A recently completed
housing study prepared for the Harrisonburg Housing and Redevelopment Authority had a helpful and informative snapshot of recent economic development announcements.....
- Symi International, a water importing company, announced in January, 2014 that it would open an office and a warehousing and distribution center in Harrisonburg within 18 months where it would employ 18 people.
- DBT-Data, which operates a data processing center in Harrisonburg, announced in January, 2014 that it would expand by adding 35 new jobs.
- Ice House. Construction was completed in the summer of 2014 on this fully renovated 80,000 square foot structure that was originally built for ice and cold storage in 1934. JMU leased approximately 30,000 square feet of office space at the building to house university departments, such as Communications and
Marketing, Public Affairs, the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center, and the Center of Economic Education. The building is located on the corner of South Liberty and West Bruce Street.
- Approved Colleges, which markets services focused in online education, announced in January, 2014 that it would hire 40 additional employees in Harrisonburg in a newly renovated space at 126 West Bruce Street.
- Shenandoah Processing announced in December, 2013 that it would open a new poultry plant in Harrisonburg where it would employ 102 people. It will serve the market for organically raised and "all-natural" chicken.
- Bellaire at Stone Port. This is an assisted living community currently under development along Stone Port Road across from the Rockingham Memorial Hospital. The facility will include 64 assisted living apartments and 24 memory care apartments in an 80,890 square foot complex. Completion is expected by mid-2016. At least 40 new jobs will be created.
- Walmart is constructing a 128,000 square foot store in Timberville. The supercenter would create about 300 jobs. Construction is planned to be completed by 2016.
- Sentara RMH Medical Center. Ground was broken in November, 2014 on this two-story, 52,000 square foot medical facility that will better serve the needs of advanced imaging, orthopedics and sports medicine patients. The facility opened in Fall, 2015.
- Bridgewater Retirement Community plans to renovate and add 36,000 square feet to the Huffman Health Center, which houses approximately 130 residents in long-term nursing care. The project is currently in the schematic design phase. Currently most residents are in shared rooms, but in the new model, about 70 percent of the rooms will be private. Completion of the project is anticipated for late 2016 or early 2017.
- Serco, a records management and patent processing company, announced in November, 2014 that it would expand by adding 40 new positions at its Harrisonburg location.
- Special Fleet Service, a commercial truck body fabrication company, announced in September, 2014 that it would add 45 employees to its Harrisonburg location.
- Shenandoah Growers announced in March, 2015 that it would expand its organic herb nursery greenhouse and production facility in Rockingham County by adding 15 new jobs. Shenandoah Growers will install a new 78,000 square foot nursery greenhouse at its current facility.
- AXON Ghost Sentinel, a Harrisonburg-based cyber security firm, announced in June, 2015 that it would expand in the City, adding 29 new jobs.
- The Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative announced in July, 2015 that it would build an 80,000 square foot turkey processing facility in Hinton over the next three years. The move is expected to create six jobs and increase the co-op's production by more than 45 percent. The company also plans to invest in its feed mill in Broadway and its grain elevator in Linville.
- Hotel Madison and Shenandoah Valley Conference Center. Construction on this 21,000 square foot hotel is slated to begin in the spring of 2016. The 205-room facility will be constructed and operated by dpM Partners on land leased from JMU. The project is expected to create nearly 60 full-time jobs once the facility opens.
- Sentara Healthcare Clinic. Ground was broken in June, 2015 on a new medical facility in Timberville in northern Rockingham County. The free-standing 13,580 square foot facility will house the physicians and staff members of Timberville Health Care and Springbrook Family Medicine in Broadway. The center will also offer X-ray, laboratory and rehabilitation services. The project is expected to be completed in early-2016 and generate 20± new jobs.
Most of these announcements did / have / are coming to pass, showing some strong economic development activity in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.
Do you know of any additional recent economic development announcement? Are any of those on the list above now inaccurate or out of date?
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