to Interstate 295.

Trails and parks are also part of the proposed eco-district that would preserve and restore natural resources. Individual residences and other buildings would be designed to meet the goals of net zero energy, water and waste.

“If what I’ve been told is correct, this would be the largest eco-district east of the Mississippi,” Vithoulkas says.

The Henrico Planning Commission gave its blessing to the project in Septem ber 2021. Henrico Board of Supervisors was set to consider GreenCity in October 2021.

The proposed arena is likely salt in the wounds of Richmonders who envisioned a new arena to replace the deteriorating Rich mond Coliseum. That proposal failed in 2020 when City Council rebuffed Mayor Levar Stoney’s overtures to embrace the arena, as well as the overall $1.5 billion Navy Hill project that would have surrounded it.

Many opponents said the financial risk to Richmond would have been too great had the project failed.

Vithoulkas says he was determined to squeeze the risk factor out of the project when developers of the Navy Hill proposal came to him in the spring of 2020 after its failure in Richmond, asking if the county had a site for a “unique and innovative eco

nomic development opportunity.”

Initially, the way the contact came in was, ‘Hey, we would like to take this arena into Henrico,’ ” Vithoulkas recalls.

“The reaction that they got was, ‘We’re not looking to put any public money into an arena. But if the math works, show us the numbers, and we’ll continue the conversation.’“Whenthey came back, they came back with GreenCity,” Vithoulkas says.

He says an eco-district appeals to tech companies and other businesses looking for a high level of sustainability with no carbon impact, spurred by a societal shift toward environmentalism and climate awareness.The$250 million arena, Vithoulkas says, will be a regional amenity, as well as another boost to Henrico’s profitable focus on sports tourism, which had an economic impact of $66.2 million in 2019. (In another large county development project, Virginia Center Commons is undergoing a transfor mative makeover for sporting events.)

The area encompassing GreenCity — the county-owned 93.6-acre former head quarters of Best Products and the 110-acre Scott Farm adjacent to it — currently pro vides little or no tax revenue to Henrico, Vithoulkas says. Richmond-grown Best

Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas and Economic Development Director Anthony Romanello

Today, nearly 1 in 10 of workersHenrico’sare employed by a tech enterprise.

Products was a $2 billion retail business that encompassed more than 200 stores in 27 states before it went out of business in 1997.

Henrico purchased the headquarters tract in 2011 for $6.2 million — about half of what the sellers wanted, according to Vithoulkas — and it anticipates selling the property to GreenCity for the same price to push the project along.

Henrico is predicting that the privately financed arena will produce revenues of $1.4 billion over the 30-year repayment of bonds. Debt service will total $650 million, and Henrico would collect $750 million. The bonds for the arena would be issued through a Community Development Authority, a method that Henrico has used

to finance three major projects that have now become big taxpayers: Short Pump Town Center, Reynolds Crossing and White OakNoVillage.public dollars and no public debt would be involved in GreenCity.

“Once it’s running and out of the ground, fully built, [GreenCity] will be

producing revenues greater than our top 10 taxpayers combined,” Vithoulkas says.

“This is not their first rodeo,” he says of Concord Eastridge Inc. and Future Cities LLC, the companies that have formed a joint venture to create GreenCity LLC, the overall development company.

Susan Eastridge, CEO and president of

Concord Eastridge, doesn’t expect any dif ficulty in attracting investors for GreenCity because of its unique niche as an eco-dis trict. “Most of the big institutional players — which are the Goldman Sachs, the J.P. Morgan Chases — they’re putting together really big sustainability funds, and they need good places to put that money because the investors who are investing want to see sustainable development happen,” Eas tridge says.

A MAGNET FOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

While GreenCity has received a lot of atten tion recently, perhaps the county’s biggest draw for continued growth has been its rise as an internet hub with the world’s fastest data transmission capability.

In 2017, the QTS Data Center at White Oak Technology Park opened the Richmond Network Access Point, which serves as the termination point for two ultra-high-speed fiber-optic cables that transfer data from

Europe and South America.

White Oak Technology Park in Sand ston serves a subsea cable that transmits data from Spain, France and Brazil, and another cable there was set to come online in late 2021 to serve data from Capetown, South

TheAfrica.2,400-acre campus is already home to three data centers, including one for Facebook, which opened the first phase of its $1.75 billion data center in 2020. These centers house critical applications and data. Facebook’s data centers process and store the status updates, photos and videos that are shared by Facebook users.

The county estimates that once Face book’s 2.5-million-square-foot data center is completed, it will have a $141 million annual economic impact on the region. The facility is expected at buildout to have about 200 workers, but it will generate mil lions in taxes on equipment, largely servers, CONT’D ON P. 34 > the fifthlargest county in population but is one of Virginia’s smaller counties in land area (81st) at

which are continually being replaced and updated and their value renewed.

In 2017, the Henrico Board of Super visors reduced the tax on data centers from $3.50 to 40 cents of assessed value — the lowest in the state at the time — to attract Facebook and other companies looking for a home for their data centers.

Nick Serfass, executive director of the Richmond Technology Council, says that the Henrico facilities are a sign of the hyper-technology future. “Ultimately, it all stems from a rise in cloud computing and a need for faster, bigger streams of data to be transported back and forth,” Serfass says. “A lot of what we call hyper scalers, companies that use a lot of data — Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft — those are the kinds of folks who are look ing at building their own data centers. It’s figuring out strategic places where they can put them.

“Why that’s important is that it’s not just great having those large companies in town, but having those companies around also increases other business opportuni ties, which I think is the peripheral story here,” Serfass says. “There’s going to be B2B, B2C [business-to-business, busi ness-to-consumer operations],” he says. “There’s a lot of other business that can be done now that we have these big players in town.”

He says the region’s burgeoning biotech scene at VCU and other sites also portends growth for users of biotech data.

Serfass adds that Henrico and the Rich mond region could become even more of a destination for internet companies, which for years have focused on Northern Virgin ia. Land is cheaper in this region, and the cost of living overall is far less. Besides, he says, the Richmond region already has an ecosystem of businesses that use large amounts of data.

Serfass notes that the region is “kind of a financial tech hub. SunTrust [now Truist] has a big presence here, Capital One, the Federal Reserve.” // Originally pub lished May 2021 and updated for Welcome Inc.

It’s to be Home

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Essential Extras

When you’re a student, you’re aware of things that some adults have forgotten from their days of instruction and mandatory attendance. One of those things is that what happens outside of the classroom is just as important as what hap pens when you’re at your desk in class. The things you do and the relationships you build at school help determine your path after graduation. The bell may have rung, but the learning doesn’t end.

“Extracurricular activities are always a benefit to education and mental health,” says Dan Kniffen, a social worker and ther apist who specializes in work with schoolage children. “I always suggest to my clients that they participate in school activities — anything from pole-vaulting to robotic teams. It can challenge your mind, but also, it feels good to belong to a group.”

Many Richmond private schools offer a variety of programs for student enrich ment that go far beyond the classical scope.

