Economic Development


A Few More Thoughts On Miller’s Hill

Posted by Chris Berry on September 25, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley

If you’re not already familiar with the Miller’s Hill redevelopment effort on the 400 block of Day Avenue, please check out my previous post to get up to speed on the basic facts. I’ve been in contact with a couple of Miller’s Hill homeowners since that article appeared, and I had the chance to spend [...]

Abandoned Downtown Landmarks Call For Creative Solutions

Posted by Chris Berry on September 22, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley

I’ve watched with great interest over the past couple of years as downtown Roanoke has undergone the beginnings of a renaissance. The return of two-way traffic has brought Campbell Avenue back to life, and a number of high profile projects are transforming the Jefferson Street corridor from the railroad tracks all the way to South [...]

Turning Words Into Actions

Posted by Chris Berry on September 5, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley

Regular readers of this blog will know that I have been an outspoken critic of a number of recent economic development initiatives in the city of Roanoke. Rather than simply complaining, I’ve always tried to present alternatives that in my opinion represent more effective uses of our tax dollars. I’ve made a sincere effort to [...]

A Tale Of Two Neighborhoods

Posted by Chris Berry on September 4, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley

This article originally appeared on the Star City Harbinger website.
The City of Roanoke suffers from a severe case of multiple personality disorder when it comes to economic development issues. We hear a great deal of talk about the need for the city to be hip, cool and green in order to attract young professionals, while [...]

Intermodal Facility More Important Than Ever

Posted by Chris Berry on July 7, 2008 in Economic Development, Energy and Environmental Issues

The July 14th issue of Time magazine contains an article titled “10 Things You Can Like About $4.00 Gas”. The author touches on a variety of beneficial side effects, ranging from reduced obesity to lower insurance rates, but the most interesting idea put forth is that high oil prices will bring manufacturing jobs back to [...]

Tell The “Farmers” To Shut Up

Posted by Chris Berry on May 14, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley

To say that folks in Roanoke are resistant to change is something of an understatement. In the 5 years since I returned after a 20 year absence, I have been continually dumbfounded by the level of opposition to just about every proposed development or change. Granted, there are many things in our beloved Roanoke Valley [...]

Missing The Point On Rockledge

Posted by Chris Berry on May 7, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley

When Valley Forward initially proposed the idea of recreating the Rockledge Inn on Mill Mountain, I was opposed to the project, but not for the reasons most commonly put forth. Opponents of the idea rely on the arguments that Roanoke already has too many restaurants, or that the building would somehow desecrate a pristine wilderness, [...]

Eminent Domain Abuse in Roanoke

Posted by Chris Berry on April 28, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley

As the largest employer in the Roanoke Valley, and the driving force behind our local economy, Carilion Clinic is an 800 pound gorilla of sorts, second only to Virginia Tech in terms of it’s regional economic impact. The new clinic facility, and soon to be constructed medical school, will undoubtedly provide a major economic boost [...]

Why Regionalism Never Works

Posted by Chris Berry on April 26, 2008 in Economic Development, Political Parties

For as long as I can remember, there has been a great deal of talk around the Roanoke Valley about regional cooperation, but in my lifetime I have witnessed very few concrete results. The current debate over the location of an intermodal freight facility in Elliston gives us a clear example of why progress is [...]

Calling All Angels

Posted by Chris Berry on March 6, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley

One of reasons the reasons I started blogging was to change the nature of the conversation about economic development in the Roanoke Valley. It’s easy to complain about lack of opportunities, but complaining doesn’t change anything. Opportunities start with ideas, and sadly, original ideas have been have been few and far between.
Two organizations have put [...]

New Ideas for Development Incentives

Posted by Chris Berry on March 5, 2008 in Economic Development, Local Politics

There has been a great deal of discussion over the past few years about the need to attract young professionals to the Roanoke Valley. In spite of all the talk, we’ve made little in the way of actual progress. Roanoke is looking down the barrel of a demographic crisis similar to that faced by our [...]