Mike Platania

Richmond

Reporter at Richmond BizSense

Writer. (at)https://t.co/Gi6sX4Ye7F Formerly of @ManagingMadrid. Virginia Tech & @BikeTheUSforMS alum.

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Articles

4-story apartment infill planned on Cutshaw Ave. in Sauer's Gardens

4 days ago | richmondbizsense.com | Mike Platania

The city’s Sauer’s Gardens area is set to get some new residential infill development. A four-story apartment building is in the works for 3925 Cutshaw Ave., according to city planning documents. Local real estate agents and investors Joseph Lawson and Cabell Childress are behind the project, which would rise on a grassy area adjacent to a two-story apartment building at 3917 Cutshaw Ave. that Lawson and Childress bought in 2023 for $3.1 million.
BigWife's, the mac and cheese spot run by Bookbinder’s owners, has closed

5 days ago | richmondbizsense.com | Mike Platania

After a two run, a restaurant along Arthur Ashe Boulevard has boiled its last noodle. BigWife’s Mac n’ Cheese ceased operations in recent weeks at 1017 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. BigWife’s was owned by John and Jayme Taxin, the local couple that owns Shockoe Bottom dining institution Bookbinder’s Seafood & Steakhouse.
Long-vacant former Fieldens building on Broad to get mixed-use makeover

1 week ago | richmondbizsense.com | Mike Platania

A Broad Street property with a storied past is getting new life. The three-story building at 2033 W. Broad St. is being converted into nine apartments plus commercial space. The redevelopment is being led by local developer, broker and investor Birck Turnbull, who confirmed the plans. While it’s been vacant in recent years, the century-old structure was long home to Fieldens, a late-night club that was popular among the LGBTQ community from the late 1970s through the 2000s.
Family Dollar in Forest Hill to close; landlords plan heavy renovation for new tenants

1 week ago | richmondbizsense.com | Mike Platania

A longtime Southside retail building is once again being eyed for redevelopment. The Family Dollar at 1200 Westover Hills Blvd. will close this fall on Oct. 1, according to property co-owner Birck Turnbull. Turnbull, who owns the building with frequent collaborator Charles Bice, said they’re looking to rehab the 15,000-square-foot building to bring in new office and/or retail tenants once Family Dollar closes.
RIC lands Hardywood, Beet Box and Wolfgang Puck as newest food/drink vendors

1 week ago | richmondbizsense.com | Mike Platania

A slate of new dining options is due to arrive at Richmond International Airport later this year, including outposts from two local brands. This week the Capital Region Airport Commission voted to approve deals for four new concession operators: a bar from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, a Wolfgang Puck Bar & Bites restaurant, and two concepts from local juice bar The Beet Box.
Two trios of Arts District buildings test the market, with one finding a buyer and the other put back up for sale

1 week ago | richmondbizsense.com | Mike Platania

Despite receiving a $1.6 million bid at auction, a group of three mixed-use building in the Arts District is going back on the market. And just up the street, another trio of buildings has just changed hands. The adjacent properties at 100 W. Broad St., 304 N. Adams St. and 314 Brook Road went to the auction block earlier this month, before the $1.6 million winning bid was rejected by the seller. The assemblage counts nine apartments and seven commercial suites in the heart of the Arts District.
VCU buys 890-space downtown parking deck for $7M

1 week ago | ourcommunitynow.com | Mike Platania

Share VCU just bought a sizable downtown parking deck from a Richmonder who knows the university well. Earlier this month the university paid for $7.2 million for the six-level garage at 1410 E. Cary St. The seller in the deal was Jim Farinholt, a former investment banker who developed the deck in the 1980s. That was around the time that Farinholt started a nine-year stint on VCU’s Board of Visitors.
VCU buys 890-space downtown parking deck for $7M

1 week ago | richmondbizsense.com | Mike Platania

VCU just bought a sizable downtown parking deck from a Richmonder who knows the university well. Earlier this month the university paid for $7.2 million for the six-level garage at 1410 E. Cary St. The seller in the deal was Jim Farinholt, a former investment banker who developed the deck in the 1980s. That was around the time that Farinholt started a nine-year stint on VCU’s Board of Visitors.
Dormant restaurant spot on Cary St. changes hands

2 weeks ago | richmondbizsense.com | Mike Platania

Now in the hands of some local restaurateurs, a dormant Fan-area commercial space may be getting new life. Last week, 2601 W. Cary St. sold for $1.2 million, city records show. The LLC that bought the property is tied to restaurateurs Naveen Sadana and Bachitar Singh, who co-own Jannat Indian Cuisine in Henrico’s west end. Sadana also has ties to the city. In 2023, he bought Citizen Burger Bar in Carytown and converted it into Carytown Indian Cuisine.
Project Snapshot: The Bakery, a 12-story apartment tower in Shockoe Bottom, nears completion

2 weeks ago | richmondbizsense.com | Mike Platania

A prolific local development firm is wrapping up work on its largest project yet, and recently snagged an adjacent lot for the future. Historic Housing is nearing completion on The Bakery, a 211-unit apartment building at 127 N. 17th St. At 12 stories, The Bakery is the tallest new apartment building to rise in Shockoe Bottom in recent years. Named for the former Weiman’s Bakery building that once stood on the site, The Bakery has been in the works since 2021.