At Richmond Montessori School,

summer camps are usually open to the entire community. The themes for the camps in 2021 included “Under the Sea,” in which children learned about ocean life, and “Passport Around the World,” which focused on learning about the customs and cultures of other nations.

For grades 4-6, there was a weeklong Dungeons and Dragons camp. Director of Montessori Enrichment Shanthi Wickra masinghe says it was a hit.

“I thought it was going to be more of a guy thing, but both boys and girls really loved it,” she says. “I personally tried to go up there and learn myself.” Two staff mem bers — Chris Ercolano and Cassidy Houston — served as dungeon masters, guiding the kids through the game.

For the 2021-2022 school year, the Mon tessori school’s extracurricular schedule includes classes in classical Indian dancing and Chinese language studies. “We’re

Lessons outside of the classroom are in a important part of education BY D. HUNTER REARDON

“Extracurricularactivitiesare always a benefit to education and mental health.”

excited to bring in the cultural aspect,” Wickramasinghe says. “We think that’s something that defines education at Montessori.”Someschools in the area utilize Little Scholars, a third-party academic program that sends in teachers of their own. St. Cath erine’s and St. Christopher’s schools take advantage of this for summer camps. But at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, first-grade teacher Wendy Sellers has been

certified and runs a program herself.

“The Little Scholars program offers dif ferent subjects to different age groups,” says Sellers, who noted that the K-2 program for 2021 focused on arts and crafts, and grades 3-5 participated in building projects.

The Little Scholars program is an hour each week for eight weeks. For parents, there is the bonus of additional supervision. Older students at the school can volunteer to help, in this case earning necessary ser vice“Thehours.focus is on the arts and on STEM subjects, but it’s not books and studying,” Sellers says. “The kids love it.”

Students who continue private Catholic education into high school can attend Bene dictine College Preparatory and Saint Ger trude High School. The former is an allboys’ school, the latter an all girls’ school, and both are under an umbrella organiza tion called the Benedictine Schools of Rich mond. Jesse Grapes, president of the Bene dictine Schools of Richmond, extolls the unique programs available to students at bothTheschools.biggest leadership tradition at Saint

Gertrude’s is the song contest,” Grapes says. It involves 60-70 girls from each class in a singing and stationary dance competition. It is connected to the school choir.

The Benedictine corollary to the Saint Gertrude’s choir is the schola, a traditional boys’ choir that sings Latin hymns. “The traditional language of the church is Latin, so it’s a unique aspect of what we do,” Grapes says. “A lot of the boys that perform in the schola are also in the Latin club, which competes in the national Latin com petition each Benedictineyear.”isalso a military school, and offers a drill team, a military band and a rifle team.

For 2021, Saint Gertrude and Benedic tine students can participate in a hunt club, which focuses on hunting, fishing and hiking. “We think it enhances a student’s appreciation of God’s creation and the inter action of all living things,” Grapes says. “But it’s also a fellowship opportunity for both boys and girls.” // Originally published August 2021 and updated for Welcome Inc.

Benedictine student Sean McGranahan leads Saint Gertrude student Kara Gallagher onto the field as part of the school’s combined homecoming court.

Above: Dungeons and Dragons summer camp at Richmond Montessori School is on a roll

PUBLIC COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES IN VIRGINIA

Christopher Newport University Newport News 757-594-7000cnu.edu 4,600$13,522 76%14–119%

College of William & Mary Williamsburg 757-221-4000wm.edu 8,939$23,812 40%14–130%

George Mason University Fairfax 703-993-1000gmu.edu 37,386$12,564 87%17–158%

James Madison University Harrisonburg 540-568-6211jmu.edu 21,496$12,638 82%16–122%

Longwood University Farmville 434-395-2000longwood.edu 4,840$13,242 90%14–129%

Norfolk State University Norfolk 757-823-8600 nsu.edu 5,305 $9,622 92%16–196%

Old Dominion University Norfolk 757-683-3685odu.edu 19,375$11,016 87%17–137%

Radford University Radford 540-831-5000radford.edu 9,335$11,542 74.6%19–131%

Richard Bland College Petersburg 804-862-6100rbc.edu 2,435$18,199 42.3%20–147%

University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg 540-654-2000umw.edu 4,293$13,630 75%14–128%

University of Virginia Charlottesville 434-924-0311virginia.edu 27,115$17,798 24%15–144%

University of Virginia’s College at Wise Wise 276-328-0100uvawise.edu 2,021$11,162 77.4%13–117%

Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond 804-828-0100vcu.edu 31,037$14,596 87%18–146%

Virginia Military Institute (military) Lexington 540-464-7230vmi.edu 1,700$30,032 51%11–121%

Virginia State University Petersburg 804-524-5000vsu.edu 4,713$9,154 94%17–199%

Virginia Tech Blacksburg 540-231-6267vt.edu 34,131$13,691 70%14–131%

NONPROFIT PRIVATE FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES IN VIRGINIA

Averett University

Danville 800-283-7388averett.edu 903$35,600 61%12–134%

Bluefield University Bluefield 800-872-0176bluefield.edu 600$27,036 90%14–144%

Bridgewater College Bridgewater 540-828-8000bridgewater.edu 1,746$37,270 67%13–131%

Christendom College Front Royal 540-636-2900christendom.edu 493$27,240 82%15–1 n/a

Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg 540-432-4118emu.edu 1,550$38,850 59%10–135%

Emory and Henry College Emory 276-944-4121ehc.edu 1,292$48,225 71.2%11–116.4%

Ferrum College Ferrum 540-365-2121ferrum.edu 1,124$35,250 75%12–146%

Hampden-Sydney College (men only) Hampden-Sydney 434-223-6000 hsc.edu 1,046$46,890 55%10–112.8%

Hampton University Hampton 757-727-5000 hamptonu.edu 4,293$29,162 36%12–196%

Hollins University (women only UG) Roanoke 800-456-9595 hollins.edu 805$41,010 71%9–136%

Liberty University Lynchburg 434-582-2000 liberty.edu 15,175$24,910 22%19–1 n/a

Mary Baldwin College Staunton 540-887-7019marybaldwin.edu 1,000$31,085 95%10–153%

Marymount University Arlington 703-522-5600marymount.edu 3,363$32,100 81%12–149%

Randolph College Lynchburg 434-947-8100randolphcollege.edu 617$25,000 90%8–139%

Randolph-Macon College Ashland 804-752-7200 rmc.edu 1,550$43,940 71%11–124%

Regent University Virginia Beach 800-373-5504regent.edu 2,137$18,620 86%19–145%

Roanoke College Salem 540-375-2500roanoke.edu 2,000$47,020 72.5%13–118.2%

Shenandoah University Winchester 540-665-4500 su.edu 1,100$33,830 74%11–121%

Southern Virginia University Buena Vista 540-261-8400svu.edu 1,033$17,280 98.9%15–116%

Sweet Briar College (women only) Sweet Briar 434-381-6142sbc.edu 375$21,090 80%7–127.3%

University of Lynchburg Lynchburg 434-544-8100lynchburg.edu 3,100$40,91095%11–121%

University of Richmond Richmond 804-289-8000richmond.edu 4,002$54,690 33%8–127%

Virginia Union University Richmond 804-257-5600vuu.edu 1,388$14,50873%16–197%

Virginia Wesleyan College Norfolk, Virginia Beach 757-455-3200vwc.edu 1,374$45,99069%15–138%

Washington and Lee University Lexington 540-458-8400wlu.edu 1,860$57,28522%8–113%

ADDITIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Blue Ridge Community College $178.80 per credit hour. Weyers Cave, 540-234-9261 or www.brcc.edu.

