Virginia Business announces Top Projects awards program

In July, Virginia Business will introduce its inaugural Top Projects recognition program, honoring the innovative buildings and facilities reshaping Virginia’s landscape. (Applications are due April 10 and can be submitted at virginiabusiness.com/top-projects.

Top Projects will spotlight the best building and construction projects delivered in Virginia during the prior calendar year (2025) across key commercial and institutional categories, including office, medical, multifamily and education developments.

The statewide program will recognize not only project owners, but also the contractors, architects, engineers and interior design firms that helped bring these projects to life.

The awards launch at a time when construction activity remains a significant force in the commonwealth’s economy. Virginia’s construction workforce totaled about 229,500 workers in mid-2025, up roughly 10,100 jobs (5%) year over year, according to an Associated General Contractors of America industry fact sheet.

Industry demand also remains strong nationwide. Sixty-three percent of contractors expect to add workers in 2026, according to the 2026 Construction Hiring & Business Outlook survey released by AGC and technology firm Sage.

Growth in specialized construction sectors is helping drive that demand. In the same survey, 65% of contractors said they expect the data center construction market to expand, while energy and power projects were another area where firms reported rising optimism.

Virginia is particularly well positioned to benefit from those trends. The commonwealth hosts one of the world’s largest concentrations of data centers in Northern Virginia, while a growing pipeline of advanced manufacturing, health care and education projects continues to generate construction activity statewide.

Large-scale manufacturing investments alone are helping drive billions of dollars in new development. In 2025, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced a $5 billion manufacturing campus in Goochland County, while AstraZeneca unveiled a $4.5 billion life sciences investment in Albemarle County and Merck began construction on a $3 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Rockingham County.

Health care and institutional development are also fueling construction across the state. Projects underway or recently announced include VCU Health‘s planned 16-story hospital tower in Richmond, HCA Virginia’s proposed $260 million hospital in Chesterfield County, and Centra Health‘s six-story hospital expansion in Lynchburg.

Meanwhile, the state’s School Construction Assistance Program has awarded more than $530 million for school construction projects since 2022, helping support the development of modern educational facilities across Virginia.

Together, these investments reflect the wide range of projects transforming communities across the commonwealth — from hospitals and university buildings to apartment developments, office space and advanced manufacturing facilities.

Through the Top Projects awards, Virginia Business will recognize the projects — and the teams behind them — that are helping shape Virginia’s built environment and drive economic growth across the commonwealth.

Apply now at virginiabusiness.com/top-projects to ensure your project is recognized.