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Recent Articles from Gary Robertson
The mouse that roars
Arlington County encompasses an area of just 26 square miles, making it geographically the smallest self-governing county in America. But in many ways, it is the mouse that roars. In November 2018, Arlington snagged the biggest economic prize in Virginia — and possibly U.S. — history when Amazon.com Inc. announced it would build its $2.5 […]
A new line of work
As a single mother, Megan Yeager began working as a pizza delivery driver. Over the years, she rose to regional manager of a small pizza chain in the Richmond area. But the pizza chain couldn’t offer her what she wanted in a career: vision and dental care, retirement benefits, career advancement opportunities and, most importantly, […]
A watershed moment
Only a few months ago, the economies of the historic port city of Norfolk and the greater Hampton Roads region, with which it is inextricably intertwined, were continuing to rebound after emerging from what Old Dominion University’s 2019 State of the Region report has called “the lost decade.” During the period from 2007 to 2016, […]
Subsea cable country
The scheduled 2020 arrival in Henrico County of a third connection to ultra-high-speed internet subsea cables should give the Richmond region bragging rights as a destination for data centers. In other words, it makes Central Virginia an alternative to Loudoun County, where 70% of all internet traffic flows but lacks a direct line to the […]
The arena of politics
A historic vote on the biggest economic development proposal in the city of Richmond’s history — the potentially transformative $1.5 billion Navy Hill downtown redevelopment plan that would have included the state’s largest entertainment venue — collapsed in mid-February amid sound and fury as seven of Richmond City Council’s nine members refused to approve the […]
Online pioneer becomes powerhouse
If colleges and universities have a golden age, then this may be Liberty University’s. Founded in 1971 by televangelist Jerry Falwell Sr., the Lynchburg-based institution will mark its 49th year in 2020. For decades, the school battled debt — at one point in the triple-digit millions — and was threatened with losing its accreditation. Today, […]
New EDA chief tries to do business amid scandal
There is no normal — even a new normal — for the executive director of the Front Royal-Warren Economic Development Authority, Douglas Parsons. Not while his predecessor, Jennifer McDonald, faces criminal charges and a civil suit alleging that she engineered a $21 million embezzlement scheme. A veteran in economic development, Parsons took office in May. […]
Hampton Roads task force ponders region’s name and identity
Coastal Virginia, Tidewater, 757, Hampton Roads. What’s in a name, and what gives a region its identity and enhances its competitiveness? A task force of leaders from the Hampton Roads region is hammering away at those questions as they ponder whether Hampton Roads should continue to be called, well, Hampton Roads. Sometime in mid-December, the […]
Hampton Roads task force ponders region’s name and identity
Coastal Virginia, Tidewater, 757, Hampton Roads. What’s in a name, and what gives a region its identity and enhances its competitiveness? A task force of leaders from the Hampton Roads region is hammering away at those questions as they ponder whether Hampton Roads should continue to be called, well, Hampton Roads. Sometime in mid-December, the […]
Coping with costs
Changes are proposed for state’s prepaid college savings plan