Central Virginia Community College $161.25 per credit hour. Lynchburg, 434-832-7600 or centralvirginia.edu.

Dabney S. Lancaster Community College $157.50 per credit hour. Clifton Forge, 540-863-2820 or dcc.vccs.edu.

Danville Community College $157 per credit hour. Danville, 434-797-2222 or danville.edu.

Eastern Shore Community College $160 per credit hour. Melfa, 757-789-1789 or es.vccs.edu.

Germanna Community College $163.75 per credit hour. Fredericksburg, 540-891-3000 or germanna.edu.

John Tyler Community College $160 per credit hour. Multiple locations, 804-796-4000 or jtcc.edu.

Lord Fairfax Community College $183.15 per credit hour. Multiple locations, 800-906-5322 or lfcc.edu.

Mountain Empire Community College $157 per credit hour. Big Stone Gap, 276-523-2400 or mecc.edu.

New River Community College $156.55 per credit hour. Dublin, 540-674-3600 or nr.edu.

Northern Virginia Community College $185.50 per credit hour. Multiple locations, 703-323-3000 or nvcc.edu.

Patrick & Henry Community College $157.33 per credit hour. Martinsville, 276-638-8777 or patrickhenry.edu.

Paul D. Camp Community College $154 per credit hour. Multiple locations, 757-569-6700 or pdc.edu.

Piedmont Virginia Community College $159.65 per credit hour. Charlottesville, 434-977-3900 or pvcc.edu.

Rappahannock Community College $154 per credit hour. Multiple locations, 804-333-6730 or rappahannock.edu.

Reynolds Community College $166.60 per credit. Multiple locations. 804-371-3000 or reynolds.edu.

Southside Virginia Community College $156.50 per credit hour. Multiple locations, 434-949-1000 or southside.edu.

Southwest Virginia Community College $156.75 per credit hour (including fees). Richlands, 276-964-2555 or sw.edu.

Thomas Nelson Community College $160.20 per credit. Hampton, 757-825-2700; Williamsburg, 757-253-4300 or tncc.edu.

Tidewater Community College $185.35 per credit. Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, 757-822-1111 or tcc.edu.

Virginia Highlands Community College $157 per credit. Abingdon, 276-739-2400 or vhcc.edu.

Virginia Western Community College $170.09 per credit hour. Roanoke, 540-857-7354 or virginiawestern.edu. Wytheville Community College

$157.50 per credit. Wytheville, 276-223-4700 or wcc.vccs.edu.

ADULT EDUCATION

Averett University Bachelor’s, $480 per credit hour. Master’s $530 to $695 per credit hour. Evening classes for accelerated undergraduate or graduate degrees in business, education and criminal justice. Online classes available. 420 W. Main St., Danville, 434-791-5600 or averett.edu

Bluefield University

$365 per online undergraduate credit hour; eight majors available. $495 per graduate credit hour for licensed teachers currently employed. 800-872-0175 or bluefield.edu.

Catholic Distance University $165 per credit continuing-education; $305 per credit for undergraduates; $465 per credit for graduatelevel. Distance-learning for AA in Catholic studies, BA and graduate degrees in theology. 300 S. George St., Charles Town, West Virginia, 304-724-5000 or cdu.edu.

Community College Workforce Alliance

Workplace training in the greater Richmond region, a partnership between John Tyler Community College and Reynolds Community College. Various sites, 804523-2292 or ccwatraining.org.

John Tyler Community College

$160 per credit hour; call for details. Online associate’s degrees in a variety of disciplines. Teacher recertification courses available. Charter Colony Parkway, Midlothian, 804-796-4000; 13101 Jefferson Davis Highway, Chester, 804-594-1544 or jtcc.edu.

Lifelong Learning Institute

Academic and fitness classes for ages 50 and older. 13801 Westfield Road, Midlothian, 804-378-2527 or llichesterfield.org.

Mary Baldwin College in Richmond

$460 per credit hour through MBU online. Bachelor’s in more than 15 majors; teacher licensure; master’s in teaching, education; certificate programs in business management, health care administration, entrepreneurship, human resource management, leadership studies and long-term care. 2810 N. Parham Road, Suites 303 and 360, 804-282-9111 or marybaldwin.edu/ilearn/richmond.

Old Dominion University

$360 per undergraduate credit hour; $551 per graduate credit hour. More than 120 online degrees and certificates in business, education, engineering, health/social sciences, nursing and technology. Transfer agreements with Reynolds and John Tyler. 800-968-2638 or online.odu.edu.

Reynolds Community College $166.60 per credit hour; visit website for program details. Campuses at 1651 E. Parham Road, 700 E. Jackson St., and in Goochland at 1851 Dickinson Road or reynolds.edu.

Union Presbyterian Seminary $470 per semester hour. Graduate programs in biblical and theological studies, ministry and Christian education. 3401 Brook Road, 800-229-2990 or upsem.edu.

University of Richmond, Robins School of Business

Executive education and noncredit professional development programs to nurture leadership talent. MBA program, part-time, fully accredited graduate program for working professionals. 804-289-8550 or robins.richmond.edu.

University of Richmond, School of Professional and Continuing Studies

Degree program tuition starts at $495 per semester hour. Evening undergraduate and master’s degrees, professional development and training, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. 804-289-8133 or spcs.richmond.edu.

University of Virginia Richmond Center

Undergrad, $488. Graduate, $590. Bachelor’s degree completion programs, graduate certificate programs, custom education programs. 2810 N. Parham Road, Suite 300, 804-662-7464 or scps.virginia.edu.

Virginia Commonwealth University

More than 160 graduate and professional degree and certificate programs offered on campus and online. VCU Continuing and Professional Education offers noncredit, credit and CEU opportunities. 804-828-1322 or ocpe.vcu.edu

Virginia State University

$405 per undergraduate credit hour. $577 per graduate credit hour. 1 Hayden Drive, Petersburg, 804524-5000 or vsu.edu.

Virginia Tech Richmond Center

Graduate degrees, professional development, continuing-education and certificate programs. 2810 N. Parham Road, Suite 300, 804-662-7288 or richmond.vt.edu.

Virginia Union University

Evening business courses, theology courses and weekend teacher licensure programs. 1500 N. Lombardy St., 804-257-5600 or vuu.edu.

