Richmond's 2026 Boardwalk and More Famous Critters (Drunk Raccoon, Browns Island, AI artwork, and more) #027

Got thoughts? Throw them at us by sending a text here10% OFF your next purchase at Point 5 in Carytown:https://verahouse.co/point5In this episode we unpack the Browns Island closure and the proposed 2026 riverfront “boardwalk,” what it could fix, and where projects tend to stall in RVA. We visit the recent viral drunk raccoon story and how it jumped to national outlets. The story of a raccoon busting his way into an Ashland/Hanover ABC store, ransacking its shelves and passing out drunk in its bathroom on Friday, Nov. 28 has garnered national attention. It’s inspired Virginia ABC advertisements, themed cocktail recipes, a mass scavenger hunt and even a pet election.Most of all, a limited-time merchandise campaign has raised over $200,000 for the Hanover County Animal Protection Shelter as of the time of reporting.Then: CoStar’s planned “digital skin” and the broader AI billboard debate in an arts town. We zoom out to connecting downtown districts, Shockoe street upgrades, and the tension between adaptive reuse and clashy infill (including the Fairfax addition fight). Then we take a nostalgic turn with Rewind Vintage (VHS, retro gaming) and a quick look at attention economics: why we still make long-form and how big shared moments fade. We close with the typical moon-landing debate :)Keywords: Richmond VA, Browns Island boardwalk, CoStar screen, AI billboard, Shockoe street improvements, Fairfax addition, non-alcoholic options, Point 5, Rewind Vintage, VHS, retro gaming, long-form podcasts, moon landing debate.Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help.Support the showGet more info about our studio here.This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses.Follow the movement:instagram.com/verahouse.coyoutube.com/@verahousepodverahouse.coHosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:instagram.com/mykemetzgerinstagram.com/planetperri