Reporter’s Notebook
Notes and thoughts from the travels of Virginia Business writers and editors

Virginia Business
October 2005

The Richmond area rolled out the black and white checkered carpet in late August to woo visiting officials as they decide where to locate the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Richmond is competing against some formidable competitors, with Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C.; Daytona Beach, Fla.; and Kansas City, Mo., all in the running. The officials began their tour of the region with a kick-off welcome at the headquarters of the Greater Richmond Partnership and their day included a helicopter tour of the proposed building site in Henrico County and an afternoon pep rally at the Capitol. Richmond is a viable contender because of its proximity to the Northeast, a key region NASCAR would like to draw fans from. Fred Agostino, executive director of the Henrico Economic Development Auth-ority, estimates that the NASCAR Hall would outdraw many other established sporting halls of fame, including football and baseball. Plans call for a $103 million facility to be built at the intersection of interstates 95 and 295, attracting as many as 700,000 visitors a year.

After several years of legal wrangling, St. Francis Medical Center in Chesterfield County opened in early September. It is the first new hospital built in the county in more than 20 years. The locally-designed 245,000-square-foot facility includes 130 hospital beds. All of those beds are in private rooms, which are appointed to look more like they belong in a fine hotel than in a hospital. Other features include a 24-hour emergency room, OB/GYN, orthopedics, surgery, cancer care, diagnostic services and an adjacent medical office building. St. Francis is on a 75-acre campus just south of the James River near Route 288 and will create more than 400 jobs.

Downtown living apparently does not appeal to Virginia Business readers. In our August issue, we explored the trend among some retirees and empty nesters in Richmond, Roanoke and Norfolk to sell their homes in the suburbs and move downtown. We asked, "Would you consider moving to a downtown condominium or apartment?" In unscientific online voting at www.VirginiaBusiness.com the answer was a resounding "No." By Labor Day, more than 340 people had taken part in the poll, with only 38 voting "yes" and 300 saying "no." Only three voters were neutral on the issue.

Michael Cherkasky is a history buff. On a recent visit to Richmond, the president and CEO of New York-based Marsh & McClennan Cos. was reading Founding Brothers, a Pulitzer Prize-winning book that details the collaborations and clashes of America's first generation of leaders. Cherkasky said that he wants to return to Richmond some time to take in the historic sites, including the Civil War battlefields.

The executive, by the way, is no stranger to Virginia. He was stationed at Langley Air Force Base more than 30 years ago. He used the opportunity to attend Virginia Squires basketball games where he got a chance to see its star player, Julius Erving.