Visual Arts Center of Richmond

Online fall classes, $40 to $255; on-site classes, $5-$300. A long-standing community arts center that offers more than 1,000 youth and adult classes in 15 media. 804-353-0094 or visarts.org.

VMFA Studio School

$50-$270. Classes for ages 16 and older in creative writing, drawing, printmaking, painting, pottery, design, photography and yoga. 2915 Grove Ave., 804367-0816 or vmfa.museum.

PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS

Bryant & Stratton College

Offers degrees in business, health care, hospitality, legal studies and technology; on-site child care. 8141 Hull Street Road, 804-745-2444 or bryantstratton.edu.

South University

Programs in health care, criminal justice, business, public relations, psychology, theology, pharmacy and more. 2151 Old Brick Road, Glen Allen, 804-727-6800 or southuniversity.edu.

// Updated August 2021. To suggest an update to this listing, contact Special Projects Editor Nicole Cohen at nicolec@richmag.com.

For more than 150 years, Hampton University has been THE Standard of Excellence in higher education.

Founded in 1868 by General Samuel Chapman Armstrong, Hampton has a long history of offering a strong academic program of educating the ‘Head, Heart and Hand’ as well as emphasizing the development of character. This foundation has been built upon by Dr. William R. Harvey, who has served as Hampton’s President for more than 40 years, making him one of the longest-serving presidents of a college or university in America. His extraordinary leadership is reflected in the growth and quality of the University’s student population, academic programs, physical facilities and financial base. Hampton University

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Hiring Resources

AccountingACCOUNTINGPrincipals

Specializes in high-volume, transactional and operational accounting roles on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct-hire basis, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, bookkeepers, mortgage and banking. 804-968-7956 or accountingprincipals.com.

Key Personnel Inc. Permanent and temporary placement in accounting, bookkeeping, financial analysis, IT, administrative accounting, light industrial and customer service fields. 804-716-9450 or keypersonnel.net.

Parker + Lynch – Search & Consulting Supports the search for interim executives and senior-level accounting and finance professionals for needs such as those listed in Parker + Lynch – Executive Search, as well as project managers, enterprise risk initiatives and enterprise resource planning. 804-968-7956 or parkerlynch.com.

Robert Half Places professionals through its specialized staffing divisions: Accountemps, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Robert Half Management Resources, OfficeTeam and Robert Half Technology. 804-874-1129 or roberthalf.com/Richmond.

Vaco Richmond Nationwide consulting and professional search firm specializing in interim and permanent professionals in accounting, finance, technology and operations. 804-282-2700 or vaco.com.

CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT

Better Business Bureau of Central Virginia Helps foster relationships between businesses and consumers. 804-648-0016 or bbb.org/richmond.

Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council Fosters relationships between minority suppliers and potential clients. 804-663-7782 or cvmsdc.org.

Community College Workforce Alliance Workforce development partnership between John Tyler Community College (which will be renamed Brightpoint Community College in coming months) and Reynolds Community College. Offers noncredit training, custom-designed instruction, consulting, skills assessments and educational programs. 804-523-2292 or ccwatraining.org.

Gallagher Provides insurance, risk management and consulting services. 804-754-8330 or ajg.com.

Metropolitan Business League Membership-based association that creates business connections in Central Virginia. 804-649-7473 or thembl.com.

National Association of Women Business Owners, Richmond Chapter A coalition of female business owners and corporate partners in Central Virginia. 804-346-5644 or nawborichmond.org.

Needle’s Eye Ministries Inc. An organization that bridges business with spirituality. 804-358-1283 or needleseye.org.

Retail Merchants Association This organization’s mission is to help local retailers thrive. 804-662-5500 or retailmerchants.com.

RVATech-Richmond Technology Council Association of businesses and organizations focused on growing a tech-based economy in Virginia. 804-655-0896 or rvatech.com.

Service Corps of Retired Executives, Richmond Chapter Business mentors offering marketing, technical, operational and financial counseling to businesses and professionals. 804-350-3569 or richmond.score.org.

U.S. Small Business Administration, Richmond District An agency designed to protect the interests of small businesses in order to preserve a free enterprise economy. 804-771-2400 or sba.gov/va.

Virginia Commonwealth University Career Services Career and professional development for students and recent alumni. Delivers relevant services and proven success strategies. 804-828-1645 or careers.vcu.edu/ Virginia Council of CEOs A council of more than 160 CEOs who participate in meetings, discussions and forums in order to learn from each other. 804-360-2644 or vaceos.org.

Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity One-stop service for technical assistance related to business formation and workforce development. Dedicated to increasing women- and minority-owned businesses in Virginia. 804-786-6585 or sbsd.virginia.gov.

AquentCREATIVE/MARKETINGMarketing

Creative and instructional-design staffing. 804-673-8400 or aquent.com. Profiles Placement Services Marketing, creative,

advertising. careerprofiles.com.

Techead Staffing, training and solutions for IT and graphic arts. 804-782-6971 or techead.com.

DIRECT HIRE

Ajilon Specializes in the placement of executives and temporary and direct-hire professionals in human resources, marketing, supply chain and logistics, procurement, nonclinical health care and executive administrative support positions. 804-968-7956 or ajilon.com.

Parker + Lynch – Search See below for direct hire categories. Randstad Technologies Recruiting in various fields, including executive, clerical and light industrial. 804-217-9158 or randstad.com.

EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES

Virginia Employment Commission Portal for job opportunities, unemployment insurance and the labor market in Virginia. 866-832-2363 or vec.virginia.gov.

ParkerEXECUTIVE+Lynch–Executive

Search Aligns executive finance and accounting talent with opportunities

< HIRING RESOURCES CONT’D FROM P. 47

at world-class organizations. This team specializes in recruitment for executive, strategic, and highly specialized accounting and financial roles such as CFOs, controllers, treasury, M&A, SEC, tax, audit and financial planning and analysis roles. 804-968-7956 or parkerlynch.com.

GOVERNMENT JOB

ChesterfieldRESOURCES

804-748-1551 or chesterfield.gov. Hanover 804-365-6075 or hanovercountyjobs.com. Henrico 804-501-4628 or henricojobs.com. Richmond 804-646-5660 or richmondgov.com.

INDUSTRIALAerotek

Architecture, automotive, construction, civil and environmental engineering, scientific, administrative, labor staffing, and professional services, among other fields. 804-205-3820 or aerotek.com.

BEX Logistics and Driver Leasing Inc. Local/regional truckload and less-than-truckload delivery, CDL driver staffing, expedited and dedicated delivery, warehousing. 804-359-8806 or bexlogistics.com.

InterSpan Inc. Temporary and temp-to-hire staff for industrial, manufacturing and clerical positions. 804-279-9100 or interspanresources.com.

ResourceMFG Manufacturing and warehouse employment. 804-530-5622, or resourcemfg.com.

Staff Zone Temporary staffing agency for manuallabor positions. 804-233-7328 or staffzone.com.

ProspectLAWYERSBlue.

Temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire for the legal field and other professions. 804-282-1289 or prospectblue.com.

