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Virginia's First Regional Industrial Facility Authority has received a $1.375 million grant from the
Department of Housing and Community Development Industrial Site Development Fund (ISDF) to begin
Phase One of the New River Valley Commerce Park. Located on Route 100 in Pulaski County near the
New River Valley Airport, the 1,000 acre Commerce Park will be marketed to large, high- tech industries.
The project is intended to provide a large industrial site that could not be afforded by any single locality.
The goal is that a mega-industry employer will provide a major diversification of the economy.
Phase one provides for the acquisition of 320 acres, extending the option on the remaining 700 acres,
grading 40 acres as a demonstration of the potential for the site, and construction of a one mile access road
to the site. In addition to the ISDF grant, the Authority is looking for grant and/or loan funds from the US
Economic Development Administration, Virginia Department of Transportation, Appalachian Regional
Commission, and Rural Development.
The Authority formed in 1998 in response to the Virginia Regional Industrial Facilities Act, which enables
localities to form regional industrial facility authorities to jointly develop and share the revenues of
industrial facilities. Virginia's First includes 15 localities in the region: Giles, Wythe, Bland, Craig,
Montgomery, Pulaski and Roanoke counties, the cities of Radford, Salem and Roanoke, and the towns of
Pulaski, Dublin, Narrows, Pearisburg, and Christiansburg.
Depending on the industry, the Authority expects the site to host between 500 and 1,500 jobs and to generate more than $700,000 in machine and tool taxes each year. After paying the debt on the site, these tax revenues will be pro-rated among the Authority members based on their level of participation. According to the Terms of Participation adopted by the Authority in April, Pulaski County will retain all real estate taxes from the site. For further information, contact Dave Rundgren, (540) 639-9313, ext. 212. Main Menu
Radford, Narrows and Pulaski Slated for TEA-21 Funding
Three New River Valley localities have been recommended to receive a total of nearly $800,000 from the federal transportation enhancement program, TEA-21. At its May 20 meeting, the Commonwealth Transportation Board gave tentative approval for $500,000 to the City of Radford and Pathways for Radford for the development of its network of bikeways, walkways and trails; $134,000 to the Town of Narrows for the purchase of a caboose to convert into a mini-museum; and $156,000 to the Town of Pulaski for acquisition of a historic site to be developed into a transportation and history museum.
The TEA-21 program was created to promote unique and innovative transportation related projects, using federal funds, which are available through an application process administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation. This year, there were requests for 214 projects totaling $85 million competing for $18.6 million available. The Board gave preliminary approval to 97 projects.
The Board is expected to adopt a final list of approved projects at its June 17 meeting. Contracts will be awarded and work may begin after October 1. Main Menu
Pulaski County Comprehensive Plan
At their May work session, Planning Commission members were presented with the final draft of the background data of the Comprehensive Plan Update. Staff from the PDC gave a cursory slide presentation of the background data, including population and economic data, income and housing data, and maps illustrating how another locality addressed the future land use section of the Comprehensive Plan Update. The Planning Commission requested that County and PDC staff work together and interview various County officials to gather expert opinions about the goals and objectives section of the Comprehensive Plan Update. The next work session is scheduled for September 1999. For further information, contact Gregg Zody, (540)639-9313, ext. 206. Main Menu
PDC staff met with the Rich Creek Planning Commission on May 18, 1999 to review several land use maps for the existing land use section of the Comprehensive Plan Update. Commissioners requested a broader scope of land use and zoning adjacent to the Town's corporate limits for future land use planning. The revised maps will be presented at the June Planning Commission meeting. For further information, contact Gregg Zody, (540)639-9313, ext. 206. Main Menu
New River Valley Regional Jail Authority
The New River Valley Regional Jail held its grand opening on April 9th. Lt. Governor John Hager gave the keynote address and cut the red, white and blue ribbon to open the $25 million facility. He praised the project for being completed on time and within the budget. He hoped that a facility such as this one would help to deter crime. Tours of the jail were offered to the public on April 9th and 10th.
The 449-bed facility, serving the counties of Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Pulaski and Wythe, and the City of Radford, began accepting prisoners on April 27th. Ralph Dobbins, Superintendent of the jail, said that the transfer of prisoners from the participating localities to the regional jail went smoothly. In the time since the jail opened, more than 443 inmates have been processed. For further information, contact Tammy Sarver, (540)643-2000. Main Menu
Narrows Downtown Revitalization Near Completion
For further information, contact Lesley Howard at (540) 639-9313, ext. 210. Main Menu
American Heritage Rivers Initiative
Project development is nearly complete on the New River Valley's portion of the New River Watershed Work Plan for the American Heritage Rivers Initiative. The four local committees, Cultural & Historic, Economic Development, Education & Training, and Natural Resources, have been meeting over the past few months to select and develop projects to be included. All work plan projects were due at the offices of the New River Valley Planning District Commission by June 1st. One last group meeting will be held on June 9th at 7:00 p.m. in Room 107 of the International Education Building at Radford University. This meeting will give committee members the opportunity to review NRV regional projects one last time before they are submitted for inclusion in the full watershed work plan.
