Central Virginia
Liberty University merges schools of communication, arts
The new School of Communication and the Arts has more than 2,000 students.
Liberty University’s School of Communication and Digital Content and its School of Visual and Performing Arts are merging to create the School of Communication and the Arts, Liberty announced Friday. The newly combined school has more than 2,000 students and offer residential and online programs. Dean Scott Hayes will oversee residential students and Dean Kevin
Pamunkey Tribe proposes $350M casino in Richmond
Project would create 2,500+ jobs, tribe says.
Updated at 4 p.m. Friday The Pamunkey Indian Tribe has proposed a $350 million, 275-room resort hotel and casino in Richmond, the tribe announced Friday as the Virginia House of Delegates considers legislation to allow the Pamunkey to pursue commercial gaming in Norfolk and Richmond. The resort will include a four-diamond hotel tower with a
Court upholds Northam’s firearms ban for Capitol rally
Jan. 20 gun-rights rally expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters
Richmond Circuit Court Judge Joi Taylor issued a ruling Thursday upholding Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s executive order to temporarily ban firearms from the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol in advance of a Jan. 20 pro-gun rights rally expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters. Northam had issued a state of emergency following what
Local Initiatives Support Corp. names new Va. executive director
Jane Ferrara was formerly Richmond's senior deputy director for economic development
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has selected Jane Ferrara as executive director of LISC Virginia, a nonprofit organization that raises capital and creates programs to support community revitalization and economic development. Ferrara starts the new position Feb. 3. LISC has raised more than $32 million locally and has invested $639 million into Richmond-area housing,
Eastern Virginia
Norfolk medical device firm receives additional $2.5M from DARPA
Funding will support development of implantable orthopedic medical device.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded $2.5 million in non-dilutive funding to Norfolk-based medical device manufacturer Embody Inc. for the second phase of development and clinical assessment for its proprietary Microbrace ACL technology for the repair of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, the company announced Tuesday. Embody previously received $11.85 million for
Pamunkey tribe, city sign Norfolk casino agreements
Tribe has option to purchase 13.4 acres by Elizabeth River for $10 million.
The city of Norfolk and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe announced Monday that the tribe’s proposed $700 million casino along the Elizabeth River is moving closer to reality. According to a tribe press release Monday, the Pamunkey and the city have signed two agreements: an option to purchase 13.4 acres of undeveloped city property adjacent to
Olive oil manufacturer pays $5M for Suffolk plant
Acesur USA LLC bottles olive oil brands such as Coosur and La Española.
International olive oil manufacturer Acesur USA LLC purchased an 87,870-square-foot, two-story manufacturing facility in Suffolk for $5.025 million, Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announced Thursday. Acesur has been producing, packaging and marketing olive oil since 1840 and is headquartered in Dos Hermanas, Seville, Spain. It bottles olive oil brands such as Coosur and La Española
Portsmouth industrial contractor buys parcel for $2.55M
W.F. Magann Corp. purchased the parcel on the site of former BASF chemical plant.
Portsmouth-based general contracting firm W.F Magann Corp. purchased the final four acres of what was formerly a 44-acre major industrial parcel in Portsmouth for $2.55 million, real estate company Colliers International announced this week. Magann specializes in heavy marine, industrial and concrete construction. The site at 3340 W. Norfolk Rd. is located one mile from
Northern Virginia
Herndon office buildings acquired near Amazon Web Services
Goodstone LLC and Waterfall Asset Management secured $49.6M to acquire and renovate the buildings.
A joint venture between Washington, D.C.-based real estate company Goodstone LLC and New York City-based investment company Waterfall Asset Management secured $49.625 million in debt financing from Bridge Investment Group LLC to acquire and renovate two office buildings in Herndon adjacent to Amazon Web Services’ East Coast headquarters. The Northridge I and II buildings, two
Whitney, Bradley & Brown acquires Decisive Analytics Corp.
Reston company has acquired the Arlington-based defense analytics provider.
Reston-based program management and consulting provider Whitney, Bradley & Brown Inc. (WBB) has acquired Arlington-based defense analytics provider Decisive Analytics Corp. (DAC), according to WBB’s parent company, H.I.G. Capital (H.I.G). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but H.I.G is a global private equity investment firm with more than $35 billion of equity capital
Atlantic Union Bank sells Fredericksburg building for $3.575M
The 21,594-square-foot property is located directly off U.S. Route 1.
Atlantic Union Bank sold one of its Fredericksburg office buildings for $3.575 million but will continue occupying the first floor, leasing it from the new owner, Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announced this week. The 21,594-square-foot property located at 4805 Lassen Lane in Spotsylvania County is situated on approximately 2.24 acres located directly off U.S.
Reston software company names VP of customer success
Acacia Waller previously worked for Fishbowl Inc., Kalibri Labs
Reston-based marketing software company Triblio named Acacia Waller as its vice president of customer success, the company announced Thursday. Triblio is the developer of an account-based marketing platform designed to orchestrate marketing and sales campaigns, provide audience management (account leads), track sales activity, provide account analytics and other market insight. Waller has been in marketing,
Roanoke/New River Valley
Retail building sells for $3.45M in Roanoke
Building is leased by Ollie's Bargain Outlet.