OFFICE WORK

Adecco Employment Services Places general employees with businesses. 804-288-4497 or adeccousa.com.

Ajilon Offers contract placement, including flextime arrangements. ajilon.com.

Apex Systems IT staffing and services. Temporary, temp-to-hire and direct placement. 804-254-2600 or apexsystemsinc.com.

Kelly Services Contract, temp-to-hire and direct hire for administrative, manufacturing, engineering, scientific, financial, education, legal, health care and more. kellyservices.com.

RemX Staffing Provides administrative, IT, financial/ accounting, scientific and engineering staffing. 804-270-4429 or remx.com.

Staffmark Offers temporary staffing, direct and tempto-hire placement. Chesterfield and South Side, 804-379-9159; West End, 804-285-8686; or staffmark.com.

Vaco-Richmond Specializes in part-time, full-time and flexible work opportunities, with a focus on working mothers. 804-282-2700 or vaco.com.

Technical staffing solutions firm offering placement in engineering and IT positions. 804-708-0885 or integrityplacement.net.

\\ 2020

LEFT OUT OF THE PARTY

Low housing inventory, low interest rates and high demand create a volatile and exclusive real estate market

// BY DON HARRISON

razy” is the word Jim Martin of Long & Foster uses to describe the current real estate market.

“I’ve been doing this for 28 years, and it’s more of a frenzy than I’ve seen,” says Martin, who is based in Midlo thian. “In the last downturn, prices were going up drastically, but it wasn’t so low an inventory like we have now. There’s just not much House-sellingavailable.”rules have gone out the window, Martin says. He’s seen desperate buyers across the region propose offers up to $60,000 above asking price. “Lots of con cessions are being made by the buyer just trying to be the one chosen. The result is that the average homebuyer, using tradi tional mortgage-based financing, is at a realRickdisadvantage.”Jarvisdescribes the metro Rich mond housing market in 2021 with one word: “extreme.”

“Each and every one of the inputs that drive our real estate market is in an extreme position right now,” says the founder of One South Realty. “There’s a great reshuffling happening where people are electing to live differently than they did before. ... It’s created a massive game of musical chairs.”

According to national inflow data pub lished by George Anders, senior editor at LinkedIn, Richmond has seen the third-highest growth in new residents since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. “We’ve grown three times our normal rate to 6%,” Jarvis says, citing the analysis. “We are

normally at 2%, so this has put a lot of pres sure on our housing market.”

“I can sum up the situation in four words: low inventory, high demand,” says

Laura Lafayette, CEO of the Richmond Association of Realtors. “There are very few homes on the market for sale right now. If we had four months of supply, that might look balanced. But we have less than a month’s supply of homes, which means that the homes available for purchase can be absorbed in three weeks’ time.” When demand outstrips supply, prices go up. “And that’s what we’re seeing.”

Jarvis says it’s difficult for typical mort gage-based purchasers to compete right now. “It feels like you are in a bidding war when you are trying to use typical mortgage products, like an appraisal,” he says. “The mortgage market is really not designed for the kind of real estate market we’re in.”

E.B. Davis considers herself lucky. The first-time homebuyer, working with One South Realtor Kathryn Oti, recently closed on a cozy three-bedroom house in Church Hill after only two failed attempts at buying other homes. “But it was definitely more difficult than I anticipated,” she says. “I would have to adjust my budget based on

“The notmarketmortgageisreallydesignedforthekindofrealestatemarket we’re in.”

—RICK JARVIS, ONE SOUTH REALTY

TOP NEW-HOME CLOSINGS

Richmond Metro Area: Harpers Mill - Chesterfield (189 homes sold)

New Kent County: Brickshire (43 homes sold)

Goochland County: Readers Ranch (65 homes sold)

Powhatan County: Aston (23 homes sold)

First-time homebuyer

how much I was told I would be competing against other buyers.” The first house she wanted had 19 other bids. “That was a heartache,” she says. “It just felt like exactly what I wanted, and I had my hopes up reallyHerhigh.”advice to other buyers is to be patient and have a good agent. “And adjust what you expected in the beginning, because there’s a good chance a lot of other people are looking for the same thing,” she says. “You may miss out on several houses, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find one in the end.”

One of the most popular searches on Google has people asking: “Is this a bubble?” There’s a perception that this hot housing market will come crashing down eventually, as it did during the recession. Jarvis doesn’t think so.

“The conditions that happened in 2008 are nowhere the same,” he says. “That was

caused by fraudulent creation of purchases by mortgage [lenders] offering loans to anybody and everybody. We overbuilt the properties we needed. The idea that this is a bubble is understandable, but this is really a supply-side restriction.”

There isn’t an obvious solution to the low inventory situation, Jarvis says. “We aren’t going to be able to build our way out of this problem. So I think [there is] going to be a prolonged period of time where there’s very, very low inventory. While pric ing may adjust, I still think we’re in for a prolonged period of time where it’s going to be a challenge for people entering the market.”Martin is more optimistic. “This has built into a frenzy so quickly that I feel that once this pandemic ends, homeowners will feel more comfortable and start put ting their houses on the market, and the prices will come down,” he says. “It just can’t continue like this; it’s out of sync.”

Lafayette’s advice to homebuyers is to be patient. “Go into the market recogniz ing that there’s a possibility that you could put a contract on a house and it might not be selected,” she says. “That could happen to you one, two, three times. It’s just that competitive.”

Real Talk

Insights from three local Realtors on how to compete and close a deal in a hot market

CATINA JONES, ICON GROUPREALTY

“The market is a very different animal these days. I tell people: Make strong offers out of the box. If you want to buy the house, make sure that’s reflected in your first offer.”

SARAH JARVIS, ONE REALTYSOUTH

“I know some people say, ‘Just rent for now and wait for things to calm down,’ but all the market is doing is escalating. Waiting longer might cost you money. There isn’t any downward pressure on pricing, and I don’t see anything that’s going to fix our inventory problem.”

She’s seen buyers bring more all-cash offers to the table, and escalation clauses are becoming common. “If you get an offer 5% over the list price, I’ll go 7% — that kind of thing,” she says. “I’ve seen buyers waive inspections, which I don’t recommend because you don’t know what you are buying. But there are buyers willing to take thatWhatrisk.”

the area needs are more town houses, condos and modest-priced hous ing, Lafayette says. “When we don’t have an adequate supply of entry-level housing, it kind of clogs the system up.” She says the region also needs more affordable options for seniors. “Our senior population is the fastest growing. We are creating five new senior households every day and will do so until 2040.” // Originally published June 2021 and updated for Welcome Inc.

MARGARET WADE, LONG & FOSTER

“I sell mostly in the city and the Near West End. This part of town has always been There’scompetitive.nonewland to build on, so there’s never enough inventory for buyers. If you’re going to make an offer in these areas in particular, it’s going to have to be very, very competitive.” I can sum up the situation in four words: low inventory, high demand. There are very few homes on the market for sale right now.” LAFAYETTE,

HUNTINGHOUSING

TEMPORARY HOUSING (A sampling)

Apartment Connection

Free apartment searches. Unfurnished and furnished housing. 888-905-7368 or apartmentconnection.biz.