This initiative, launched last summer by President Clinton, has a five-year span. The watershed-wide work plan being submitted this summer is just the first of several submissions planned for the coming years. If a project is unable to be included at first, there will be more opportunities in the future. For more information concerning this initiative, please contact Lesley Howard at (540) 639-9313, ext. 210. Main Menu
New River Valley Competitiveness Center
The New River Valley Competitiveness Center is officially open for business! On April 12, 1999, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the Center with Congressman Rick Boucher serving as the keynote speaker. Other speakers included Wayne Carpenter, President, New River Valley Development Corporation; Neal Noyes, Economic Development Administration; Joseph Sheffey, Pulaski County Board of Supervisors; Rob Blackmore, VA Department of Business Assistance; Bob Rogers, Architectural Alternatives; and Allen R. Neely, Allen R. Neely, Co. Refreshments were served by Custom Catering of Blacksburg and tours of the Center were given by NRVPDC staff.
The Center has ten tenants with letters of intent from three additional prospective tenants. Current tenants include
the New River Valley Planning District Commission, New River Valley Development Corporation, Expert Automation,
Inc., JSK Construction, Inc., Blue Ridge Golf, Inc., Staff Contracting, Inc., REMSI, Bowlswitch USA, Inc., The
Equitable, and Quad Media. For further information on the Center, contact Dave Rundgren (540) 633-6731. Main Menu
The roster of tenants at the Giles Business Incubator (GBI) in Narrows continues to grow. C & M Design, a manufacturer of custom draperies, pet products and toddler totes, has been approved for tenancy and plans to move in soon. Robin Quick, the owner, has been pre-qualified for a Small Business Association program designed to assist minority and female owned enterprises. Ms. Quick received information and assistance in launching her business from the Small Business Development Centers in Radford and Tazewell. The GBI is in negotiations with two more small businesses to enter the incubator.
"dreamworks" inc., a current tenant of the facility, has divided its operations into two parts. "dreamworks" still handles laser etching, while Magic Moments, its new branch, focuses on wholesale floral distribution and floral arrangements for weddings. Congratulations to "dreamworks" not only for expanding and diversifying, but also for landing the contract to engrave the bricks for the fund raising effort for the downtown Narrows revitalization. Anita Hines, the manager of the GBI, has been invited to make a presentation at a small business conference scheduled to take place in Lynchburg, June 23-24. Ms. Hines will speak at the invitation of Rob Blackmore of the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. For more information on this conference and the GBI in general, please contact Anita Hines at (540) 726-3888. Main Menu
NRVPDC Commission Meeting Summaries
NRVPDC Commission Meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month, 7:30PM, New River Valley Competitiveness Center, 6580 Valley Center Drive, Radford, VA. All meetings are open to the public. Main Menu
The NRV's 3rd quarter wage data for 1997 and 1998 show an increase in average employment of 1,787 (2.8%) persons. The weekly wage increased ($18 or 3.9%) as well as the number of establishments (46 or 1.4% ).
| Jurisdiction | 3rd Qtr 1997 | 3rd Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 2,327 | 2,498 |
| Giles County | 5,545 | 5,674 |
| Montgomery County | 30,977 | 32,572 |
| Pulaski County | 15,358 | 15,337 |
| Radford City | 8,977 | 8,890 |
| NRVPDC | 63,184 | 64,971 |
| Jurisdiction | 3rd Qtr 1997 | 3rd Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 314 | 328 |
| Giles County | 532 | 511 |
| Montgomery County | 465 | 479 |
| Pulaski County | 450 | 486 |
| Radford City | 469 | 499 |
| NRVPDC | 462 | 480 |
| Jurisdiction | 3rd Qtr 1997 | 3rd Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 268 | 270 |
| Giles County | 321 | 321 |
| Montgomery County | 1,679 | 1,746 |
| Pulaski County | 712 | 689 |
| Radford City | 397 | 397 |
| NRVPDC | 3,377 | 3,423 |
The dollar amount of taxable sales decreased in three NRV jurisdictions between the 3rd and 4th quarters of 1998. Giles
and Montgomery Counties experienced the only increases, $3,114,174 and $14,595,168 respectively. Between the 3rd
and 4th quarters of 1997, three NRV jurisdictions showed increases with Montgomery County having the largest
increase ($11,823,912).
| Jurisdiction | 3rd Qtr 1998 | 4th Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 9,280,457 | 9,259,365 |
| Giles County | 23,309,247 | 26,423,421 |
| Montgomery County | 159,097,758 | 173,692,926 |
| Pulaski County | 53,185,676 | 51,348,255 |
| Radford City | 17,795,735 | 17,000,362 |
World Trade Institute Graduates First Class
In March, Virginia Tech's World Trade Institute graduated its first class of economic developers, who represented 24 counties in the Appalachian region. The Institute provided training in many areas of international trade.
