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Danville whitewater channel plans float forward
Future Olympian kayakers may one day practice their playboating in the Dan River while tourists marvel from shore. In the Virginia budget approved in May, lawmakers included $3 million for the City of Danville to develop the White Mill Whitewater Channel, which is being designed to lure both recreational paddlers and water rescue trainees. The […]
McLean mixed-use project, Mars expansion approved
As the third wealthiest community in the U.S., McLean is known for its luxurious mansions and classic suburban feel. That’s starting to change. In June 2021, Fairfax County supervisors adopted a plan, known as the McLean Community Business Center, to redevelop the town’s 230-acre downtown, bounded by Old Dominion Drive and Chain Bridge Road, to […]
NW Harrisonburg sees revival with investment
Northwest Harrisonburg used to be a place to buy a tire. Beyond the 116-year-old City Produce Exchange building, which was converted into lofts in 2006, and the Local Chop & Grill House, which opened in the same building in 2009, there wasn’t much else to draw people to that corner of the city. That’s changing, […]
Richmond City Center project awaits city decision
The City of Richmond continues to evaluate four proposals to demolish the shuttered Richmond Coliseum and redevelop the surrounding downtown area — 9.4 acres comprising the City Center Innovation District. In May 2023, the Richmond Economic Development Authority and the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority released renderings from four developer groups — Capstone Development, City [&he[...]
Lynchburg association lands $310k in grants to aid downtown efforts
With help in part from three state grants, Downtown Lynchburg Association is working to brighten the city’s scenic Bluffwalk for the holidays and fill downtown stores. DLA combined a $75,000 Virginia Main Street Downtown Investment Grant with other funding to launch Bright Nights on the Bluffwalk, an eight-week event set to kick off Nov. 17 […]
River District Association gives leader a title upgrade
Diana L. Schwartz’s title is changing from executive director to CEO of the River District Association, the Danville downtown revitalization association announced Monday. The title more accurately reflects her role, according to an RDA news release. It has shifted from creating and managing programs for the downtown business community to putting greater emphasis on growing […]
Sentara invests $11M in Newport News revitalization
Sentara Healthcare invested $11 million in Newport News’ Marshall-Ridley Choice Neighborhood revitalization initiative, the Norfolk-based health system announced Wednesday. Sentara is providing $11 million in loan financing support for the project’s second phase, which focuses on the former Ridley Place neighborhood. The project is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Devel[...]
Theater project aims to put Wytheville in limelight
Soon after Todd Wolford became executive director of community revitalization nonprofit Downtown Wytheville Inc. in 2015, he began seeking pictures of the Soda Shop, the Main Street hotspot his grandfather owned in the late ’50s and ’60s. After locating a couple photos of his grandfather’s packed establishment, Wolford had an epiphany: His job was to […]
Three Hampton Roads revitalization projects receive $1M from state
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that $1 million in Port Host Communities Revitalization Fund (PHCRF) grants will go toward three projects in Hampton Roads including revitalizing the vacant 57,792-square-foot Willis Building in Norfolk, making updates to the Menchville Marina to aid the state’s oyster industry and redeveloping the 51-acre Lovett Point property in Portsmouth for […[...]
“Port host communities” receive revitalization funds
The General Assembly allocated $1 million in grants to redevelop port-related properties in Virginia’s “port host communities,” including Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. The goal of the funding is to enable timely redevelopment of port structures for economic development and employment growth, according to the Department of Housing and Communit[...]