Dabney Properties

Fully furnished town homes, condominiums and apartments for stays of 30-plus days. 804-716-9627 or dabneyproperties.com.

Extended Stay America

Offering a variety of accommodations throughout the region. 800-398-7829 or extendedstayamerica.com.

InTown Suites

Extended stays. 800-553-9338 or intownsuites.com.

Lakefield Mews

An apartment community convenient to Richmond International Airport. 804-222-7777 or lakefieldmewsapts.com.

Mainsail Corporate Housing

Offers short-term housing. 866-560-4505 or mainsailhousing.com.

National Corporate Housing Furnished apartments for business travel or rental. 804-648-4663.

The Reflections of West Creek Spacious apartments with flexible lease terms. 804-364-9199 or livereflectionswc.com.

RELOCATION SERVICES (A sampling)

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

PenFed Realty

Full-service Realtors. 866-225-5778 or penfedrealty.com.

Century 21 All American

Available to buy or sell your home. 804-378-2221 or century21.com.

Chamber Relocation at United Real Estate

Richmond Temporary and permanent housing. Concierge service. 804-564-7823

Joyner Fine Properties Offers a full-service relocation department. 804-270-9440 or joynerfineproperties.com.

Keller Williams Realty Agents provide tours. Richmond West, 804-282-5901; Midlothian, 804-858-9000; find them on Facebook.

Monroe Properties Assists searches for rental and sale properties in downtown neighborhoods. 804-643-3098 or monroeproperties.com.

Napier Realtors ERA

Offers services for those relocating into and out of Richmond and the Tri-Cities area. 804-794-4531 or napierera.com.

RE/MAX Commonwealth Assists with all phases of relocation. 800-772-5220 or homesinrichmond.com.

Snipes Properties Assists with corporate relocation as well as other real estate services. 804-482-4200 or //snipesproperties.com.Originallypublished October 2020 and updated for Welcome Inc.

AIRPORT 5213 Williamsburg Rd. (804) 226-2388

Patio open

SHORT PUMP 11621 W. Broad St. the promenade shops across from short pump town center (804) 330-9446

Patio open

ASHLAND 11670 Lakeridge parkway by bass pro (804) 496-6911

Patio open

MECHANICSVILLE

7162 Mechanicsville Tpk. Banquet & Meeting rooms (804) 559-8126

Patio open

FOREST HILL

7001 Forest Hill Ave. (804) 320-1069

Patio open

WOODLAKE

12031 southshore pointe dr. banquet & meeting rooms (804) 763-5640

Patio open

Pedal Power

Bicycling is a long-standing popular pastime in Richmond // BY DON HARRISON

Richmond, like the nation, has seen an influx of new cyclists over the past year, encouraged by the need for socially distanced transportation and rec reational activities during the pandemic. U.S. bicycle sales year over year as of April 2021 increased 57% in 2020, representing $6.5 billion in sales, according to the track ing company NPD Group.

“The winter months are particularly mild, the infrastructure is only getting better and we have long had a strong bicy cling community,” says Richmond cycling veteran Braden Govoni, owner of Outpost Richmond, a bike shop on Forest Hill Avenue. “And Richmond is only increasing its access for recreational cycling.”

“We’ve got a mix of everything here,” echoes Josh Silverman, the president of the Richmond Area Bicycling Association.

“We’ve got the Virginia Capital Trail, where you can go 52 miles from Richmond to Jamestown without any cars. We’ve got mountain biking options, particularly in Pocahontas State Park. Go east, and you’ll hardly find a hill, but head into Goochland and Powhatan, and you find rural areas with more challenging routes.”

The bicycle renaissance is being pro pelled by new riders, or people who haven’t been riding for some time, Govoni says. “People in general are just spending more time outside. And I think we’ve reached a kind of critical mass with some of the ongo ing improvements to bike infrastructure

we’ve seen, the Capital Trail being the big one. Six years on, it is in the collective cycling consciousness.”

Cat Anthony, executive director of the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, has wit nessed the trend firsthand. “There’s been a huge increase in trail ridership, and it continues,” she says, citing a 42% rise in walking and biking on the trail in 2020, with 1.2 million visitors.

Silverman thinks the bicycling resur gence has resulted in more accommodating public policy, as well as more attention to the goals set in the Richmond Regional Bicy cling Master Plan — specifically, more bike lanes, such as the additions to Brook Road and Malvern and Patterson avenues. “We still have a way to go,” he says, “but with

Braden Govoni (right), owner of Outpost Richmond, helps a customer select a bicycle.

—NPD

so many more bikes being sold out there on the market, I see a much bigger interest in building safer areas for people to ride.”

Richmond has been a prime cycling location for a long time, says Brantley Tyn dall, the director of outreach and events for Sports Backers’ Bike Walk RVA. “It goes back to when Lewis Ginter had a bicycling club, he says. “We just have ideal terrain for biking and a lot of great biking infrastructure.”

For the hardcore cyclist, Tyndall says, there are traditions such as the Tues day-night bike race series in Bryan Park, a 50-year summertime tradition. For the casual rider, there are annual events such as the Virginia Credit Union Moonlight Ride, an evening pedal that starts at the Diamond and treks through numerous Rich mond and Henrico neighborhoods.

The most exciting news of late, Tyndall says, is the announcement of the Fall Line trail, a planned 43-mile Ashland-to-Peters burg path that will eventually cross with the Capital Trail and snake through multiple communities.Silverman says the biking boom may prove to be in “a bit of a bubble,” but bicy cling will still prove popular in metro Rich mond. “I’m sure there are a lot of people who bought bikes who concluded that it was like going to the gym,” Silverman says. “They did it for six months and got out of the habit. And for some, it may be tied to their kids, so when they become empty nesters, they may lose interest in it. But it really is an addictive sport to many of us, and my hope is that this bike boom will continue.” // Originally published May 2021 and updated for Welcome Inc.

Bike Tours Rentalsand

Don’t have a bicycle? Want to explore new territory on two wheels? These local businesses have you covered.

ADVENTURES IN RVA

Rent road bicycles, tandem bikes and kayaks by the hour, day or week. Tours offered. 1912 E. Main St., 804-648-2453 or

BASKETrvabikerental.com&BIKE

Bike excursions and rentals for the Virginia Capital Trail, downtown and more. Picnic rides offered in partnership with Palate Picnics. 804-564-2568 or basketandbike.com

KUL WHEELS

Electric bike rentals and tours exploring Richmond and the Virginia Capital Trail. Also offers e-bike sales and service. 804-205-3452 or kulwheels.com

PEDEGO ELECTRIC BIKES

Electric bike sales, rentals and tours of historic sites. 804-343-1850 or

RIVERSIDEpedegoelectricbikes.comCYCLING

This offshoot of Riverside Outfitters offers guided road and mountain bike tours, bike rentals, repairs and sales. 804-496-0226 or riversideoutfitters.com/riverside-cyclingRVABIKESHARE

220 eight-speed bikes available 24/7 through 20 docking stations throughout the city. Purchase a membership on the website, mobile app or at a station kiosk.

