hhgregg meets Richmond expectations

Retailer hhgregg’s entry into the Richmond market is going smoothly, according to a recently filed third quarter earnings statement. Read more

Monday Q&A: Get out of jail (not for) free

We’ve written about lots of former Circuit City employees as they venture off into the world of entrepreneurship, but when it comes to switching careers, it’s going to be hard to top a copy writer-turned-bail bondsman.

Kent Brockwell’s career path led him from business reporter to editor of Richmond.com to a copy writer for Circuit City to bail bondsman. We caught up with Brockwell to find out why he is getting into the bonding business.

Aside from the fact that its founders are a former funeral director and a journalist who happen to be brothers, Hacksaw Bail Bonds also seeks to connect clients with social services to keep them out of trouble with the law. In other words, owners Richard Brockwell Jr. and Kent Jennings Brockwell aren’t necessarily looking for repeat customers.

The firm opens for business sometime in February at 901½  Hull Street, across from the new Manchester General District Court. Read more

Another hhgregg coming to a former Circuit City

Indianapolis-based retailer hhgregg is taking another Circuit City location, this time in Colonial Heights. Read more

Circuit City HQ returned to lender

The former headquarters for defunct electronics giant Circuit City is back in the hands of the lender.

The 288,560-square-foot office building at 9950 Mayland Drive (one of two they had) was owned by New York-based Lexington Realty Trust. Read more

hhgregg plans to hire 80

Electronics retailer hhgregg announced plans to hire about 80 people to work at its two new stores in Richmond.

Both locations were once occupied by Circuit City  stores, one near Short Pump Town Center and the other by Chesterfield Towne Center. The stores will open this fall.

The company is seeking sales associates, warehouse staff, customer service merchandisers and managers in training. Applications will be accepted at the Hotel Sierra at 11800 West Broad St. between Oct. 5 and Oct. 17, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Another Circuit City location gets new lease on life

The former Short Pump Circuit City, soon to house an hhgregg electronics store, isn’t the only one in the area to come back to life. Read more

Next stop, Circuit City station

While some of Richmond’s former Circuit City stores are becoming new locations for hhgregg, one of the bygone retailer’s big box stores in Virginia Beach might one day become a commuter rail station.

Last week, Virginia Beach City Council voted to purchase the empty store at 110 South Independence Blvd. for $5 million.

The building is adjacent to a Norfolk Southern right of way that is a part of a proposed commuter rail line connecting Hampton Road and Norfolk to Virginia Beach.

It is also in the heart of Virginia Beach town center, which is home to Virginia’s tallest building, the 38-story Westin developed by Armada Hoffler.

“At this stage it’s impossible to know if it will be used for a light rail station,” said Marc Davis, media and communications director for the City of Virginia Beach, in an e-mail to BizSense.

But there are other possibilities for the property, such as growing the Town Center development.

A Virginian-Pilot story from July provides some additional background:

It is likely the Beach would get the money to buy the land from bond sales, said Mark Wawner, the city’s Town Center project manager.

Whether the property is used for a park-and-ride stop, a light-rail station, or to expand the development of Town Center, it’s land that the city should control, Wawner said.

“It’s an opportunity to take advantage of a distressed property,” he said. “It’s an opportunity that we can’t pass up on.”

For more on the proposal to extend light rail into Virginia Beach, click here.

hhgregg moving into Short Pump and Chesterfield Circuit City locations

The iconic round red signs are still up, but not for long. Read more

Do I hear $10 million for firedog?

The rest of Circuit City’s intellectual property, including the firedog brand and a database of 30 million customer contacts, is going on the auction block Aug. 18. And it may reap more than the $14 million that the Circuit City name fetched at auction earlier this year. Read more

The Pipeline: Commercial Real Estate Round Up for 7.10.09

Standex Engraving purchased the 129,000-square-foot industrial building at 5901 Lewis Road in Sandston from Vantec Inc. for $4.5 million. Standex will continue to occupy the property, doing business as IR International.

CB Richard Ellis reports Williamson’s Drug Company, a local pharmacy, leased 16,000 square feet at 1550-1590 E. Parham Road in Henrico. Read more

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