The development of Mountain Gateway Community College’s (MGCC) Workforce and Entrepreneurial Center just got a boost from a $3 million grant through the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Assistance to Coal Communities initiative. Funding will be used to renovate an existing building in downtown Buena Vista as a manufacturing training center and entrepreneurial innovation laboratory. The project will expand the college’s capacity to deliver training and award industry credentials to meet local employers’ workforce needs in the areas of advanced manufacturing, machining, welding, HVAC, and diesel mechanics. The facility also will serve as an innovation lab where entrepreneurs can exchange ideas and collaborate as they start or grow businesses. As a designated EDA Economic Development District, the CSPDC provided technical assistance for MGCC’s application.

The PDC Housing Development Grant, which provides gap funds to affordable housing developers in our region, is well underway with seven partners across the region working toward the development of 60 new housing units.

Several projects, including Valley Supportive Housing’s Pump Street Apartments, Friendly City Development, LLC’s Suter Street Neighborhood Development, and Foley 11 LLC’s Foley Road Efficiencies Project, are in the process of completing engineering & design work and are awaiting permitting before breaking ground.

The Fairfax Hall Rehabilitation Project in Waynesboro received a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award in early Fall which will finance a significant portion of the project, and is completing final project financing, planning, and design specifications. They plan to begin work in 2023.

Our Community Place’s Block House Apartments project has begun initial demolition and building rehabilitation work, and initial interior construction activities are underway.

Rockbridge Habitat for Humanity’s Greenhouse Village Project has completed water and sewer connections and has begun initial site work on two of the eight home sites. On October 4th, CSPDC staff made a site visit to check out the future home sites for the final phase of the Greenhouse Village project, and had a chance to walk through a recently completed Habitat home.

All projects are expected to be completed by June 30, 2024.

Rockbridge Outdoors along with Rockbridge County, The City of Lexington, and The City of Buena Vista will commemorate the Maury River’s designation as a Virginia Scenic River this October. The local jurisdictions are throwing a community ceremony and reception at Jordan’s Point Park on October 16th at 2:00 pm. In early April, legislation passed to designate the remaining portion of the Maury River as a Virginia Scenic River. Now the entirety of the Maury, which flows through Rockbridge, Lexington, Buena Vista, and Glasgow, is part of the statewide program. Virginia’s Scenic Rivers Program intends to help protect rivers that possess outstanding scenic, recreational, and natural characteristics. To be awarded this designation, the local governing body asks DCR to conduct an eligibility study and then requests their state legislator to sponsor a bill.

Attracting the remote workforce is a new strategy for many communities, with the potential for big impacts on local economies without a big investment in infrastructure. The Fall Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) Conference will feature a panel presentation with Main Street America, Virginia Main Street, the CSPDC, and the City of Buena Vista. The panel will highlight Virginia Main Street’s Remote Work Pilot Program and discuss how communities can identify existing assets and infrastructure needs to successfully attract and retain remote workers. This session will explore the key commonalities and unique market positions to inspire economic developers across the state.

On August 16^th, the Town of Dayton hosted a public meeting to kick off their downtown revitalization initiative. Community members and business owners came out to hear about the Town’s plans to transform Downtown Dayton into a vibrant year-round destination and activity center. This marks the first step toward implementing the Community Development Block Grant the Town received from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. The Town is in process of assessing the existing conditions of their downtown properties. Once the assessment is completed at the end of September, the Town will advertise a request for proposals for a consultant to develop a revitalization plan that will guide the Town’s efforts to reenergize Dayton’s business district. The CSPDC is providing grant writing and administrative services.