RVArvabikes.comONWHEELS

Public and private tours via Segway, trolley, electric bike or GEM car. Pedego electric bike rentals. 1301 E. Cary St., 804-343-1850 or rvaonwheels.com

U.S. bicycle sales increased 57% year over year as of April representing2021,$6.5billioninsales.

The 2015 UCI Road World Championships stoked the flames of a cycling surge in Richmond.

PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES

IT’S TRUE.

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is home to more than 169 parks, open spaces, athletic fields, playgrounds and tot lots. PRCF has been recognized by the community and the region as a department that provides high quality and well-maintained parks, recreation facilities and programs that are accessible, cost effective and support the citizens’ vision and values for cultural unity, affordability, livability and healthy lifestyles.

But what makes our parks truly special is when you visit to: Meet with Friends – Feed the Ducks – Ride the Paddle Boats

– Gather with Family – Sun Bathe on the Lawn – Walk the Vita Course

– Enjoy Summer Concerts – See the Fireworks – Picnic by the Lake Sleigh ride – Fly a Kite – Reunite with Classmates at the Shelters

– Watch Baby’s First Steps – Celebrate Anniversaries – Take a Tennis Lesson

– Fish in the Pond – Enjoy the Walking Bridges – Ride the Bike Trails – Paddle the River – Have a First Kiss or Find the Perfect Spot to Propose.

It is your willingness to share your leisure and special moments with us, which bring our parks to life. For that honor, we…

THANK YOU.

From the PRCF Staff

Sports and Recreation sampling of things to do across the area

Operation hours subject to change. Call in advance to check.

CAMPING

Along with camping facilities at Pocahontas State Park dcr.virginia.gov, there are several private campgrounds throughout the region.

Americamps RV Resort

Tents, campers and RVs welcome; 200 sites. 11322 Air Park Road, Ashland. 804-798-5298 or americamps.com.

Ed Allen’s Campground and Cottages

Tents, campers and RVs welcome; 145 campsites. Cottages available. Open April-November. 13501 Campground Road, Lanexa. 804-966-2582 or edallens.com.

Hidden Acres Family Campground

Tents, campers and RVs welcome. 17391 Richmond Turnpike, Bowling Green. 804-633-7592

Kings Dominion Camp Wilderness Campground Cabins, pop-up and pull-through tent sites. 10061 Kings Dominion Blvd., Doswell. 800-562-4386, 804- 876-3500 or kingsdominion.com.

Riverside Camp and Marina Tents, campers and RVs welcome. Cabins available. 715 Riverside Drive, Lanexa. 804-966-5536 or riversidecampandmarina.com.

Rockahock Campground Tents, campers and RVs welcome. River houses, cottages, villas and yurts. 1428 Outpost Road, Lanexa. 804-966-8362 or rockahockcampground.com.

GOLF-RELATED OPTIONS

Includes driving ranges, mini golf and disc golf.

Bogey’s Sports Park

1675 Ashland Road. 804-784-1544 or bogeyssportspark.com.

Bryan Park

4308 Hermitage Road.

Dorey Park 2999 Darbytown Road.

Drive Shack 1647 Four Rings Drive. driveshack.com

Dunncroft Castle Point Park 4901 Francistown Road.

Gillies Creek Park 4425 Williamsburg Ave.

Goyne Park 5300 Ecoff Ave., Chester.

Hanover Sports Park 11000 Washington Highway. 804-550-2622 or hanoversportspark.com.

Hotel Greene 508 E. Franklin St. 804-447-5958 or hotelgreene.com.

Ironbridge Sports Park

11400 Iron Bridge Road, Chester. 804-748-7770 or ironbridgesportspark.com.

Patterson Golf Park 12586 Patterson Ave. 804-784-4544 or pattersongolfpark.com.

Putt-Putt Fun Center 7901 Midlothian Turnpike. 804-272-4373 or myputtputt.com.

Rockwood Golf Park 10239 Hull Street Road. 804-276-3765 or facebook.com/RockwoodGolfPark.

Topgolf 2308 Westwood Ave. 804-977-6371 or topgolf.com/us/richmond.

University of Richmond 470 Westhampton Way.

White Bank Park 400 White Bank Road, Colonial Heights.

Windy Hill Sports Complex 16500 Midlothian Turnpike. 804-794-0010 or windyhillsports.com.

PUBLIC GOLF COURSES

Belmont Golf Course

Newly renovated, with 12 of the original holes restored, an 18-hole putting course, a 6-hole short course, a driving range and a wedge range. Welcomes players of all ages and skills. 1600 Hilliard Road. playbelmontrva.org.

Birkdale Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 71, reservations required. 8511 Royal Birkdale Drive. 804-739-8800 or acumengolf.com.

Brickshire Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, semiprivate, reservations recommended. 5520 Virginia Park Drive. 804-966-7888 or brickshiregolfclub.com.

Brookwoods Eighteen-hole course, par 72. 7325 Club Drive, Quinton. 804-932-3737 or brookwoodsgolf.com.

The Club at Viniterra

Eighteen-hole championship course, par 72, semiprivate, reservations taken a week in advance. 8647 Angel’s Share Drive, New Kent. 804-932-3888 or viniterragolf.com.

The Crossings Golf Club

Eighteen-hole championship course, par 72, reservations taken a week in advance. 800 Virginia Center Parkway. 804-261-0000 or thecrossingsgc.com.

The First Tee of Greater Chesterfield and Richmond Eighteen-hole course at the Chesterfield location, par 66. 6736 Huntingcreek Drive. 804-275-8050. Richmond location has a renovated six-hole, par 3 course. 400 W. School St. 804-728-3857 or thefirstteegreaterrichmond.org.

Glenwood Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 71. 3100 Creighton Road. 804-226-1793 or glenwoodgolfclub1927.com.

The Golf Club at The Highlands

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, semiprivate. 8136 Highland Glen Drive. 804-796-4800 or highlands-golf.com.

Hanover Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 71, semiprivate. 14314 Country Club Drive. 804-798-8381 or hanovergolfva. com.

The Hollows Golf Club

Twenty-seven holes of golf. Three nine-hole courses, par 35 each. 18-hole course, par 70, reservations recommended. 14501 Greenwood Church Road. 804-883-5381 or thehollows.com.

Hunting Hawk Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, reservations required. 15201 Ashland Road. 804-749-1900 or huntinghawkgolf.com.

Magnolia Green Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, reservations recommended. 7001 Awesome Drive, Moseley. 804-639-5701 or magnoliagreengolfclub.com.

Providence Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 71, reservations required. 1160 S. Providence Road. 804-276-1865 or providencegolfclub.com.

