Chesterfield: Economic Development

Chesterfield County's amazing developments

Calendar event: Chesterfield County's amazing developments
By: Times-Dispatch Staff Richmond Times-Dispatch Published: January 16, 2012 Updated: January 16, 2012 - 12:00 AM

Chesterfield County's economic development director, Will Davis, will talk about the county's "amazing developments" at the Chesterfield Business Council Networking Breakfast on Tuesday.
"We're not succumbing to the recession," Davis said. "We should be celebrating and pleased … to see how fortunate we are to be in a growth community."
In 2011, he says, the county's Economic Development Department helped generate 11 projects worth $143.6 million and resulting in 2,149 new jobs. That investment was an 18 percent increase compared with the previous year.
For example, he noted, Amazon.com Inc. last month announced plans to invest $85 million for a large distribution center in the Meadowville Technology Park adjacent to Interstate 295 just south of the James River in eastern Chesterfield. About 1,000 people will work at the Meadowville site.
And in the past five years, Davis said, the county's economic development agency has assisted in generating more than a half billion dollars in new investment and 4,198 jobs.
The networking breakfast will be 7:15-9 a.m. at Johnston-Willis Hospital's cafeteria, 1401 Johnston-Willis Drive.
To register, go online at www.grcc.com or call the reservation line at (804) 783-9368.
Walk-ins will be accommodated based upon availability.
The Chesterfield Business Council is an advocacy arm of the Greater Richmond Chamber that works to support the county's business community.
(Peter Bacqué)

As quick as the County is to rally around these developments, there must also come the reponsibility of prepapring the County for the impacts that these new economic projects will have upon our County infrastructure and especially our schools. On average, a new family that may enter the County will bring with it 1.52 children that must be accomodated with our system and our system is already railing from poorly inconceived planning measures by our Board of Supervisors. The assumption in the press release regarding Amazon is the jobs will be filled by citizens already residing within the County, but that of course is certainly no guarantee that that is how things will play out. The jobs are coming and if the come so to will people in search of them.

Unfortunately, those members on our Board of Supervisors that have steered our growth the last decade and even before (Supervisor Daniel Gecker and Art Warren) never really embraced the message in the movie "Field of Dreams"- "if you build it, they will come"!! Chesterfield as been building at a clip with no rival save Loudoun and Fairfax County in NOVA but has managed to stay behind the growth curve in terms of public facilities, infrastructure and school capacity. It is apparent from recent comments from the new Board that very few lessons have been learned and the breathing space that has resulted from a slowing housing market as not provided them with enough pause to reevaluate their positions regarding the build out. The reality is Chesterfield County has been unable to keep pace with its own planning decisions and still believes that "growth pays for growth". Well folks, growth does not pay for growth; we as citizens do in one way or another!