Mark Olinger News Today

In reality, the money at stake supersedes all else. This business is so profitable that there are no tax incentives attached to the project, or other government subsidies, which means there are no real clawback mechanisms if the casino developers fail to deliver what’s been promised. It boils down to a simple question: Is it worth the risk?

Owners Mark and Kim Olinger are clearing out for a retirement in Colorado

A packed agenda for the City Council, a mixed-use development is proposed near Colonial Heights, and the city’s Richmond 300 master plan wins a national award.

Q&A with Kevin Vonck, Richmond’s acting planning department director Jonathan Spiers photo) Kevin Vonck was on the City of Richmond’s payroll just five months when he was put in charge of its department of planning and development review. The assignment followed the abrupt departure in January of previous director Mark Olinger, who had led the department for nearly a decade. Today, Vonck has nearly five months under his belt in his role as acting director, overseeing a department of more th...

Richmond 300 revisited: City Council suggests tweaks to city master plan Images courtesy Richmond 300) Of the 17 goals, 73 objectives and 415 strategies detailed in the nearly 250-page Richmond 300 plan, City Council members see several glaring omissions that they want addressed with forthcoming amendments. As they said they would do when they adopted the plan last month, councilmembers have submitted what they would like to see changed, removed or added to the years-in-the-making master plan u...

Richmond planning director Olinger abruptly resigns after decade BizSense file) Correction: Deputy Director Kevin Vonck was hired in August 2020. An earlier version of this story said he was hired the previous year based on information from the city that was incorrect. Richmond’s planning director for the past decade is no longer with the city. Mark Olinger, the city’s director of planning and development review for nearly 10 years, resigned Friday, a city spokesman confirmed. A reason for ...

FILE PHOTO: Craig Carper/VPM Richmond City Council gave final approval Monday night to the Richmond 300 master plan, which will guide the city’s growth until its 300th anniversary in 2037. The 256-page master plan lays out future land-use and other changes that will be necessary to accommodate new residents in a growing city. According to Richmond officials, approximately 32,000 people have moved to the city in the last two decades. Another 40,000 people are expected to move to Richmond by 20...

Richmond 300 plan goes to City Council for final vote tonight December 14, 2020 7 The latest version of the Richmond 300 plan’s future land use map includes the new Community Mixed-Use designation, in orange. ( Images courtesy of Richmond 300) Four years’ worth of work to update Richmond’s 20-year master plan could come to fruition with a City Council vote tonight. The Richmond 300 plan, meant to guide growth through the city’s tricentennial in 2037, is slated to formally be considered ...

City withdraws Pulse zoning changes, plans to revisit proposal next year December 10, 2020 21 Renderings show potential building heights along Broad Street and Hermitage Road near the Science Museum of Virginia based on the city’s Pulse Corridor Plan. ( Images courtesy of the city of Richmond) Just days before it was to go to the City Council for a vote, the latest round of proposed zoning changes tied to the city’s Pulse Corridor Plan has been withdrawn following months of opposition from ...