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A healthy outlook
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic stresses Virginia hospitals, Hampton Roads’ health care sector continues to grow. Richmond-based VCU Health System is making inroads in the region through partnerships with Riverside Health System and Sentara Healthcare. In March, VCU Health System announced a formal affiliation with Newport News-[...]
On the fast track
Six Hampton Roads-based companies, including two newcomers, landed on the Virginia Chamber’s 2020 Fantastic 50 list of the state’s fastest-growing privately owned businesses. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the winners were recognized during a virtual event held in May. To qualify for the Fantastic 50, nominees’ fiscal revenues had to exceed $200,000 and be less […]
Chips on the table
On Election Day, Norfolk and Portsmouth voters will decide whether to hold ’em or fold ’em. The two Hampton Roads cities will consider separate Nov. 3 ballot referendums on large casino projects that promise jobs, tax revenue, increased area tourism and funds for school construction. “It’s new for Virginia, for sure,” [...]
Making bank
Suffolk-based TowneBank maintains its dominance among Hampton Roads financial institutions, holding nearly a quarter of the market share. In late June, TowneBank and Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters jointly purchased the 22-story Norfolk Southern tower in downtown Norfolk for $30 million. TowneBank’s market share increased slightly from last year, when it had 22.29% of […]
By land, sea and air
Faced with challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, many Hampton Roads businesses and universities are looking to drones for help. Unmanned flight systems also are likely to drive economic development in the future. In May, when the fear of dwindling personal protective equipment was still fresh, the Herndon-based Cente[...]
The big dig
With construction beginning this fall to expand the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT), relief is on the way for travelers weary of sitting in traffic jams along one of south-eastern Virginia’s most congested corridors. The $3.8 billion expansion is the largest project in the history of the Virginia Department of Transportatio[...]
Executive Insights
David C. White Executive vice president, Virginia Maritime Association What do you consider the most pressing issue facing the Hampton Roads region? The maritime industry is in the best position to drive the economic growth and job creation for the region. Capacity at the container terminals has been increased to move an additional 1 million […]
Home prices still increasing
Hampton Roads home values continued trending upward from July 2019 through July 2020. According to the latest available data from the Real Estate Information Network Inc., the Multiple Listing Service for the region, the median price of buying a home in Hampton Roads this July was $275,000 — a 7.84% increase from July 2019. Wh[...]
Canceled oyster fest hits Urbanna’s wallet
Here’s a pandemic casualty unlikely to appear on Dr. Fauci’s radar: The annual Urbanna Oyster Festival, traditionally set for the first weekend in November, has been shucked off. Citing risks from COVID-19, the Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation, the event’s sponsor, called off the festival for the first time in 63 years, [...]
No rest for defense
Some of the biggest economic news in Hampton Roads over the past year has come from Department of Defense projects. The top headline belongs to a pair of massive Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) contracts. In November 2019, Reston-based General Dynamics Corp. won the largest Navy contract ever awarded, $22.2 billion, to produc[...]
Workforce development
From customized apprenticeship programs to professional development courses, various organizations in Hampton Roads are working to ensure employers have the right workforce. Below is an overview of workforce development resources. The Apprentice School Having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019, The Apprentice School in Newport News has trained 10,800 shipyard workers over its long history. […][...]
Residential Real Estate Review with Cindy Hawks White
President of the Hampton Roads Realtors Association (HRRA), Cindy Hawks White is a Virginia Beach-based operating principal with Keller Williams Realty. She has worked in the real estate industry since 1982 and specializes in real estate-owned (REO), short sale and luxury properties. Hawks White also has served on the HRRA’s b[...]