Of the 14 graduates, four were from the New River Valley: Stuart Gilbert, New River Valley Economic Development Alliance; Allan Bookout, First National Bank; Franklin Crockett, American Electric Power; and Patrick Burton, New River Valley Planning District Commission.
The five-month training combined intensive internet-based instruction with two on-site classroom sessions. The course work included readings, quizzes, and development of a final market-research report.
The first classroom session, held last fall, covered the basics of exporting, such as identifying potential overseas markets and using the National Trade Database, and included a presentation at Radford University by the director of the International Trade Center of Western Virginia. The final classroom session was held at Virginia Tech in March and included presentations on financial assistance for exporters and a case study of marketing and selling products in Russia.
The World Trade Institute was established in 1998 in collaboration with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to help increase exports from the Appalachian region. The Institute's first two years of operation are being supported through a $250,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.
The Institute's second training course will begin in November, 1999. For more information, call Chad Miller, Virginia Tech Public Service Programs, at (540) 231-4043. Main Menu
June 1 - Blacksburg PC Meeting - 7:30PM
June 7 - Floyd PC Meeting - 7:30PM
June 8 - Giles PC Meeting - 7:00PM and Pulaski PC Meeting - 7:00PM
June 9 - AHR-RU, RM 107-International Ed. Bldg. - 7:00PM
June 11 - 9:30AM - New River Valley Regional Jail Authority - Dublin
June 14 - Pulaski Town PC Meeting - 7:00PM
June 16 - Montgomery PC Meeting - 7:00PM
June 21 - Radford PC Meeting - 7:00PM
June 24 - NRVPDC Commission Meeting - 7:30PM
*Christiansburg Town PC Meetings are held on an as-needed basis, any Monday at 4:00PM Main Menu
July 1999
July 5 - Floyd PC Meeting - 7:30PM
July 6 - Blacksburg Town PC Meeting - 7:30PM
July 12 - Pulaski Town PC Meeting - 7:00PM
July 13 - Giles PC Meeting - 7:00PM and Pulaski PC Meeting - 7:00PM; Montgomery/Blacksburg LEPC-ARC, C'Burg - 3:00PM
July 13 - LEPC-C'Burg ARC - 3:00PM
July 19 - Radford PC Meeting - 7:00PM
July 21 - Montgomery PC Meeting - 7:00PM
July 22 - NRVPDC Commission Meeting - 7:30PM
*Christiansburg Town PC Meetings are held on an as-needed basis, any Monday at 4:00PM
Main Menu
Mary Hall and Alexandra Hall are leaving the NRVPDC at the end of May and beginning of June,
respectively. Mary and her husband, Maurice, and sons, Dale and Daniel, will be moving to
Vancouver, Washington. Maurice has obtained an environmental engineer position just across the
Columbia River in Portland, Oregon. Alexandra will be moving to Fairfax, Virginia, where her
husband, Bob, has taken a job as a computer software engineer. They are also anxiously awaiting the
birth of their first child.
We have their new addresses, so if you would like to keep in touch with them, please contact the
PDC office. We deeply appreciate Mary's and Alexandra's hard work and dedication to the PDC.
They both will be difficult to replace. We wish them and their families the best of luck in their future
endeavors! Main Menu NRVPDC and NRVDC CHANGE OF ADDRESS
The New River Valley Planning District Commission (NRVPDC) and the New River Valley
Development Corporation (NRVDC) have moved to the New River Valley Competitiveness Center's
regional office space in Fairlawn. The new addresses are as follows:
New River Valley Planning District Commission
6580 Valley Center Drive, Box 21
Radford, VA 24141
Phone: (540) 639-9313
Fax: (540) 831-6093
New River Valley Development Corporation
6580 Valley Center Drive, Box 1
Radford, VA 24141
Phone: (540) 633-6731
Fax: (540) 633-6768
If you have any questions, please contact Shirl Quesenberry at (540) 639-9313, ext. 211.
Main Menu
Vision 2020 Newsletter
Access to Rides is one of ten volunteer projects in the New River Valley designed by ordinary
citizens interested in doing something to make their community a better place to live and to work.
