Business in brief

The Virginia House of Delegates passed a joint resolution last week that would designate the first full week in March each year as Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agents Week beginning in 2019. HJ 703, introduced by Del. Buddy Fowler (R-Ashland), recognizes the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia and its network of more than 4,000 Trusted Choice independent agents for their work in filling the gap in flood insurance coverage throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agents Week – as it would be formally known from 2019 onward – would occur the week immediately preceding the National Weather Service’s Flood Awareness Week, which this year falls March 12-16.

Have Site Will Travel, Ltd and The Man with Square Feet announces the lease 4,784 square feet at 8040 Villa Park Road, Henrico. The tenant is RCG Behavioral Health Network and the landlord is 8040 Villa Park LLC. John Jay Schwartz, managing director of Have Site Will Travel, Ltd and The Man with Square Feet, represented the tenant.

Thalhimer Realty Partners, Inc. and Rebkee, owners of Regency, recently announced that Steve Bonniville and Julie Gordon have earned the newly established International Council of Shopping Center’s Certified Retail Real Estate Professional designation. Bonniville is the general manager of the mall, and Gordon is the marketing director. Both are instrumental in the day-to-day operations and ongoing transformation of Regency from a 900,000-square-foot shopping mall into a mixed-use commercial and residential community. Bonniville and Gordon were among the first to receive this designation, which they earned through their demonstration of knowledge of the core principals essential to the retail real estate industry.

The Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at Henrico Doctors’ and Johnston-Willis Hospitals recently received a three-year accreditation for their Breast Multidisciplinary Care Programs from the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). Henrico Doctors’ and Johnston-Willis have received NAPBC accreditation since 2009 and were the first and second centers respectively to be accredited by NAPBC in Central Virginia. Accreditation by the NAPBC is only given to those centers that have voluntarily committed to undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. During the survey process, the center must demonstrate compliance with standards established by the NAPBC for treating women who are diagnosed with the full spectrum of breast disease. The standards include proficiency in the areas of center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement. A breast center that achieves NAPBC accreditation has demonstrated a firm commitment to offer its patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast disease. The programs at Henrico Doctors’ and Johnston-Willis received zero deficiencies during the most recent survey.

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer recently announced that Lindsey E. Melton has joined the Residential Property Services Group as a portfolio manager. She will work on repositioning the two latest Thalhimer Realty Partners acquisitions, the Towers on Franklin I and II. Melton has more than 10 years of property management experience, including the last seven at Bonaventure.

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer recently reported the following lease transactions: RCG Behavioral Health Network, LLC – leased 4,784 SF in Villa Park I at 8040 Villa Park Drive; JuJu Bee’s LLC – renewed its lease of 2,500 SF in Lakeside Town Center at 6920 Lakeside Avenue; and Coco and Hazel, LLC – leased 1,200 SF in Tuckahoe Shopping Center at 405 N. Ridge Road.

Macy’s recently launched furniture virtual reality in approximately 70 Macy’s stores nationwide, and this month will expand to an additional 20 locations, including Macy’s Short Pump Town Center. Macy’s 3D furniture experience allows customers to place furnishings in a virtual room they design using a tablet in-store. First, they map out the basic dimensions and shape of the room for which they are buying products. Then, they select the items they want from Macy’s furniture assortment and lay them out virtually in the room. Customers can refine the design as needed until they find what works best for them and finally test it out virtually by stepping into the room, using VR headsets to get a true-to-life experience that allows them to walk around the coffee table, couch and other furnishings. The augmented reality furniture experience helps reduce customer worry over fit as customers test out potential purchases virtually.