A comprehensive look at the public works, municipal contracts, and energy proposals involving former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney's administration (2017–2024), Cephas Industries, and Cephas NeXt, Inc. reveals a distinct timeline of regional infrastructure projects. While Cephas Industries was primarily active during the earlier Dwight Jones mayoral administration, Cephas NeXt, Inc. (led by Morris and Chiroya Cephas) has been heavily involved in municipal demolition and site preparation contracts across Richmond, Hampton, and Newport News. The following are the known projects and intersections for both entities across the region: Cephas Industries (Green Energy & Biomass) The projects under the original corporate name, Cephas Industries, primarily centered around municipal waste recycling and green energy initiatives. 1. Cephas C&D Wastes Biomass Facility (Richmond, VA) The Project: Proposed under Department of Energy docket DOE/EA-1767, this initiative sought to establish an open-loop manufacturing facility on Deepwater Terminal Road in Richmond. The goal was to divert local construction and demolition (C&D) waste from landfills and process it into renewable biomass fuels. The Stoney / City Connection: This project originally broke ground under the federal stimulus framework during the Mayor Dwight Jones administration. Under the subsequent Stoney administration, the city’s economic development goals continued to target minority-owned industrial enterprises, though this specific site ultimately experienced significant long-term financing and operational hurdles. Cephas NeXt, Inc. (Demolition & Site Preparation) As a premier minority-owned specialty contracting firm based in Richmond, Cephas NeXt, Inc. has secured multiple municipal, educational, and public-use site clearance projects under regional equity-in-contracting programs. 2. Mayo Island Improvements & Demolition (Richmond, VA) The Project: A $2.46+ million municipal contract focused on recreation facility and site demolition on Mayo Island in Richmond. The Context: Launched to clear the way for public park access and structural remediation, this project aligned directly with the Stoney administration's later-term push to reclaim the riverfront and execute parts of the comprehensive Richmond 300 master development roadmap. 3. 2001 Walmsley Blvd. Operations Center Abatement & Demolition (Richmond, VA) The Project: A $356,625 public contract awarded for hazardous material abatement, water/sewer preparation, and structure demolition at the city's Walmsley Boulevard Operations Center facility. The Context: This project fell squarely within the city’s ongoing internal infrastructure revitalization, modernizing municipal storage and public works staging grounds. 4. Sherwood Shopping Center Demolition & The New Grissom Library (Newport News, VA) The Project: A $181,350 site preparation contract to demolish the long-vacant Sherwood Shopping Center along Warwick Boulevard. The Context: While outside Richmond proper, Cephas NeXt served as a lead contractor on this highly visible regional development. Led by company president Morris Cephas, the structural teardown clears the site for the construction of the new, state-of-the-art, 51,000-square-foot Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom Library hub in the Denbigh area. 5. Regional Municipal Teardowns (Hampton, Norfolk, & Portsmouth, VA) Cephas NeXt has consistently appeared on active municipal bidding sheets and pre-bid sign-ins across the Peninsula and Southside for local government initiatives, including: Hampton Demolition Services (ITB 25-21/J-AB): Staged bidding for municipal structure clearances. Norfolk Municipal Facility Site Restoration (358 Mowbray Arch): A $599,332 award for site clearance. Portsmouth Municipal Teardown Projects: A $500,000 contract for demolition, erosion, and sediment control across High Street and adjacent properties. 6. Walton School Abatement & Demolition (Prince George County, VA) The Project: A $1,000,000 educational facility demolition contract. The Context: Regional expansion contract involving the total clearance and environmental remediation of an older primary/secondary educational facility in neighboring Prince George County.