State lawmakers are poised to block Richmond from holding a second referendum on casino gambling this year.

State of play: After city voters shot down plans to put a casino in South Richmond last year, Richmond leaders weren't ready to give up on the project and secured a judge's order to put it on the ballot again this November.

Yes, but: State House and Senate budget negotiators released their compromise spending plan over the weekend, which explicitly bars the city from holding a second referendum this year.

• And, if Richmond leaders were to ignore the ban or win a legal challenge allowing the referendum to proceed, the legislation also bars the state lottery from issuing Richmond a casino license.

What's happening: Per the plan, lawmakers will instead study whether nearby Petersburg would be a good fit for the project. City leaders there, who not too long ago were facing complete financial collapse, say they could use the revenue to build schools and repair infrastructure.

Flashback: In 2020, Virginia lawmakers gave five cities around the state permission to hold referendums allowing casino gaming.

• Richmond is the only city where voters rejected the proposal.

What they're saying: State Sen. Joe Morrissey, a Democrat who represents Richmond and Petersburg, is thrilled. He's been one of the most vocal proponents for moving the project 30 minutes south to Petersburg, a small city he said needs the economic boost more than Richmond.

• "Clearly and unquestionably, Petersburg is the much more deserving city for economic reasons," he told Axios. "And that's coming from the state senator that represents both."

The other side: Mayor Levar Stoney's press secretary, Jim Nolan, didn't return texts or phone calls on Monday.

• Stoney backed plans for another referendum, calling the initial failure a "missed opportunity."
• The city estimated the project would generate $30 million in annual tax revenue.

What's next: The budget, which was delayed by months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, goes before the full General Assembly on Wednesday for a final vote.

Full story

Nearly half of all searches for apartments in Richmond are coming from people outside of the area — and most of those searches are coming from folks in Washington, D.C.

Why it matters: Median rent has skyrocketed in Richmond — up 22.7% since March 2020 — while the apartment vacancy rate is 4.6%, the lowest rate in nearly 20 years.

• An influx of new residents means existing Richmonders will see prices continue to climb as inventory shrinks even further.

😷 Community levels of COVID-19 in the city are high, prompting local health officials to recommend masking in indoor public places. (VPM)

🏗️ Construction crews are scheduled to begin demolishing 32 buildings at Creighton Court as part of a redevelopment officials say will add 200 units of affordable housing. (NBC12)

🗣 In a speech at an NRA meeting, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears blamed school shootings "on a range of social factors, from lack of prayer in schools to 'emasculated' men and pandemic safety protocols." (Washington Post)

🖊️ Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed seven more bills, including legislation from two city lawmakers intended to make it easier for public housing residents to appeal eviction lawsuits. (RTD)

🏢 Dominion Energy is under contract to sell a 20-story downtown office tower to a local developer with plans to convert it into 600 apartments. (BizSense)

After a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, Pridefest is back on this year.

Why it matters: "Pride matters because LGBTQ people matter," Virginia Pride's program director James Millner tells Axios.

What's happening: Pridefest is Saturday, Sept. 24, on Brown's Island. (Reminder: Virginia officially celebrates Pride in the fall so as not to compete with D.C. Pride, which is June 11.)

• But the festivities will kick off June 1 with what Millner calls "the most coordinated series of observances of LGBTQ Pride Month the Richmond Region has ever seen."

Keep reading for details

🌸 Growth is effortless with our Local Job Board.

1. US Marketing Manager at BSI.
2. Regional HR Manager at Lee Enterprises.
3. LPN Nurse Manager at Cedarfield.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

Richmond's own first-place winner of "Ben & Jerry's Clash of the Cones" is moving her OG Brookland Park Blvd. ice cream shop to bigger digs.

Driving the news: Ruby Scoops owner Rabia Kamara signed a lease to move her Northside ice cream shop just over a block away, she tells Axios — quadrupling the space in the process.

• The new spot at 310 Brookland Park Blvd. is expected to open next summer. It will allow seating indoors and outside for at least 50 customers.
• It will have a bigger kitchen for her hand-crafted, small batch ice cream, sorbets and other desserts — and diners will likely see an expanded menu.

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Before we go, we want to tell you a little more about us and what you can expect from this newsletter.

Why it matters: This city is our home, just as it's yours, and we plan to cut through the noise and tell you exactly what you need to know to start your day.

A little about us:

• Ned lives in the Fan and has been covering city government and state politics in Richmond for a decade.
• Karri lives in Forest Hill (Southside!) and has been writing about restaurants, local businesses and city life for … a long time.

Between the two of us:

• There's barely a Richmond publication in which you haven't seen our bylines: Style Weekly, Richmond.com, Virginia Mercury and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Karri even had a brief — but glorious — internship at Punchline (RIP).

The bottom line: We know this city — from every failed ballpark and arena proposal to our sometimes poop-filled river and that allegedly Olympic-esque bike race — and we love this city.

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