Funding will allow the County to develop a master plan and conceptual engineering design for the Sussex Megasite and nearby properties
SUSSEX, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, January 18, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Sussex County Board of Supervisors today announced it has been awarded $247,900 from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s (VEDP) Virginia Business Ready Sites Program (VBRSP). The funding resulted from a competitive evaluation of sites across the entire Commonwealth with 21 sites being selected for grants. The project is also being funded by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission and Sussex County for a total project cost of $370,000.
VBRSP is a discretionary program to promote development and characterization of sites to enhance the Commonwealth’s infrastructure and promote its competitive business environment. The program’s goal is to identify and assess the readiness of potential industrial sites of at least 100 acres in Virginia, or 50 acres in GO Virginia Region 1 or 2 for marketing in alignment with the goals outlined in the Governor's economic development plan.
“We are so appreciative of Governor Youngkin’s continuing support of Sussex County and our economic development goals, “said Susan Seward, Chair of the Sussex County Board of Supervisors. “The County is committed to doing our part to invest in the Megasite. One way we have done this is through the recently created Technology Zone. We look forward to using these state grant dollars to help diversify our tax base and job opportunities beyond agriculture.”
Key selling points of the 1,130-acre site off U.S. Route 460 and Cabin Point Road include:
• Newly-created Technology Zone will provide readily-available local incentives to qualifying businesses
• One of the largest tracts of available land in the Gateway Region, and touted as one of Virginia’s few Megasites
• Proximity to the Port of Virginia
• Attractive rail access with an impressive power supply
• Suitable for advanced manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, and technology companies
“This is a big win for Sussex County and the entire region,” said Keith Boswell, President and CEO of Virginia’s Gateway Region Economic Development Organization. “I believe the Route 460 corridor holds great promise for our communities, and I can see this property leading the way to success.”
Sussex County worked with its partners, Virginia’s Gateway Region, Timmons Group, Prince George Electric Cooperative, Columbia Gas, Norfolk Southern, Spectrum Growth Solutions, and the Sussex Service Authority on the VBRSP grant pursuit.
Learn more about the Sussex Megasite HERE.
Sussex County is located in the south-central region of Virginia. The county is 45 miles southeast of the capital city of Richmond, 25 miles from the tri-cities area that includes Petersburg and Hopewell. Washington D.C. and Baltimore are within a few hours drive, while Boston and Atlanta are both within a day’s drive. Sussex County encompasses 317,400 acre or 496 square miles.
VGR is the regional EDO that markets the independent localities within the Tri-Cities of Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights, in addition to the outer-region counties of Dinwiddie, Prince George, Surry and Sussex, as well as the incorporated towns within them. VGR focuses its efforts on new and existing business investment and job creation with the goal of uniting the region for economic prosperity.