Picked up from the Buttermilk & Molasses blog and confirmed from a UR press release, UR and VCU have partnered up to provide EDULEAD which:

will offer an expanded number of leadership programs to four groups of public school leaders, aspiring principals, principals of academically struggling schools, first-year principals and principals of highly successful schools. The partnership also will follow up with impact studies.

I’m thinking a few of our city “leaders” should put down their sticks and stones and consider attending this program.

The Times-Dispatch reports three new retailers at Regency Square Mall:

• The Walking Co. shoe store, which sells brands with innovative comfort construction. The chain also has a store at Stony Point Fashion Park.
• For Love 21 accessories store. It is the sister chain to Forever 21.
• River City Body Jewelry, a body-piercing company owned locally by Rob and Jessica Weaver. It is an offshoot of River City Tattoo on North Boulevard.

Well, I guess I’d call it Scott’s Addition, but you can call it the Near West End if you want to!

Summit Corporate Center Fetches $2.3M
French Consulting Acquires 24,000-SF Office Bldg.

French Consulting has acquired the Summit Corporate Center in Richmond, VA, from a group of private investors for $2.34 million, or about $98 per square foot.

The two-story office building is on about a third-of-an-acre at 1707 Summit Ave. in Richmond’s Near West End submarket. It was constructed in 1927 and renovated in 1997, and totals 24,000 square feet.

Birck Turnbull, CCIM of Thalhimer/Cushman & Wakefield represented the sellers, while I. Rowland Williams III of Thalhimer/Cushman & Wakefield represented the buyer.

[via]

It’s very impressive that Richmond attracts many high-powered corporations to our area. That opens up many doors of opportunity not only for our economy but by allowing our schools and universities to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the corporations’ high power executives.

Read more >

Over this past summer, business leaders from some of Richmond’s largest corporations provided input over an informal dinner. The Times-Dispatch provides an article about their input and various suggested initiatives relating from retirement plans to spending, etc.

Read more >

I’m sure there are a few living in the Near West End that eat Kroger potato salad (myself excluded) so I thought this might be a worthy mention. :)

Read more >

The Valentine Richmond History Museum announced 5 Richmond History Makers — folks who really make a difference to the Richmond community. To read more about these exceptional Richmonders, click here.

Here are the latest building permits for our area today from the Times-Dispatch:

Ryan Homes West; 1026 Southwinds Drive, $303,000; 1024 Southwinds Drive, $230,000; 1022 Southwinds Drive, $236,000; 1020 Southwinds Drive, $303,000; 4104 Birch Point Court, $171,000; 4102 Birch Point Court, $167,000; 4100 Birch Point Court, $199,000; 4110 Maple Tree Court, $203,000; 4108 Maple Tree Court, $186,000; 4106 Maple Tree Court, $182,000; 4104 Maple Tree Court, $186,000; 4102 Maple Tree Court, $170,000; 4100 Maple Tree Court, $203,000; 916 Pale Moon Drive, $207,000; 914 Pale Moon Drive, $189,000; 912 Pale Moon Drive, $189,000; 910 Pale Moon Drive, $205,000; 906 Wellston Court, $210,000; 904 Wellston Court, $208,000; 902 Wellston Court, $205,000; 900 Wellston Court, $269,000; 1010 Southwinds Drive, $261,000; 1012 Southwinds Drive, $247,000; 1014 Southwinds Drive, $247,000; 1016 Southwinds Drive, $262,000; 2900 Murano Way, $339,700; 2902 Murano Way, $287,000; 2904 Murano Way, $337,700; 2906 Murano Way, $282,700; 551 Siena Lane, $321,400; 553 Siena Lane, $320,400; 555 Siena Lane, $324,000; 557 Siena Lane, $300,400; 5109 Austin Healey Drive, $528,000; 4900 Austin Healey Place, $513,000; 121 Hawk West Court, $341,000.

Read more >

Altria Group announced today that it intends to spin off Phillip Morris International into a separate company, which could be great news for the Richmond area. The Near West End is already home to Philip Morris USA, the domestic branch of the company.
The Richmond Times Dispatch reports:
Philip Morris USA and its sister company Philip Morris International are planning to split up, and the result could be a new Fortune 500 headquarters for the Richmond area.

How many jobs that might add to the 6,000 already here is up in the air.

The parent company of Henrico’s Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex will not spin-off the small appliance maker as an independent company as previously stated, The Times-Dispatch reports.. In April, NACCO Industries Inc, the parent company, said it planned to spin off Hamilton Beach, which would have provided opportunities for growth.