Grenova Inc. to invest $10.6 million to increase production of pipette tip cleaning, washing and sterilizing machines Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Grenova Inc., a Virginia-based sustainable biotech firm that designs, develops, and manufactures devices that wash and sterilize contaminated pipette tips for reuse, will invest $10.6 million to expand in the City of Richmond. The company will relocate its operations from Manchester to a larger facility in Scott’s Addition and increase capacity with new production lines in response to the shortage of pipette tips used for COVID-19 testing. Governor Northam joined company leaders at the site of Grenova’s future location at 1900 Ellen Road to celebrate the project, which will add 250 new jobs over the next three years.   “We are thrilled to celebrate this homegrown sustainable biotech firm expanding and adding to its workforce in Richmond,” said Governor Northam . “It is remarkable to see Virgini...

The City Treasurer’s Office of Financial Empowerment is proud to announce its 2nd Annual Financial Literacy Fair to be held virtually on   Tuesday, April 20, 2019 from 11:30 am – 3:30 pm   in in support of Financial Literacy Month. Residents will have the opportunity to learn valuable information about their finances during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a new feature this year, workshops will also be held for the business community. While residents will learn how to better manage their finances during a pandemic, small business owners will learn how to maximize their dollar and benefit from other programs offered by the city.   Topics will be presented in quick, 30-minute segments on many topics, such as   Navigating Finances through COVID ,   Managing Debt During COVID , and   Better Living Through Spending Plans . There will be simultaneous sessions created for business owners on topics such as   Financing Your Own Business   and   Navigating t...

Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced the hiring of a new Director of Housing and Community Development as well as the appointment of a Homeless Services Liaison for the City of Richmond.   Longtime affordable housing and community development professional Sherrill Hampton will serve as Director of Housing and Community Development.    Dianne Wilmore, the Community Service Manager at the North Avenue Branch of the Richmond Public Library, will assume the role of Homeless Services Liaison.   “Affordable housing and homelessness are two of the most critical issues facing American cities, and the City of Richmond is no exception,” said Mayor Stoney. “The need for experienced and caring individuals to address these issues has only been heightened by the pandemic, and that’s why I’m grateful to have two highly qualified public servants joining our team in this effort.”   Ms. Hampton has more than 25 years of experience in the affordable housing and community developm...

The City of Richmond has scheduled the next virtual community meetings to report on the public comments received since March 2021 on resort casinos and proposed resort casino projects and locations. The meetings will take place on Thursday, April 8, at 6:00pm, and Friday, April 9, at 12:00pm. The meetings will be held via MS Teams and will feature the same presentation.   Thursday, April 8 at 6:00pm MS Teams Link:   http://bit.ly/APR82021 Join via Phone:   1 804-316-9457 Conference ID: 478 604 710#   Friday, April 9 at 12:00pm MS Teams Link:   http://bit.ly/APR92021 Join via Phone:   1 804-316-9457 Conference ID: 175 675 932#   Videos of the two virtual meetings, the digital community engagement, and more information about the Resort Casino RFQ/P process can be found at   www.rva.gov/economic-development/resort-casino . ##

Pilot program uses public space to facilitate safe support for local businesses In June of 2020, Venture Richmond and the City of Richmond announced “Picnic in a Parklet,” a program designed to assist Richmond restaurants and other businesses with safe reopening and social distancing requirements. Through this partnership, business owners were offered design and permitting assistance for their requests for more outdoor space, particularly parklets. This week, construction will begin on five prefabricated parklets at locations adjacent to businesses who participated in the Picnic in a Parklet program. The first two pilot locations include N 29th Street in Church Hill, adjacent to the Nile Ethiopian Café, and N Shields Avenue in the Fan, adjacent to Joe’s Inn. Three additional locations are currently in the works with interested business owners.  “The Picnic in a Parklet program has been an exciting new frontier for the city and its partners,” said Mayor Stoney. “Public space is a va...

Group will engage teacher voices to advance career preparation and year-round school goals   The application for Richmond Public Schools educators to join the city’s Educator Task Force (ETF) is open and available   here .   The mission of the ETF is to engage and elevate educators’ voices to support and advance Mayor Stoney’s children, youth and education priorities for his second term while responding to emerging priorities as needed. Teachers, counselors and other support staff will comprise the task force.   “In any conversation on supporting Richmond’s children and families, educator voices are irreplaceable,” said Mayor Stoney. “I’m hopeful the recommendations of this group of experienced professionals will support the success of Richmond’s children inside and outside the classroom.”   The task force’s recommendations will inform the work of the Office of Children and Families (OCF). Planned for FY22, OCF will also convene a Youth Advisory Council to guide...

The City of Richmond today narrowed the field of proposed bidders for a resort casino development to three finalists. The three finalists selected by the City’s Evaluation Panel are:  Bally’s Richmond Casino Resort, Live! Casino & Hotel Richmond, and One Casino + Resort.  Six proposals were originally submitted and reviewed by the Evaluation Panel, which considered, among other factors, each proposal’s site control, feasibility of financial projections, organizational experience, community impact/benefits, location, potential city revenues, and economic development impact.  The top ranked proposals stood out because the operators provided strong proposals with detailed financial and operational analyses to support their vision for a resort casino in Richmond. The Evaluation Panel will enter into the next phase of evaluation and begin negotiations with these operators; while continuing to engage the Richmond community.  Proposals not advancing to the next round of...