Royal New Kent Golf Club

Eighteen-hole course, par 72, semiprivate. 10100 Kent Field Road, Providence Forge. 804-966-7023 or royalnewkent.com.

Windy Hill Sports Complex

A lighted par-3 nine-hole course and a regulation nine-hole lake course, par 35. 16500 Midlothian Turnpike. 804-794-0010 or windyhillsports.com.

SPECTATOR SPORTS

Auto Racing

In April and September, catch NASCAR Cup Series, Gander Outdoors Trucks and Xfinity Series action at Richmond Raceway. 600 E. Laburnum Ave. 866-455-7223 or richmondraceway.com.

Baseball

The Richmond Flying Squirrels, a Double-A minorleague baseball team, play at The Diamond. 804-359-3866 or squirrelsbaseball.com. The Tri-City Chili Peppers, a Coastal Plain League

baseball team, plays its home games at Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights. 804-221-9855 or chilipeppersbaseball.com.

College Sports

Randolph-Macon College: 804-752-7223 or rmcathletics.com; University of Richmond: 804-289-8363 or richmondspiders.com; Virginia Commonwealth University: 804-828-7267 or vcuathletics.com; Virginia State University: 804-524-5030 or govsutrojans.com; and Virginia Union University: 804-342-1484 or vuu.sports.com.

Horse Racing

Colonial Downs hosts live horse racing during the summer season. 10515 Colonial Downs Parkway, New Kent. 804-966-7223 or colonialdowns.com.

Soccer

City Stadium is home for the Richmond Kickers USL Pro Capital soccer team. 804-644-5425 or richmondkickers.com.

Volleyball

The Richmond Volleyball Club fosters the sport in Central Virginia. 804-358-3000 or rvc.net.

EXTREME SPORTS

Challenge Discovery

Located on the campus of the University of Richmond, a ropes course and other groundlevel challenges encourage team building and fun. 22 Westhampton Way. 804-876-9733 or challengediscovery.com.

Peak Experiences Indoor Rock Climbing Gym

Offers two rock-climbing centers, including the 21,000-square-foot Scott’s Addition location. 11421 Polo Circle, Midlothian, 804-897-6800; 1375 Overbrook Road, 804-655-2628 or peakexperiences.com.

Ravenchase Adventures

Custom adventure races for any size group or occasion. 800-282-3169 or ravenchase.com.

Richmond BMX

Premier BMX track located in Gillies Creek Park. 4200 Hobbs Lane. 540-514-0062 or richmondbmx.com.

Riverside Outfitters

Recreational tree climbing, guided whitewater rafting, and stand-up paddleboarding, kayak and canoe trips. Kayak, canoe and stand-up paddleboard rentals are also available. 6836 Old Westham Road. 804-560-0068 or riversideoutfitters.com.

RVA Paddlesports

Whitewater rafting trips, kayak instruction and rentals, and safety courses. 804-898-0697 or rvapaddlesports.com.

Stumpy’s Hatchet House

Recreational ax-throwing venue at Stony Point Fashion Park. 9200 Stony Point Parkway. 804-592-6969 or stumpyshh.com/richmondva.

Thunderbolt Indoor Karting

Electric indoor go-karts make for a high-speed, ecofriendly experience. 1365 Carmia Way. 804-378-6066 or thunderboltkarting.com.

Triangle Rock Club

Indoor climbing, fitness and yoga facility offering 45-foot tall climbing walls and 15,000 square feet of terrain. 4700 Thalbro St. 804-215-3200 or trianglerockclub.com.

The Virginia Axe Co.

Recreational ax- and knife-throwing venue. 2305 Commerce Center Drive, Rockville. 804-944-0152 or thevirginiaaxecompany.com.

WATER CobblestonesPARKSPark

Splash Zone water park, 5 acres of sandy beach and one of the largest concrete swimming pools in Virginia. Open Memorial Day-Labor Day. 13131 Overhill Lake Lane. 804-798-6819 or cobblestonespark.com.

Hadad’s Lake Rope swings, blob, launch tower, rowboats and more. Water park open May-September (also open for events). 7900 Osborne Turnpike. 804-795-2659 or hadadslake.com.

Kings Dominion Soak City

Included with park admission, Soak City features 20 acres of wet fun. Generally opens Memorial DayLabor Day. 16000 Theme Park Way. 804-876-5000 or

//kingsdominion.com.UpdatedSeptember

2021. To suggest an update to this listing, contact Special Projects Editor Nicole Cohen at nicolec@richmag.com.

The James River near Pony Pasture is popular with kayakers.

Dear Richmond

Notes on an almost 20-year romance

// BY MELISSA SCOTT SINCLAIR

Hey, baby.Doyou remember when we first met? I came to town with friends to hear Soul Cough ing play on Mayo Island. (I know I’m getting old, honey. Don’t remind me.) We ate at Third Street Diner. That’s not much to go on, is it? But it was April. You’re always so charming in April.

I saw you again a few years later, when I came to town for a job interview. I stopped for lunch at the Paragon Pharmacy near VCU, and the cook showed me how to properly peel a hard-boiled egg. Don’t bang it on the counter, she told me. Roll it. She peeled off the perfectly fractured shell.The

Paragon is gone now. So many things are. But back then, everything was new to me. And I realized I liked you, Rich mond. I liked you a lot. You didn’t seem to mind that I wasn’t from here.

I remember going on the first date with

the man I would marry: French toast at The Triple. The booth by the window. Sunday morning sunshine. I was married in the Italian Garden at Maymont, on a sweltering July evening. After a few years in a Grove Avenue apartment, I moved into a 1940s brick Cape in Lakeside. Then an ersatz blue Victorian in Bon Air. I’m sorry I crossed the city line, honey. But I still write “RVA” as my return address.

You’re easy to love. (Remember that old slogan?) But at some point, I realized that was the problem in our relationship. You told stories about yourself that weren’t true. You tried so hard to hang onto your white-columned facade. You maintained a terrible gentility.

You sold 350,000 people. You didn’t like to speak of it. You kept the cash.

You pretended those big, bearded mon uments were just your old furniture. Even I came to regard them as decorations.

But they weren’t. They never were.

And you know, Richmond, I’ve never

loved you quite so much as I did in the summer of 2020 during the Black Lives Matter protests when, at last, you bowed your head and told the truth. When hun dreds stood in a sudden storm and watched Stonewall Jackson come down. When Lee was painted in anger and grief and exu berance and finally, stunningly, by S. Ross Browne.

I knew you had it in you. Because I’ve been with you nearly 20 years, remember? I’ve been a student of your history. I’ve listened to the people who lived it. And all along, I’ve known you were more than your statues and your sins.

Chris Barras, pastor of Area 10 Faith Community, once told me: “You love a place not because it’s lovable; you love it until it’s lovable.”

He was talking about you, Richmond. And I think that’s what you are becoming.

I am, too. And I’ll always love you. // Originally published February 2021 and updat ed for Welcome Inc.

The author in front of the “LOVEVOLVE” mural by Sunny Stack Goode on Hull Street in Manchester

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