Two Grants Address Competitiveness

The Roanoke Regional Partnership coordinated two successful Go Virginia grant applications which will address two critical areas of regional competitiveness.   

Working with Onward New River Valley and the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance, the Partnership will receive GO Virginia matching funds for “Stopping the Brain Drain: Talent Attraction and Retention Strategy Development.”

The project will create a Talent Action Coalition involving employers, educators, and economic developers to develop and implement strategies for attracting and retaining recent graduates and alumni from colleges and universities across the broader region.

The Partnership, which manages the Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority, was successful in its application for matching funds for infrastructure work on the Wood Haven Road property, a partnership of Roanoke County, Roanoke, and Salem. The WVRIFA was established to address the critical need for larger economic development sites in a regional and collaborative way. 

A professional and comprehensive analysis of potential properties for development identified the Wood Haven Road property, at the intersection of I-581 and I-81, as a priority site. The WVRIFA has acquired more than 100 acres and Go Virginia will help fund necessary infrastructure improvements.