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Northern Va. Year-in-Review: Back to the cookie jar
Data centers continued to dominate, define and, in some cases, shape the arc of Northern Virginia’s 2023 economic story. Amazon Web Services cleared its hurdle in Stafford County, and although Prince William County’s controversial Digital Gateway project faced major public backlash, supervisors ultimately voted to approve the 1,200-acre project’s rezoning applications in December[...]
Southern Va. Big Deal: Shattering records
Poland-based Press Glass, a flat-glass fabricator for the commercial construction industry, will gain a competitive edge when it breaks ground on a $155.2 million expansion of its Ridgeway plant in the second quarter. It’s the single largest investment by a business in Henry County’s history, topping packaging manufacturer Crown Holdings’ $145 million investment in 2021, [&hellip[...]
Southern Va. Year-in-Review: Hitting the jackpot
Southern Virginia is seeing years of preparation for economic development pay big dividends. Businesses ranging from a temporary casino to a biopharmaceutical company to a flat-glass manufacturer announced they were opening or planning expansions in the region in 2023. Local economic development officials say the major draws they’ve worked hard to put in place include […]
Eastern Va. Year-in-Review: Striking a balance
Economic development directors often try to balance diversifying their community’s industries while playing to regional strengths. Sean Washington, Norfolk’s economic development director, believes his city found that balance in 2023. Norfolk has found growth around alternative energy, with Lambert’s Point being developed into a launching point for an offshore wind energy hub at [...]
2024 Big Book intro: Invasion of the bots!
If it feels like robots took over our lives this past year, that’s because they have. Many of us have used ChatGPT to write an email, created an idealized self-portrait with Midjourney or seen a deepfake on X. Everyone has at least read marketing texts or emails created by a generative AI tool. To different […]
Norfolk looks to renovate Scope, Chrysler Hall instead of building new arena
Norfolk no longer plans to build a new arena after Military Circle Mall is torn down, and instead is seriously considering renovating two city-owned venues downtown: the 53-year-old, 10,000-seat Scope Arena and the nearby 52-year-old Chrysler Hall, a 2,500-seat theater. “The participation of the public dollar that we would need on the arena is more […]
Logistics company expanding in Winchester
Third-party logistics warehousing provider WCS Logistics, a Winchester Cold Storage company, will invest $27 million to expand in Frederick County and create an estimated 15 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. WCS Logistics will build an 83,000-square-foot cold storage facility with the capacity for more than 13,000 pallets. The facility will include 68,750 square feet […]
Alexandria arena proposal economic impact report released
An economic and fiscal impact analysis released Friday by the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership forecasts that the proposed Washington Capitals and Wizards arena in Alexandria could generate up to $7.96 billion in annual economic output for the state. Additionally, the report says the arena could be completed as soon as 2028 if its construction schedule […]
Lego delays Chesterfield production start to 2027
Lego Group will begin production at its $1 billion Chesterfield manufacturing facility in 2027, at least a year later than originally planned, the Danish toymaker announced Thursday. The company also named Preben Elnef as project lead and Gray | Hourigan, a joint venture between Lexington, Kentucky-based Gray and Richmond-based Hourigan, as general contractor. Billund, Denmark-based […]
Trident Systems to add 50 jobs in Fairfax
Fairfax-based aerospace defense contractor Trident Systems plans to invest $3.7 million in an expansion of its Fairfax County operation, creating about 50 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday. Trident Systems, which was acquired by Chantilly-based LightRidge Solutions in July 2023, produces space electronic systems for the Department of Defense, NASA and the intelligence community. The [&he[...]
Why Alexandria’s new entertainment district is everyone’s business
As lawmakers negotiate the future of a $2 billion deal to build a new entertainment district in Alexandria, leaders across public and private sectors in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region are weighing the potential benefits. Without discounting concerns of local residents, I would like to present how this entertainment district will help Northern Virginia’s future growth and […]
Mack Trucks will expand Roanoke County facility
North Carolina-based Mack Trucks, a division of Sweden-based Volvo Group, will invest $14.5 million to expand its Roanoke County manufacturing operation, a project expected to create 51 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday. Mack Trucks, a medium- and heavy-duty trucks producer, will add 72,000 square feet to its current facility to increase capacity for its […]
