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Restaurant chain First Watch to open spot near Virginia Center Commons – Richmond BizSense

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Restaurant chain First Watch to open spot near Virginia Center Commons – Richmond BizSense


The Florida-based chain has six locations throughout Richmond, including one near Willow Lawn. (Mike Platania photo)

With the revitalization of Virginia Center Commons underway up the road and another major development planned in the vicinity, a fast-growing restaurant chain is getting in on the action in Central Henrico. 

Breakfast and lunch spot First Watch is planning to build a new location in the Stuart’s Crossing shopping center at 1091 Virginia Center Parkway. 

Earlier this month, the Florida-based chain filed plans to build the new restaurant on an undeveloped, 1.2-acre plot adjacent to the intersection with Brook Road.

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First Watch first arrived in Richmond in 2018, serving breakfast classics like eggs benedict, omelets, pancakes and waffles, along with salads, bowls and sandwiches for lunch. It calls itself a “daytime cafe,” with most of its locations closing in the early afternoon. 

The company was founded in the 1980s near Tampa, Florida, and has been on a growth kick in recent years, now operating 520 restaurants in 29 states. Locally it has six locations in areas like Willow Lawn, Short Pump, Midlothian and Chester. 

A spokesperson for First Watch said the company is “exploring further growth in the Greater Richmond area and has several leases in various stages of negotiation.”

Plans show the First Watch on Virginia Center Parkway would total around 4,200 square feet and include an outdoor dining area. First Watch is listed as the project developer and E.D. Lewis & Associates is the engineer. 

It’s unclear whether First Watch would look to acquire the land ahead of the development. The parcel is currently owned by Sauer Properties, which is planning a major multi-use development with up to 780 homes on the nearly 100 wooded acres it owns to the east. Sauer Properties director Marshall French declined to comment about First Watch’s plans.  

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More new restaurants are likely to join First Watch as part of the ongoing redevelopment of the former Virginia Center Commons mall. Last week Shamin Hotels broke ground on a pair of restaurant outparcels and hotels that’ll take shape next to the new Henrico Sports & Events Center. 





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Amazon Pays $218M for More Virginia Land for Data Center Development

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Amazon Pays $218M for More Virginia Land for Data Center Development


Amazon (AMZN) is fulfilling its promise to spend billions of dollars on data centers in Virginia and has acquired another massive property in Manassas for more major development.

The tech and e-commerce giant paid $218 million for 91 acres approved for data center development, the Business Journals reported. That comes after Amazon bought 140 acres for data centers in Manassas for $152 million in January.

SEE ALSO: Ares Pays $140M in South Florida’s Biggest Multifamily Deal This Year

The e-commerce and tech giant did not return a request for more details and comment. An entity run by Mike Garcia of Mike Garcia Construction sold the property at 14237 and 14209 Dumfries Road to Amazon.

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In March, officials approved a rezoning amendment to allow the entire site to become a data center, and it’s also in the county’s Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District, per the Business Journals.

Amazon has other major data center projects in the area. And other premier tech companies are expanding their data center portfolios there. Microsoft recently bought 124 acres in Gainesville for $465.5 million.

Gregory Cornfield can be reached at gcornfield@commercialobserver.com.



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Theatrical Outfit shows no fear in staging new 'Virginia Woolf'

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Theatrical Outfit shows no fear in staging new 'Virginia Woolf'


“What a dump!”

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With those three words — spoken just a few lines into Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” — theatrical history was made.

Albee’s legendary play, which opened on Broadway in 1962 and won the Tony Award for Best Play, is considered one of the most important works in American theater history. It’s been repeatedly revived on stages around the world, was made into an Oscar-winning film, and is still frequently referenced in other film and television projects. And now, Atlanta’s own Theatrical Outfit is bringing “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” to the Balzer Theater at Herren’s, giving local audiences a chance to find out why the play remains so powerful and so influential.

Theatrical Outfit’s production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” opened last week and is scheduled to run through June 9, under the direction of the company’s artistic director Matt Torney. In a release announcing the production, Torney says he wanted to take a “bold new look” at the oft-staged play, which centers on two couples — the older George and Martha and the younger Nick and Honey — and the one very dysfunctional evening they spend together. As the night wears on, the cocktails flow and the insults fly — with Albee’s sharp dialogue as piercing as it gets. 

