Recent Articles from Elizabeth Cooper
HRBT expansion boring? Yes and no
Already the largest project ever tackled by the Virginia Department of Transportation, the $3.8 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion will kick into gear later this year when a $70 million custom-built tunnel boring machine (TBM) begins carving out an underwater path for twin two-lane tunnels. Construction on the HRBT expansion, which will increase tunnel and […]
Laying tracks for The Tide
Commuters are on board with Hampton Roads Transit’s plans to extend The Tide, its 7.4-mile light rail system, according to recent public discussions about proposed new routes. This fall, HRT held one virtual discussion and three pop-up sessions at transit stations in Norfolk to gather public input about expanding the light rail to Sentara Leigh […]
Breeze Airways takes off in Norfolk
Breeze Airways has been flying out of Norfolk International Airport less than six months, but the startup is steadily attracting passengers eager to satisfy their pent-up wanderlust. Founded by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, the Salt Lake City-based airline began offering nonstop, low-cost flights out of 16 cities last spring. Service from Norfolk started June 10, […]
Flood warning
Situated on a bank of the Hague, the Y-shaped inlet off the Elizabeth River that shares a name with the city in the Netherlands, Norfolk’s Chrysler Museum of Art is no stranger to the impacts of high tides, as well as flooded streets and parking lots during heavy rainfalls. Right now, flooding is mainly a […]
Opportunity floats
Read the feature on sea level rise in Hampton Roads. Although local, state and federal government officials are leading coordinated efforts to combat flooding, other groups in Virginia see business potential from the crisis. The OpenSeas Technology Innovation Hub, a collaboration between Old Dominion University and William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science, is […]
‘Where the game is happening’
Touting one of North America’s largest ports, congestion-free shipping channels and the nation’s highest percentage of maritime workers, Hampton Roads is charting a course to become the East Coast supply chain hub for the offshore wind industry. Those attributes, say local leaders, set the region apart in the race to build the nascent carbon-neutral energy […]
Bridging the gap
At the beginning of 2020, A Family Affair Event Management had already filled its schedule for the year with an array of weddings and corporate, social and destination activities. Then COVID-19 struck, wiping the Stafford event planning company’s calendar clean. “It greatly impacted us,” says Tortica Anderson, owner of A Family Affair Event Management. “We […]
Sentara recruits local, diverse suppliers
With the COVID-19 pandemic exposing weaknesses in the global supply chain, Sentara Healthcare is ramping up efforts to diversify its vendors, committing executive leadership and resources to growing partnerships with local and regional suppliers, as well as companies owned by women, veterans and people of color. “We are being intentional about seeking a broad range […]
Rolling out the red carpet
With high-speed subsea internet cables landing on Virginia Beach’s shores and massive wind turbines propelling off its coast, the state’s largest city is primed to welcome new businesses and industries generating high-end jobs. “Virginia Beach is going to be the epicenter of economic development on the East Coast,” says Mayor Bobby Dyer. “I am convinced […]
A fair trade?
While President Joe Biden will likely strike a more diplomatic tone with China than his predecessor, economists and other observers believe the United States’ rocky trade relationship with its biggest economic rival will remain contentious — which will impact Virginia’s economy. Under former President Donald Trump, the U.S. and China were immersed in a grueling […]