Buzz kill? Richmond puts brewery on public tab
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}RICHMOND, Va. — Thirsty for jobs and good times, the city of Richmond is vowing to build a brewery on the James River.
The estimated $36 million tab includes $5 million from Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s “Opportunity Fund.”
If approved by the City Council, most of the money will be raised with a general revenue bond, which puts the city’s taxpayers on the hook if the Stone Brewing Co. venture goes bust.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Details remain sketchy, and that has skeptics wondering if the city will see a replay of the stalled downtown baseball stadium project touted by Mayor Dwight Jones.
“There is no free lunch,” said Paul Goldman, a Richmond lawyer and longtime civic activist. “The public is in a ‘show-me’ mode.”