Virginia Beach Mayor delivers his first State of the City Address

by Donna Morris, HRP Executive Vice President

The Honorable Will Sessoms ushered in a new era in Virginia Beach delivering his first State of the City address on March 12th before a packed house at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. He recognized the skilled city staff and council as well as a number of special guests in attendance from around the region and state.

His speech, entitled “Powerful Forces at Work,” challenges us to move forward boldly. “To act, not react,” and “plan strategically, with a focused vision, to improve the lives of our citizens.”

In 2008, Virginia Beach’s economic development efforts created 1,119 new jobs with 18 new business locations and a total of $114 million in capital investment. Despite a worsening economy the city and region have proven to be among the most resilient in the country. Virginia Beach was named one of the top 20 cities in which to start a business and one of the 10 best places to ride out the recession by Forbes magazine.

Mayor Sessoms spent the last few weeks holding small business roundtables and meetings with the city’s major employers to discuss the economic climate. He said all meetings were very positive. He recognized Fortune 600 company AMERIGROUP, as well as a number of international high performance manufacturing companies (one of the city target industry sectors) who chose to locate or expand their businesses in Virginia Beach.

STIHL, Inc. has been in the city since 1974 with its North American headquarters about to expand in the coming year. STIHL currently occupies 1 million sq. ft. and employs 2,100.

Busch Manufacturing, a German company, is one of the largest manufacturers of vacuum pumps, blowers and compressors in the world. Busch Manufacturing is about to invest $10 million in an expansion that will create an additional 50 jobs.

Italian firm Carraro Group specializes in power transmission systems and plans to invest $10 million in its current facility, creating 35 new jobs. Carraro also has plans to produce components for the alternative energy field in Virginia Beach, another area where the city has an opportunity to capitalize.

Mayor Sessoms received applause as he announced that morning the agreement made in which Virginia Beach will buy the Norfolk Southern right of way – the most likely path for Light Rail. Good for the city and good for the region.

He acknowledged the future will bring about some tough choices for both city and school budgets as more than $100 million is projected as a shortfall for fiscal year 2010. To prepare, the city has identified 13 strategic growth areas, several with the help of urban planners and significant public input. Many of these growth areas are directly affected by Light Rail which was identified as the potential “backbone” of the city’s future business growth.

Developments planned in the Northampton/Burton Station and Newtown Road areas provide opportunities to collaborate with Norfolk. “It is in our best interest to work together as a region, and I look forward to enhancing every opportunity we have,” said the Mayor.

Princess Anne Commons is developing into a life science complex with its fast growing athletic, academic and medical villages with the addition of Bon Secours’ 200-bed state-of-the-art hospital. The new hospital will join Operation Smiles’ world headquarters, LifeNet headquarters and TCC’s regional health professions center and Advanced Technology Center.

In keeping with its designation by Men’s Fitness Magazine as one of the fittest cities in the US, Virginia Beach is looking at significant expansions in the Athletic Village, a 230,000 sq. ft. training facility being developed by DLH Sports and the new Virginia Beach Field House, a public-private partnership project adjacent to the Sportsplex that will include indoor artificial turf fields for soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and courts for volleyball and basketball.

Town Center, which brought more than $17 million in taxes to the city’s general fund, is about to move to Phase Four that will bring a new office tower, a third hotel, meeting space, additional apartments and retail. The Laskin Road Gateway leading to the 31 Ocean District also continues to develop.

Adequate transportation is important. Mayor Sessoms stated the region has a transportation plan and “we’ve done a good job of working together to develop it. We support the regional plan wholeheartedly. Now we need the funding and the legislators must hear that message because if we do not have good transportation we lose business and our quality of life will diminish.”

Looking ahead, Mayor Sessoms said the city’s vision includes the need to create more good paying jobs, protect our relationships with the military, be "Green" to ensure a healthy future, continue investing in schools and libraries, keep the community safe, offer rich cultural and recreational opportunities, and invite people to experience Virginia, work together as a community, leverage public money with private investment, end homelessness, and run lean and efficient government services, being responsible stewards of our finances.

“Strength is in our strengths. It takes vision, commitment, and both natural and human resources to achieve these goals. The way to get there is through hard work, inclusion and regional cooperation!”