RVA Magazine talks with business owners about the plans for Shockoe

Positive thoughts from businesses in Shockoe.

February 5, 2014; 1:09 PM • by Richard Hayes

RVA Magazine sits down with four local business owners and they share there thoughts and concerns. To varying degrees they all support some sort of development occurring in Shockoe Bottom but they also have concerns what form that development will take.

On one end of the spectrum you have Bob McNulty.

Bob McNulty, owner of Siné Irish Pub & Restaurant, was emphatically in support of a stadium.

“I’m in strong support of it, very much so. I think this is the final piece of something that can transform the Bottom into a better place than what it is now,” McNulty said.

“In my opinion, it’s something that you can take two areas of town, one being the Boulevard, one being the Bottom, and working something for both areas for the better good of the city.”

On the other end you have Anthony Lupesco, owner of Shockoe Denim.

“Honestly, at this point, I’m still kind of conflicted about it,” Lupesco said.

“I think it could have a really positive impact on the area, but I think they really need to figure out the memorial portion, flesh that out better than they have. I think, commercially, it could have a great impact. We need a grocery store down here, I think that’s awesome. It’d be nice to hear a more concrete plan and see a little more effort, maybe there has been and it hasn’t been publicized, but it doesn’t seem there’s as strong of a vision for the memorial as there is for the commercial aspect of it.”

Head over to RVA Mag to get the other two opinions and more details on those I’ve quoted.