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Acclaimed stage, film, and TV actors Tess Malis Kincaid and Steve Coulter step into the famed roles of Martha and George, with Devon Hales and Justin Walker taking on the characters of Honey and Nick. And this morning on Good Day Atlanta, we spent a little time with the talented stars on the Balzer Theater at Herren’s stage, learning more about the production and the cast’s thoughts on finding fresh life in the iconic work.

For more information on “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and to check out showtimes and ticket prices, click here. And click the video player in this article to hear more from the stars of this not-to-be-missed production!



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Virginia Softball’s Historic Season Ends in Regional Final Loss to Tennessee

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Virginia Softball’s Historic Season Ends in Regional Final Loss to Tennessee


The 2024 Virginia softball season came to an end on Sunday in Knoxville, as the Cavaliers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with a 6-0 loss to No. 3 overall seed Tennessee in the regional final.

Tennessee thoroughly outmatched Virginia in a Saturday afternoon matchup when the Lady Vols won 12-0 in five innings. In the rematch in the regional final, the Cavaliers looked to play closer to the SEC regular season champions. 

While the offense struggled in the game, the UVA pitching staff pitched more competitively in game two, and the Hoos lost 6-0. 

Eden Bigham pitched two complete games in two days, but she got the ball in the circle to start game three. Bigham struggled with her command early in the first inning, with a walk and a hit batter in the first three batters. 

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After a passed ball put runners on second and third with one out, Bigham got a strikeout for the second out. However, Rylie West hit a two-run single on the first pitch she saw to give Tennessee a 2-0 lead. 

Tennessee’s pitcher Karlyn Pickens pitches in the low to mid 70s, a velocity that the Cavaliers haven’t seen often. All three Virginia batters put the ball in play in the first inning, but didn’t make powerful contact.

In the top of the second, Bigham retired the side in order. However, Karlyn Pickens had a quick inning of her own, only needing eight pitches. 

The Lady Vols got the best of Bigham in the top of the third inning. After a walk and a bloop single, Zaida Puni had an RBI single. Rylie West came up clutch right after, hitting a two-run double and doubling her RBI count. Madi Harris entered the game after the score was 5-0, and she retired two batters to end the inning. 

Harris worked around a walk in the top of the fourth to keep Tennessee at five runs. Abby Weaver had a highlight reel play with two outs, as she charged in and laid out to make a nice catch in right field. 

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Abby Weaver was also Virginia’s first baserunner in the bottom of the fourth, as she worked a walk. The Hoos were still hitless through four innings. 

Rylie West continued her hot streak with a solo home run in the top of the sixth. West had three hits  and five RBI as the offensive MVP for Tennessee. 

Shelby Barbee broke up the no hitter in the fifth inning with a single, but Pickens got two strikeouts to make sure Virginia didn’t score. Leah Boggs added a hit of her own in the sixth, but the Tennessee defense got three ground balls. 

Madi Harris continued her solid pitching campaign through the end of the game. Harris finished with 4.2 innings pitched, allowing four hits and just one run. Harris’s great pitching kept the score close, despite the lacking offense.

With two outs in the seventh inning, Joanna Hardin subbed out her seniors to a standing ovation from the fans. 

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In the bottom of the seventh, Sarah Coon got on base when she was hit by a pitch, but that was all Virginia could muster. Tennessee will advance to the Super Regionals. 

Virginia finishes the season at 34-20, and 15-9 in the ACC. Joanna Hardin has led her team to steady improvement over the past few years. The Cavaliers won 30 games last year but weren’t selected to make the tournament.

This year, UVA made its second ever NCAA tournament appearance, and got its second and third wins in program history. Thanks to the two shutouts of Miami of Ohio, Virginia made it to a Regional Final for the first time ever. By making it to Sunday, the Hoos are in the top 32 teams, a very impressive finish.

Seniors Abby Weaver, Lauren VanAssche, Madi Harris, Mikayla Houge, Savanah Henley, and Leah Boggs depart having been a major part of the turnaround for Virginia softball. They will be missed, but there is a ton of talent still on the roster for next season and the future is bright.



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