Richmond Economic & Community Development January 2011 E-News

Skyline Title

Volume 1, Issue 1

January 25, 2011

Health Diagnostics Laboratory, Inc.

(HDL) Announces 200+ New Jobs in Richmond

$4.2 Million Expansion at Virginia Biotechnology Research Park

HDL, Inc. Co-Founder and President Tonya Mallory

On January 19, 2011, Mayor Dwight C. Jones and HDL's President Tonya Mallory joined the First Lady of Virginia Maureen McDonnell in
celebrating the grand opening of the new 42,000-square-foot office and lab space at the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park in downtown Richmond.

On October 27, 2010, Governor Bob McDonnell

announced that HDL, Inc. would invest $4.2 million in its operation in the City of Richmond's Virginia

Biotechnology Research Park, expanding its clinical laboratory, diagnostics and clinical trial services, as well as its physician/patient consulting services.

To read the full Commonwealth of Virginia press release, please click here.

To view an interview with HDL's President and Co-Founder Tonya Mallory, please click here.

To read the Richmond Times Dispatch article highlighting the grand opening of the new space, click here.

C'est Le Vin Grand Opening in Shockoe Bottom

Locally-Owned Small Business Opens with ECD Financial Tools

C'est Le Vin Grand Opening

On October 27, 2010, Mayor Dwight C. Jones,

City Council Vice President Ellen Robertson, ECD staff and community members joined in the celebration of the grand opening of Shockoe Bottom's newest business, C'est Le Vin.

C'est Le Vin is an art and wine gallery featuring artwork from locally, nationally and internationally renowned artists, as well as specializing in fine cheeses and wine. This new business qualified for financial incentives through ECD's Commercial Area Revitalization Effort (CARE) Program.

For more information on the CARE program, please click here.

To view the photo gallery of the grand opening, please click here.

Shockoe Bottom Revitalization Strategy Charrette

Economic Development Visioning Underway

ShockoeBottomRevitpostcard During the week of November 8, 2010, ECD held a series of public forums to share ideas about how to revitalize Shockoe Bottom. ECD hired Bay Area Economics (BAE) for the purpose of developing an Economic Revitalization Strategy for Shockoe Bottom to guide the area's future growth.

Click here to view the existing conditions analysis presentation held at the begining of the week as well as the charrette wrap-up presented at the end of the week.

Richmond Workforce Pipeline Underway

First Workforce Class Yields Results

Martha Rollins, Dr. Thomas H. Beatty, Peter H. Chapman and Mayor Dwight C. Jones at first Richmond Workforce Pipeline Job Fair

The Richmond Times Dispatch highlighted the city of Richmond's new workforce development program, developed by ECD Workforce Development Programs Administrator Jamison Manion, in a November 18, 2010 article. The Richmond Workforce Pipeline initiative identifies available jobs and then prepares workers to fill those jobs.

The first 20-member class completed the 30-hour training which focused on construction jobs and then had the opportunity to interview with half a dozen employers in the field they had just received training and certifications.

Future classes are expected to focus on health care and commercial truck driving. To read the complete article, please click

here

New Williams Mullen Building Attracts Tenants

New Tenants Include Accounting Firm Cherry, Bekaert & Holland

According to Michael Schwartz with Richmond BizSense, the new Wi Williams Mullen

lliams Mullen skyscraper has landed three new tenants. Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, one of the largest CPA firms in the country, has leased 21,000 square feet. In addition, investment firm Agincourt Capital Management has leased 6,630 square feet and a new bakery and cafe called La Parisienne has leased 2,350 square feet on the ground level.