CHESAPEAKE — A 1,400-acre tract of farmland now zoned for an industrial megasite in southern Chesapeake will receive a $35 million state grant to help get it “shovel-ready.”
The funding is part of $126 million earmarked for 23 sites in the commonwealth as part of the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program. The program is a partnership with localities, utilities and state agencies to fund infrastructure improvements that help get larger sites operational for employers and manufacturers.
The Chesapeake City Council in 2022 rezoned the 1,420 acres, which were part of a tract of farmland owned by Virginia Beach’s Frank T. Williams. The rezoned property, which straddles the North Carolina line, has since been dubbed the Coastal Virginia Commerce Park, with city leaders hoping it’ll attract larger commercial and industrial projects once it has been primed for development.
Chesapeake Economic Development Director Steven Wright called the project “transformational” for the city. He said the goal is to ensure all the necessary utility services are adequate so the site can move to a tier-five shovel-ready status, meaning a company could begin developing immediately.