A new bar/club has popped up over night, and is apparently trying to create a red carpet experience on Main Street.

Now that the plan for a Shockoe stadium is officially dead, what will happen? Reynolds Packaging Group is suggesting that the city take a look at Manchester, specifically the area between the Manchester and 14th Street Bridge overlooking the city skyline. A formal proposal has not been submitted to the city, but real estate investor Charlie Diradour, who advocates for a Boulevard stadium, is not surprised that people are now talking about a Manchester stadium.

In semi-related news, with Reynolds closing its operations, their property that currently divides the Canal Walk will be available for redevelopment.  [via]

Richmond Bizsense takes a look at Fountainhead Development’s progressive plans for Manchester:

“It will be the poster child for new urbanism in that it will be apartments, office, an adult day care center and artist studios,” Gregory said… It’s not just mixed-use, but also mixed income. The apartments will be a mix of subsidized and market rate, and some will be designed for people with disabilities.

From the Back Porch folks:

Today, June 29th, we will view the documentary, “Cane Toads: An Unnatural History” and discuss the dangerous problems that can arise with the introduction of invasive species. Read more >

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According to the RTD, Zuppa is planning to move from its current location in Shockoe Bottom to Rocketts Landing.

Business is picking up at Rocketts Landing, with the addition of a popular Shockoe Bottom restaurant and a commercial developer opening new office at the development straddling the city boundary with eastern Henrico County. [via]

Tonight’s Scoot-In movie at Scoot Richmond is Spinal Tap.

Spinal Tap will start at dark, which should be around 9pm. It’s FREE, and contrary to the name, we welcome scooters, mopeds, bikes, and even (omg!) cars. Front parking lot of Scoot Richmond. Bring refreshments.

Tomorrow is the last Friday Cheers of the season featuring Toubab Krewe with Crucial Elements.

Blending American and West African influences into a sound all its own, Toubab Krewe has set “a new standard for fusions of rock ‘n’ roll and West African music” (Afropop Worlwide).

For more information, visit Venture Richmond.

Tobacco Avenue nails it again…

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The Poe Museum Unhappy Hour is tomorrow from 6:00- 9:00 pm.

To coincide with the opening of the “Ratiocination” exhibit at the Poe Museum our June Unhappy Hour will be “Murders in the Rue Morgue” comes to the Poe. Not only will we have light refreshments and a cash bar but a crime scene with clues will be there for you to solve! Try to outwit the murderer and put your best Detective Dupin skills to the test! A raffle will be held with prizes for those with the best detective abilities. Join us for music, peformances, tours and refreshments in the courtyard garden.

All Unhappy Hours are free and open to the public, are appropriate for all ages (unless otherwise noted), and children are most welcome.

A new French restaurant called Bouchon is opening at the beginning of July in the former Pomegranate Euro Bistro. Now if only something would open up in place of Relish…

Highwoods Properties annouced today that they are dropping the Shockoe Center project which also included a development along Boulevard, blaming the major Boulevard vs Shockoe stadium debate and a lack of a team. [via]

The Infrastructurist has a great article on beautiful train stations that were demolished across the country.

Almost like a rite of passage, cities across the country embraced the era of Interstates, Big Macs, and suburban sprawl by tearing down their train depots… One lesson of this legacy is that what replaces a well designed and centrally located rail depot can is rarely of equal worth to the city.

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The 2009 Richmond Folk Festival is seeking volunteers to fill a variety of roles throughout the festival – October 9-11, 2009. Last year, the event drew 185,000 people to downtown Richmond’s historic riverfront, and with another huge event expected this year organizers are in need of volunteer commitments. The majority of the event is run by volunteers.

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A report from the Jamestown 2007 Steering Committee states that anniversary activities generated $1.2 billion dollars in sales and netted $22 million dollars in tax revenues for Virginia. Other cities with historic areas are using the Jamestown plan as a guide to plan their own events. [via] With such a success and more people staying close to home, why doesn’t Richmond focus more on heritage tourism?