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The region is home to numerous assets, from vibrant businesses to a wide range of historical and recreational amenities. One of its most unique assets is President of Waukeshaw Development Dave McCormack, who has completed millions of dollars in projects locally and across the state.

Locals have most likely had a cup of coffee, barbeque sandwich or a good night’s sleep inside one of the new buildings and business projects. McCormack is responsible for the Mayton Transfer Lofts, Demolition Coffee, Hopewell Lofts, and several businesses in the works such as a brewery and malting facility in Petersburg. McCormack’s projects have served as revitalization stepping stones, supporting the transformation of the region’s historic cities.

“A lot of what I do in some sense is storytelling. History is one of the big assets of any small town, especially Virginia which has historic towns, the stories and the romance,” McCormack said. “What we’re really trying to do is not just revive these buildings, but bring that story back.”

McCormack started buying and revitalizing buildings in the City of Petersburg in 2000, taking advantage of excellent proximity to I-95 and Fort Lee, as well as affordable property prices. But more importantly, he saw an opportunity to serve and improve his community.

“I thought that it was grossly underdeveloped and that there’s opportunity here. Just saying to myself ‘let’s go get coffee’ all of a sudden posed massive challenges because you had to drive to really get something high quality,” McCormack noted. “My feeling was, I wanted to think like a developer, but react like a resident, and say ‘what would I want to see here?’”

On his path to revive his surroundings, McCormack has created jobs and opened doors to new opportunities, adding to the shift in perceptions of the place we call home. He continues to be one of the driving forces in increasing the region’s value as a special place to live, work and play.