We're back and it's Thursday!

🌧️ Today's weather: Chance of light rain, high of 69 and low of 44.

🎧 Sounds like: "Fashion Killa" by A$AP Rocky.

🎂 Happy birthday to our members Katherine Hostetler and Andrew Wilks! And happy belated to David Ogburn and Martha Shickle!

👀 More of a visual person? Catch local news, happenings and more on Instagram through photos and bite-sized updates.

Today’s newsletter is 1,083 words — a 4-minute read.

Could the next Scott's Addition be in South Richmond, Henrico or Chesterfield?

• Federal officials have approved 17 new Opportunity Zones across the region, offering the same tax incentives that helped finance Scott's Addition's building boom.

Why it matters: The program has helped attract millions in private investment to targeted Richmond neighborhoods.

State of play: The 17 new zones across Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover are among 153 approved statewide, Gov. Spanberger announced Friday. They take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

• They'll join 22 tracts designated in the region in 2018. Tax benefits for those original zones remain in effect through 2028.

Zoom in: Richmond had 11 original zones and landed eight new ones, including Monroe Ward, Gilpin Court, areas around Virginia Union University and large stretches of South Richmond.

• Chesterfield's new zone is around Chesterfield Towne Center, where a major renovation is planned.
• Henrico's five zones include parts of Lakeside, East Highland Park and eastern Henrico near the airport.

How it works: The federal program offers tax breaks on profits from long-term investments in designated neighborhoods.

• The incentives can help developers attract private financing for projects like apartments, hotels and shops — potentially spurring development that might otherwise struggle to get off the ground.

Case in point: Innsbrook-based developer Capital Square says it used the program to attract more than $130 million in private investment to its Scott's Addition projects.

• That helped build five mixed-use developments, bringing more than 900 apartments and ground-floor commercial space to Scott's, per BizSense.

Reality check: Opportunity Zones were created to spur investment in lower-income and struggling communities, per the IRS, but it's unclear how much the tax breaks have benefited residents.

• An August federal report found the investments largely funded real estate development in urban areas with existing infrastructure.

What they're saying: "If you want to know where the new Scott's Additions are going to be, follow the (OZ) 2.0 map," Capital Square founder Louis Rogers told BizSense.

Tell an investor

Getting your first driver's license in Virginia is about to get a little more complicated — at least if you're between 18 and 20.

Why it matters: A new state law is closing a loophole that allowed young adults to skip driver's ed simply by waiting until 18 to get licensed.

State of play: Starting Jan. 1, first-time drivers ages 18 to 20 must complete driver's ed and hold a learner's permit for at least 90 days.

• Currently, they can choose between taking a driver's ed course and holding a permit for 60 days.

Zoom in: Lawmakers passed the new requirements this spring amid concerns about inexperienced young drivers.

• A 2022 study of more than 136,000 young drivers found those first licensed at 18 had the highest first-year crash rates — and held learner's permits for about two fewer months, on average, than those licensed at 16.

By the numbers: Just 60% of American 18-year-olds had driver's licenses in 2024, down from 67% in 2004, according to new federal data.

The bottom line: If you're 18 to 20 and planning to get your license next year, plan ahead.

Tell a teen

💻 RPS confirmed personal information was posted on the dark web after last month's cybersecurity incident but didn't specify what was leaked. (News release)

• Potentially exposed data could include Social Security numbers and medical records. Free identity monitoring is now available to former students and staff.

🧪 PFAS "forever chemicals" — linked to cancer and other health risks — were found in every stormwater sample tested at Richmond airport over nearly 2.5 years. (Henrico Citizen)

• Virginia regulators are considering new monitoring requirements, but advocates want stricter limits.

⚡️ Richmond City Council delayed a vote on a resolution opposing the proposed Dominion-NextEra merger until Dec. 14, citing concerns about its wording and ongoing negotiations. (WWBT)

👀 Some Virginia Democrats might revive efforts to redraw congressional districts before the 2028 election. (Times-Dispatch)

⚾️ Flying Squirrels owner Lou DiBella and Diamond District developer Jason Guillot confirmed their lawsuit settlement, clarifying DiBella never physically threatened Guillot or his family. (Times-Dispatch)

• A separate lawsuit over alleged broken promises remains pending.

What a weekend to live in Richmond.

Thursday

🛍️ The VMFA Holiday Bazaar opens with ornaments, holiday decorations and more through Dec. 27. 11:30am-4:30pm. Free admission.

🎤 Rapper Yung Gravy performs at The National. 7:30pm. $41.78.

Friday

✨ Merry Midtown has holiday lights and carriage rides at Libbie Mill Lake. 6–9pm. Free.

🧛 The Richmond Vampire Ball returns to the Hof with goth music, themed drinks and a midnight dance-off. 8pm-1am. Tickets start at $34.34.

Saturday

🏃 The sold-out Richmond Marathon takes over city streets. 7am. Free to watch.

😎 The Big LeBYRDski Fest features a bathrobe bar crawl from 3-6pm, a "Big Lebowski" trivia contest at 6:30pm and the movie at 7pm. $31.95.

Full list including a reptile expo, Monet exhibit, Dead People's Stuff and a Yarn Ball Festival

Savers, the popular secondhand chain, is opening its first Richmond-area store in Midlothian today.

Why it matters: The national for-profit retailer is a thrifter's paradise, known for its designer pieces, vintage finds and home decor.

The big picture: The nearly 29,000-square-foot store is taking over the former American Freight furniture store at 9131 Midlothian Turnpike.

• But some thrifters have criticized the chain's prices, saying "I fear the name is becoming misleading."

The good news: Shoppers get 20% off their next purchase by donating eligible items.

If you go: Savers is open Monday-Saturday, 9am-9pm, and Sundays, 10am-7pm.

What's next: Another Savers is planned for the former Sam Ash Music store on West Broad. The company didn't respond to Axios' questions about an opening timeline.

Tell a friend

🚗 Karri posted up at the DMV on exactly her 16th bday to get her driver's license and not a day later.

🫂 Sabrina is thinking about Capital Run Club founder Jack Oppenheim, who was one of two who died in a crash on I-64 in Henrico on Sunday.

• Read what hundreds of people had to say about him here.

Thanks to Alexa Mencia Orozco for editing today's edition