The Kellogg Foundation provided the project's start-up funds through the Managing Information
with Rural America (MIRA) grant program. The Voluntary Action Center will continue the
project if the community supports it with volunteer time.
It's a simple task. Anyone who drives a car that sometimes sits idle in the driveway can
participate. Anyone who is driving to work on a routine basis may be able to pick up someone
who needs to get to work at a nearby destination.
The people benefiting from this project are the would-be breadwinners of families who are
struggling to get themselves to work or to job training programs. These breadwinners are often
young, female, and have one or two small children. A major barrier faced by a large number of
lower income families who need to get a job, or to retain a job, is the lack of reliable
transportation, particularly in rural communities. Unfortunately people who work for minimum
wage find car purchase and maintenance a major hurdle. Affordable cars don't always start when
the key is put in the ignition. And when they don't, the boss has to find someone else to fill the
vacancy. It's a vicious cycle no car, no way to work, can't afford a car.
The Access to Rides project is carefully designed to break this cycle of defeat. Access to Rides has
a project manager, a dispatcher, and a database that matches volunteer drivers with people needing
rides. Referral agencies review the circumstances of people needing rides, then contact Access to
Rides with a specific time slot request; for example, "Mother with a three year old needs ride to
Little Tots Day Care Center, then to a job training class at New River Community College,
Christiansburg. Arrival time, 9:30 AM Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Pick up time, 3:00 PM to
return home via day care center". The Access database scans the volunteer driver list to find who
is available at those times. Volunteer drivers sign up for as many or as few time slots as they wish.
If you are interested in helping people become and remain self-sufficient call the Voluntary Action
Center at 552-4909 to sign up for this summer's next volunteer training.
As a project of the Cultural and Historic Preservation Committee of the American Heritage Rivers
Initiative for the New River, Professor Dotty Mercer of Radford University is documenting the
country stores in the New River watershed, which includes communities near rivers that flow into
the New. The information will be included in a book and possibly an exhibition.
The type of buildings included in Ms. Mercer's study are known by various names: country store,
trading post, commissary, company store, crossroads store, neighborhood store, general store. The
common factor for all is that they sold everything under one roof or at least on the property. The
study's emphasis is on the architectural design, as well as the social significance to the communities.
Ms. Mercer states, "I could really use community assistance in identifying significant stores that still
exist regardless of whether they are still being used as stores. I need directions to them, as well as
contact people (owners or otherwise) who can supply accurate information." Other useful
information includes historic photographs and ledgers for stores still standing or important ones that
no longer exist.
Please contact Ms. Mercer via e-mail at [email protected] or by mail: Dottie Mercer, Art
Department, Box 6965, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142.
How can technology help individuals and organizations be better linked, more creative and inclusive
in our problem solving, more proactive in problem identification, more responsive to our citizens?
This workshop seeks to answer these questions. Those whom the workshop would benefit include
executive directors and technical staff of nonprofit organizations; community leaders, activists and
citizens; and board members of community organizations.
The keynote speaker, Myron Kellner-Rogers, is a nationally recognized change agent who has
worked across the globe with organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to public education,
health care, governments and community groups. He is co-author, with Meg Wheatley, of the best
seller A Simpler Way. There will also be panel discussions on technology with the opportunity for
participants to ask questions about everything from hardware to databases and a community
marketplace where participants can exchange information, resources, and make new connections.
Participants will be able to browse through technology provider information booths; some spaces are
still available.
Breakfast, lunch, and the proceedings are included in the $15 registration fee. Contact Lesley
Howard, 552-7174, lhoward@bev. net or Holly Lesko, 552-3035
The Vision 2020 Speakers Bureau has received three requests for speakers since its creation in early
1999. Groups that have used speakers include Radford University and the Women's Club at Virginia
Tech.
If you would like to request a speaker, please contact Sharon Sowers at the Voluntary Action Center,
552-4909.
The New River Valley Land Trust Task Force, formerly known as the Montgomery County Land
Trust, has decided to expand its service area to include the entire New River Valley. In addition, the
group is selecting representatives for the Board of Directors of the Western Virginia Land Trust
(WVLT).
The new Executive Director of the WVLT, Michael Van Ness, met with the NRV group in mid-May
and indicated that WVLT is very interested in working with local groups to identify potential
conservation sites. The NRV group will have a representative on the Board of the WVLT and adopt
their stance as a group that encourages voluntary donation.
If you are interested in working with this group or have suggestions of areas appropriate for
conservation, please contact Lesley Howard at 639-9313, or [email protected]. Main Menu
If you have any questions or comments regarding this newsletter, please contact Jan Reynolds, Newsletter Editor, (540)639-9313.or [email protected]
Last Edited: 6/15/99