Planning District

ASSETS
- Transportation is excellent, with two major interstates — I-81 and I-64 — crisscrossing the district.

- The district has nine colleges and universities within its borders: James Madison, Eastern Mennonite and Washington & Lee universities; Mary Baldwin, Bridgewater and Southern Virginia colleges; Blue Ridge and Dabney S. Lancaster community colleges; and Virginia Military Institute.

- After four years of planning, the Shenandoah Business Incubator and Technology Center — the region’s first incubator — is set to open in early April with its first tenants.

LIABILITIES
- The district has some limitations on telecommunications infrastructure, despite a major fiber-optic trunk running along Interstate 81. One economic developer says the customer base isn’t broad enough for wide competition. "I could get you services you wanted if you were a major user, but for the average user, it’s not readily available," says William W. Hamilton of the Staunton Industrial Development Authority.

- Access to venture capital is limited, as are financial institutions suited to handling banking needs of large companies for large projects, such as expansions.

- Although the region has a low unemployment rate, many workers are underemployed. Per capita income is about 35 percent below the state average. Securing higher-paying, higher-quality jobs is a district-wide challenge.