Local Connection
December
2008
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What's Happening in the Region
Quite an Offer During
his remarks at the 119th meeting of the Chamber's membership,
Wick Moorman. president and CEO of Norfolk Southern, surprised
the crowd of nearly 500 with pledge to contribute $1 million to
the Virginia Museum of Transportation if the
public and private sectors can raise an additional $2 million.
Roanoke Mayor David Bowers immediately accepted Moorman's
challenge and by voice vote during the December 15th City
Council meeting, won approval for the budget committee to
explore whether the City can fund a pledge of $500,000 to $1
million. In addition to the Taubman Museum of Art and a
revamped Center in the Square (see more here),
Roanoke could become quite a tourist destination. Raising $2
million in the current economic climate, however, could prove
difficult.
Governor Addresses Money Committees This week, Governor Tim Kaine appeared before the General Assembly's money committees to outline his plans for closing the $2.9 billion hole in Commonwealth's budget. The Governor proposed reductions in every area of state government, including public education and health care. The House and Senate will review and adjust the Governor's proposals during the upcoming legislative session scheduled to begin on January 14th. To read the Governor's address to the Joint Money Committees, click here. Localities are already feeling the pinch and are developing contingency plans to deal with reductions in state funding and shrinking revenue projections. During its December meeting, Salem's City Manager, Kevin Boggess, proposed several belt tightening strategies including a hiring freeze on "non critical" positions and conducting an energy audit to find potential savings. See more here. Likewise, Roanoke City Finance Director Ann Shawver briefed the Roanoke City Council on a potential $3 million shortfall for FY 2009-10. Over the next several months, City Council members must decide how to close this deficit.
JobQuest An exciting new program designed to help viewers find employment opportunities in the region is set to premier Jan. 6, 2009 at 7 PM. JobQuest is a monthly Blue Ridge PBS show that will focus on trends in the local job market, education and training opportunities in the region, and job listings from The Roanoke Times online employment bank. Human resource experts will also respond to viewer calls and offer advice on how to successfully navigate through the hiring process. JobQuest partners include The Roanoke Times, WDBJ7, Virginia Western and New River Community Colleges, Roanoke's Economic Development Office, the Roanoke Regional Office of the Virginia Employment Commission, and the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Local Government Briefing
City of Roanoke In a commentary that appeared in The Roanoke Times, the President of Virginia Western Community College and former chair of the Roanoke Regional Chamber, Dr. Robert Sandel, outlined an innovative new strategy to improve the alarmingly low graduation rate in the Roanoke City school system while also creating a more well-trained and well-educated workforce. This win-win scenario is made possible by the recently announced Roanoke Community College Access Program. Graduates of Patrick Henry or William Fleming High School meeting certain eligibility requirements will able to attend Virginia Western tuition-free. Several area businesses have made commitments to fund the program expected to cost approximately $400,000.00 per year. A generous contribution from the Roanoke Women's Foundation will fund the program for the 2009-10 school year. See more here. As Sandel and others have suggested, this program will provide hope to those students who might not have considered a college education to be within their means.
Roanoke County On December 15, B. Clayton “Clay” Goodman III was selected as the new County Administrator. Goodman comes to Roanoke County after serving as the county administrator in Montgomery County since 2003. See more here.
Franklin County The Franklin County Parks and Recreation Department recently held a series of public forums to reveal the initial results of a survey on its parks and programs. The County is in the process of piecing together its comprehensive plan on how to improve its public parks and recreation programs. Scott Martin, the director of commerce and leisure services, also plans to visit county schools to get more input from students. The comprehensive plan will likely go before the Franklin County Board of Supervisors in January. See more here. During his presentation at the Chamber's June Economic Summit, Martin provided an interesting overview on how a region's cultural heritage and outdoor amenities can be used to boost tourism and attract businesses. A recent economic impact study on The Crooked Road, a series of music venues and museums designed to promote the rich musical heritage of Appalachia and the Blue Ridge, revealed why cultural activities are vital to economic development. According to the study, the economic impact of The Crooked Road is $23 million this year, with 109,450 recorded visits to 8 music venues along the trail. See more here.
One of the Chamber's priorities is to monitor the development of quality of life projects in our region. Enhancing our region's considerable amenities is vital to attracting and retaining young workers, fresh capital, and innovative thinking. Below is a list of recent developments:
The Market Building As the vendors of the Roanoke City Market Building continue to woo patrons back to their newly polished food court, city officials appear to be moving forward on more substantial renovations to the landmark structure. The city manager is currently negotiating a contract with a firm to provide engineering and design plans. Restoring the Market Building's status as a downtown landmark will not be easy as the City must balance the vendors' needs with the future viability of the building. Many of the vendors have expressed consternation that their respective leases will go month-to-month at the end of February, hindering their ability to plan for the future. Hopefully, a mutually beneficial agreement can be found based on the understanding that the City Market Building is a community asset and should be developed to compliment Downtown Roanoke's other amenities. See more here. Position: The Chamber supports significant improvements to the Market Building and Farmer's Market area that serve as the heart of the region and considers the Market Building to be one of the highest priorities among the City's current capital projects. Improvements to the Market Building, Market Area, and Elmwood Park need to be part of a comprehensive plan. For more information on the Market Building, click here.
Exploring Options The gloomy economic picture has also clouded the future of the Explore Park. Recently, the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority, overseers of the Explore Park, began to examine their options should developer Larry Vander Maten be unable to obtain financing for his history based theme park. Although Vander Maten remains enthusiastic and may request another extension on his option to develop the 1, 100 acre park, another possibility being discussed is the creation of a winery on the property. See more here Position: The Chamber supports Vander Maten's proposed history-based concept development as a catalyst for economic development. For more information on Explore Park, click here.
Bankruptcy? The depressing saga of the Patrick Henry Hotel took another turn recently as the building's owners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Affirmative Equities owes the City of Roanoke over $80,000 in taxes on the shuddered hotel. However, bankruptcy procedures likely complicate the City's ability to hold a tax sale on the property. This historic building remains on the City's list of important redevelopment projects. See more here.
New Management Global Spectrum, a Philadelphia based company, has been awarded a contract to take over management of the Roanoke Civic Center. Chris Connolly will take over as general manager and is confident that the Roanoke market can attract a diverse range of entertainment. See more here.
"AIR: Art in Roanoke" For the next several months, 8 works of art will be displayed in the City of Roanoke to enhance visibility to the City's public art program. A selection panel of citizens and city representatives choose these 8 pieces from 117 entries. More information on the eight AIR pieces including a pod cast featuring a self-guided tour and comments from the artists can be found here.
A comprehensive list of these projects can be found on the Chamber's website. This listing is updated on a daily basis and your input is welcome in the comments section.
Do you have ideas on projects you'd like for us to follow? Send us an e-mail or write a comment on the Chamber's blog on local and state public policy issues. RSS feeds are available for both the quality of life projects page and the legislative blog. If you have questions about any of the blog features on the Chamber's website, please contact Tori Williams at twilliams@roanokechamber.org
Upcoming Events
Roanoke Regional Chamber Capital Dinner, January 20th, 2009, 6:00 to 8:30 PM, Richmond Marriott. For more information, click here.
For a list of more Chamber events, click here and to access the Chamber's Community Calendar, click here. If you have problems reading this newsletter, you will find a copy on our website: www.roanokechamber.org If you would like to be removed from our e-mail list, please respond to this e-mail with "Remove" in the subject line.
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