January 13, 2022 - 6 tallest buildings + national slavery museum funding

Hello Sunday.

January 23 2022

We love to survey the Richmond skyline, and a question from Reader Dave H. got us thinking: what are the tallest buildings in the city?

Here are the top six, plus one addition that’s coming soon.

James Monroe Building, 101 N. 14th St. | 449 feet | 29 floors

The state-owned building has been the tallest in Richmond since construction was completed in 1981 — it was even the tallest in VA until 2007. Now, it’s set to be demolished. The General Assembly has allocated funds to build a new office for state employees.

600 Canal Place | 417 feet | 20 floors

Dominion Energy’s recognizable glass + steel tower opened in 2019. The developers emphasized the sustainability strategies implemented in the project’s design, including a rainwater utilization system. Plus, it has a Dunkin on the ground floor, which is a redeeming quality in any building.

There will soon be a new tallest building in Richmond. | Photo by Christopher W. Clarke

Truist Place, 919 E. Main St. | 400 feet | 26 floors

Formerly known as the SunTrust Center, the office building was completed in 1983. At over $50 million (~$140 million today) it was a rather costly addition to the skyline. The tower is clad in granite.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, 701 E. Byrd St. | 393 feet | 26 floors

Built in 1978, it’s one of 12 Federal Reserve Banks in the US. Fun fact: 49% of the building’s total floor area is actually located underground.

Bank of America Center, 1111 E. Main St. | 333 feet | 26 floors

The concrete giant was completed in 1974 + kicked off a downtown building boom. It was the tallest building in the city until 1978.

Richmond City Hall | 315 feet | 19 floors

City Hall was also once the tallest building in VA — back when it was completed in 1971. If you want to get a look over the whole city, head to the Observation Deck on the 18th floor. It’s free + open to the public from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sneak peek: there will soon be a new tallest building in town when CoStar Group begins construction on their office complex. The commercial real estate firm plans to build a 425 foot building with 26 stories next to its office at 501 S. 5th St.

If it’s not too tall an order, use the buttons below to share this newsletter with your friends + family.

EVENTS

Today

Social Media Marketing 101 | Thurs., Jan. 13 | 1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free, RSVP | Learn the basics from the Capital Region Small Business Development Center. 📱
Bombs and Bombs: The Best & Worst War Movies | Thurs., Jan. 13 | 7 p.m. | Virtual | Free, RSVP | VA War Memorial Director + historian Dr. Clay Mountcastle will outline what makes a good war movie. 🎥

Friday

Kooler Heads | Fri., Jan. 14 | 4-7 p.m. | Main Line Brewery, 1603 Ownby Ln. | Free | Hippie Happy Hour will feature Shakedown Eats food truck. 🎶
The Writer’s Den Open Mic and Poetry Slam | Fri., Jan. 14 | 7 p.m.-2 a.m. | The 4 Cyber Cafe, 4 W. Broad St. | $10 | Richmond’s first poet laureate, Roscoe Burnems, will host the open mic. 🎤

Saturday

Damien Allen + Ian Blackwood | Sat., Jan. 15 | 1-9 p.m. | Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, 2410 Ownby Ln. | Free | Acoustic tunes all afternoon + the release of the tropical Dreamlike IPA. 🍺
Gellman Room Concert: Naho Bessho | Sat. Jan., 15 | 2 p.m. | RPL Main Library, 101 E. Franklin St. | Free | Check out this classical piano concert with work from six composers.

Sunday

14th Annual Jewish Food Festival | Sun., Jan. 16 | 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Weinstein JCC, 5403 Monument Ave. | Cost of purchase | Order your favorites online + pick up at the drive-thru. 🍽

Monday

Couples Cooking: Welcome to Peru | Mon., Jan. 17 | 6 p.m. | Publix Aprons Cooking School, 5400 Nuckols Place | $110 | Prices are per couple + wine is included.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

SEE ALL JANUARY EVENTS

Note: COVID-19 protocols are changing rapidly to curb the spread of the Omicron variant in Richmond. Please make sure to check event listing pages + venue websites for the most up-to-date information.

NEWS NOTES

Weather

52º | Cloudy | 5% chance of rain

Traffic

There will be various road closures downtown this Sat., Jan. 15, due to the inauguration of governor Glenn Youngkin. If you need to access the area, there will be a rideshare pick-up and drop-off point available at the Pulse station at 800 E. Broad St. See the full list of impacted roads here. 🚗 (NBC12)
As potholes increase due to winter weather, VDOT Richmond is requesting that drivers contact the department when they see one. Potholes can be reported on their website or by calling 1-800-367-7623. Safe travels.

Civic

City Council has allocated $1.3 million to begin construction of a national slavery museum at Lumpkin’s Jail in Shockoe Bottom. The proposal was included in the Draft Shockoe Small Area Plan — for more information, check out our story on the public development project. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Development

A three-story, mixed-use development is coming to 3101 E. Marshall St. in Church Hill. City Council approved a special-use permit this week, which will allow for the renovation of the building at the site + a modern addition. Learn more about the history of the project. 🏡 (Richmond BizSense)

Shop

All clothing is just $1 at Diversity Thrift (1407 Sherwood Ave.) through Sun., Jan. 16. The store is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and the offer does not include shoes. Sales support the programming of local nonprofit Diversity Richmond. 🛍

Sports

Voting for the RVA Sports Awards will close on Saturday. Participants may vote in five categories + results will be presented on Sat., Feb. 5. Tickets to the event are available for purchase and all proceeds benefit the Richmond Region Tourism Foundation’s grant program. 🏆 (CBS6 News)

Eat

Diners can now pay it forward at Auntie Ning’s location at the Market on Meadow (719 N. Meadow St.). The Filipino restaurant will allow customers to buy reduced-price meals in advance to be claimed by anyone in need. Look for the “Pay it Forward” section at the bottom of the menu. 🍽
The team at Color Wheel Coffee will retire their vibrant RV to focus on wholesale bean retail. Owners Brianna + Will Libby launched the truck in March 2020. Read more to see where you can catch the final mobile sales and what shops will peddle their specialty beans + syrups. ☕️ (Style Weekly)

Arts

Studio Two Three, the grassroots community art space in Scott’s Addition, was selected for a 2022 Artworks grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The nonprofit will receive $20,000 to support their artist residency programming. 💸

State

VCUarts grad and Virginia native Stanley Rayfield painted the official portrait of outgoing Governor Ralph Northam. The piece includes nods to Northam’s tenure + will be displayed on the third floor of the Capitol. 🎨 (Richmond Grid)

*This paid content, brought to you by our advertising partners, helps make this newsletter free.

#RICTODAY

On the hunt 🎭

📸 @scmtheatre

Crazy for clues? Take up the Murder for Two Scavenger Hunt, inspired by the new musical comedy at Swift Creek Mill Theatre. Find the seven physical clues at Richmond locales, post the evidence to social media + win an item from the theater’s gift shop.

“Murder for Two” (the show) opens at Swift Creek Mill on Sat., Jan. 29 + runs through Feb. 26.

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Just use #RICtoday on social media.

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THE WRAP

Editor’s Pick: I’ve got zombies on the brain, and this TikTok — posted by a local — made me chuckle. The odds the RIC team survives an undead apocalypse? Not great. 🧟

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Celebrate Dry January with alcohol-free drinks around the city.