A retail building in Roanoke occupied by Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has sold for $3.45 million, Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer’s Capital Markets Group announced Tuesday. The building was previously occupied by Toys “R” Us until Ollie’s, a Pennsylvania-based discount retail chain, took over the lease in 2018. The 45,000-square-foot property, located at 4943 Valley View
Roanoke accounting firm acquires real estate title firm
Brown Edwards is a Top 100 U.S. accounting firm
Roanoke-based accounting firm Brown Edwards acquired Salem-based Covenant Real Estate Services LLC as of Jan. 1, Brown Edwards announced Monday. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Covenant was founded by Roger Kronau and Jerry Dunnavant, and both will serve in leadership positions under the acquisition. Kronau will continue his work as the
Virginia Tech prepares to grow computer science grads
The state is investing nearly $1 billion in technology education, and Virginia Tech will be the largest recipient — along with bearing responsibility for producing more than 16,000 computer science degree-holders over the next two decades. Gov. Ralph Northam announced in November that 11 state colleges and universities will receive $961.5 million through the commonwealth’s
Patients’ favorites
Six hospitals continue to receive high scores in satisfaction survey
Virginia’s overall patient satisfaction rate dipped in a recently released nationwide survey, but a consistent group of hospitals in the commonwealth continues to receive high marks. The patient satisfaction scores come from the annual Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Virginia results
Shenandoah Valley
Harrisonburg retail center sells for $5.275M
The property was 100% leased at the time of sale.
A retail center in Harrisonburg adjacent to James Madison University has sold for $5.275 million, Harrisonburg-based commercial real estate brokerage Cottonwood Commercial announced Tuesday. Tenants at the 11,900-square-foot retail strip on University Avenue include Buffalo Wild Wings, BurgerIM, Sports Nutrition and Dunkin’. The shopping center was 100% leased at the time of the deal that
JMU program gets into hackers’ heads
From governments to corporations, cybersecurity has become a major focus in protecting customer privacy and assets — but a small group at James Madison University is also thinking about the hackers who commit crimes and what motivates them. In February, three students will be the first to finish the university’s graduate cyber intelligence certificate program,
Staunton’s Cadence Inc. names new VP of operations
Chris McHugh will oversee the company’s five facilities.
Staunton-based manufacturer Cadence Inc. announced Friday that Chris McHugh will be its new vice president of operations and will oversee the company’s five facilities. McHugh comes from New London, Wisconsin-based Bemis Healthcare Packaging, where he was vice president of global operations and supply chain. He has worked for more than 22 years at companies such
New EDA chief tries to do business amid scandal
There is no normal — even a new normal — for the executive director of the Front Royal-Warren Economic Development Authority, Douglas Parsons. Not while his predecessor, Jennifer McDonald, faces criminal charges and a civil suit alleging that she engineered a $21 million embezzlement scheme. A veteran in economic development, Parsons took office in May.
Southern Virginia
New Sim Lab gives nursing students real-life experience
If you thought simulators were just for pilots and astronauts, think again. Nursing students at Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) can now train on complex, real-life patient-care scenarios inside the Clinical Simulation Lab for Nursing Education at Sovah Health’s Martinsville campus. The Sim Lab, which opens this month, features sophisticated, high-tech “patient simulators” that respond
Follow up: Casino gaming could create 7,600+ jobs
Five proposed casinos, sports wagering and online casino gaming would directly create about 7,600 jobs, according to projections released in late November by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. However, the five casinos combined would generate $367 million in net annual state tax revenue — less than the Virginia Lottery, which produced $606 million
Two more solar plants coming to Danville
The project will generate enough energy to supply 59,000 homes with electricity.
Two five-megawatt AC solar power plants are being built in Danville and will support 125 jobs in Virginia, the city announced today. The two solar projects — Irish Road Solar and Whitmell Solar — will span 100 acres and will generate an estimated 23,886,000 kilowatt-hours annually — enough energy to supply energy to 59,000 homes
New bus routes will connect Danville to D.C., Martinsville to Richmond
Service will launch in spring 2020, state says.
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation will launch two new Virginia Breeze intercity bus service routes connecting Danville to Washington, D.C., and Martinsville to Richmond in spring 2020, the department announced Tuesday. The 2-year-old Virginia Breeze, funded by the federal Rural Transit Assistance 5311 Program and ticket sales, currently runs from Blacksburg to
Southwest Virginia
Three Va. universities ranked among top 10 in nation for online degrees
U.Va., Virginia Tech and VCU earned top 10 spots in U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Programs rankings.
Online degrees from three Virginia universities were cited in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Best Online Programs rankings. The University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education and Human Development was ranked third in the nation for online master’s in education programs. Master’s degrees offered through the online program include administration and supervision; curriculum
Roanoke shopping center sells for $2.8M
Springwood Park tenants include State Farm and Tryal Jewelry.
Roanoke’s Springwood Park Retail Center has sold for $2.8 million, Roanoke-based Poe & Cronk Real Estate Group announced Friday. The shopping center at 3214 Electric Rd. is a 19,200-square-foot mixed use building used for retail and office space. Springwood Park was 98% leased at the time of the sale and its tenants include Ike’s Kitchen,
Projects vie for federal abandoned mine grant funds
Every year, Virginia receives $10 million from the federal government for projects to redevelop land that was home to abandoned coal mines. This fall, 18 different projects applied for funding — all seeking to become models for coalfield communities recovering from the industry’s slow collapse. The applications received by Virginia’s Department of Mines, Minerals and
Appalachian Power awards $57,500 in economic development grants
The utility awarded grants to nine Virginia organizations.
Appalachian Power awarded a total of $57,500 to nine Virginia organizations through the energy company’s Economic Development Growth Enhancement (EDGE) program, the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA) announced Friday. SVRA was awarded $16,500 for marketing materials and videos of the southern region and regional mega-sites. “We are thankful for the support that Appalachian Power provides