The Latest Richmond News and Happenings

History happens every day in the Region. Read on for Richmond news, events and developments.

New hotels create countless relaxing spaces for visitors. The 250-room Westin Richmond began accepting reservations in late 2008, and a 250-room Hilton Garden Inn across from the Greater Richmond Convention Center opened this February. The Short Pump area has several additions to its hotel inventory including the Wingate Hotel, which opened its doors in January, as well as the Hyatt Place White Oak Village and the Hotel Sierra – both of which opened in May. Be on the lookout for the new Hilton Conference Center and Spa, scheduled to open in December 2009. New hotels near Richmond International Airport include a Hampton Inn which opened in April, as well as a Hilton Garden Inn and Holiday Inn that opened in late 2008. The area’s first hotel with loft-like designs, aloft Richmond West, created by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, is scheduled to open summer 2009 in western Henrico County. The downtown Richmond Marriott is undergoing a multimillion-dollar overhaul, complete with a comprehensive refurbishing of the hotel’s 400-plus rooms, the transformation of its lobby into a business-friendly Great Room and the makeover of its restaurant into an upscale sports bar with outdoor seating.

The Richmond Marriott's lobby is now home to a full-service Starbucks. The new Starbucks replaces a coffee café that previously served select Starbucks coffees and features a convenient public entrance near the corner of Broad and 6th streets. T-Miller’s Sports Bar & Grill, whose name is a combination of venerable department stores Thalhimers and Miller & Rhoads, opened August 27. T-Miller’s features outdoor seating for 50 people (space heaters and a fire pit will warm diners throughout the colder months), 27 high-definition TVs and tables and booths with built-in TVs providing more than 200 seats inside. The restaurant decor focuses on Richmond’s sports heroes and our local colleges and universities.

The Region’s shopping options also continue to expand. Last year, Henrico County welcomed West Broad Village, home to major retailers such as Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s. The Shops at White Oak Village, a shopping and dining destination, celebrated its grand opening last year as well. An additional high-end shopping center in Chesterfield County, at the intersection of Midlothian Turnpike and Chippenham Parkway, is expected to open this year.

Bass Pro Shops, a 150,000-square-foot outdoor recreation store, opened in Hanover County last fall. This mother of all outfitters features uniquely designed aquariums, an expansive boat showroom and museum-quality wildlife displays, and offers special events and outdoor skills workshops. This year, RMCVB opened a new Visitor Center inside Bass Pro Shops, so visitors to the store can gather helpful information about the entire Richmond Region while they shop.

Richmond CenterStage, a downtown arts development that includes the renovated and expanded Carpenter Center and adjoining Dorothy Pauley Square, opened mid September 2009. The facility will include a multipurpose performance space, a 200-seat community playhouse and an education center.

Home of the largest art collection in the Southeast, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is undergoing an expansion that will add 165,000 square feet to the their existing 380,000 square feet. The expansion will increase gallery space by nearly 50 percent and feature a new library and park. A new parking deck is already open, and the remainder of the expansion is expected to culminate in mid 2010.

The first phase of the Virginia Capital Trail, a pedestrian and bicycle trail connecting Jamestown, Williamsburg and Richmond along the scenic Route 5 corridor, opened near Jamestown in November 2006. Ground was broken on the downtown Richmond portion of the more-than-50-mile trail in August 2007. Construction will continue this year, and the entire route is scheduled for completion in 2012.

The Historic Polegreen Church Foundation has improved the physical site of Hanover County’s Colonial-era Polegreen Church -- “the birthplace of religious freedom in Virginia.” Improvements include a granite timeline of religious freedom, a state historic highway marker and dedicated parking.

The Edgar Allan Poe Museum received a renovation last year. The roof was replaced on The Old Stone House. The garden saw new flowers planted and new furnishings installed. The Region also celebrates the literary genius’ 200th birthday in 2009. Festivities began last year, including “Death Day” on Oct. 5, during which people competed for prizes for the most creative explanation of Poe’s unexplained death. Celebrations continue into 2009. Visit Poe200th.com for a schedule of events.

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