THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 31, 1995 TAG: 9512290318
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: 1995: YEAR IN REVIEW
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
When it comes to economic development in the resort city, 1995 was a banner year.
The city got a new economic development director; Lillian Vernon expanded; Corporate Landing, after being the city's highest profile white elephant for more than four years, finally got some homesteaders; Avis Rent-A-Car Systems broke ground at Centre Pointe Office Park, and the Airport Industrial Park, despite some problems with property acquisition in the Burton Station area, continued to grow.
Altogether, the city added 15 firms, 2,203 jobs, 1,328,550 square feet of space and $95,909,250 in corporate investments to its tax rolls.
``You could say it was a good year, a very good year,'' said Economic Development Director Don Maxwell. ``Hampton Roads in general had a good year, but we're definitely the leader in that,'' added the man who moved to the Virginia Beach job from Hampton in May.
The major coups for the department include both investments by firms already well known in the area and the wooing of some major newcomers. What follows is an overview of some of the larger projects:
Oceana West Corporate Park: Despite rumors that Beach favorite Lillian Vernon might be leaving or cutting back, the large mail order firm decided instead to expand. The company's $36 million office/warehouse addition will bring 350 new jobs with it.
Lillian Vernon's neighbor, chain saw giant Stihl Inc., has committed to adding 60,000 square feet of office/warehouse space and 10 new positions at a cost of $20 million.
Corporate Landing Office Park. At the beginning of the year, things finally began looking up when the non-profit Al-Anon Family Services announced it would build a $2.5 million, 31,000-square-foot office/warehouse. By the end of the year, two more businesses had signed on. Oceana Sensors Technology has 12,000 square feet of office and manufacturing space under construction, and Membership Marketing Services is about ready to break ground for 15,000 square feet of office space valued at $1.43 million.
The three businesses will employ about 280 people.
Despite the city's continuing water problems and the questionable outcome of the Southeastern Expressway project, Maxwell remains confident of Corporate Landing's future.
Centre Pointe Office Park. This development, tucked into the southwest corner of Baxter Road and Independence Boulevard, attracted a real plum of a new employer. Avis Rent-A-Car Systems has a 168,000-square-foot, $12 million office building nearing completion on the 14-acre site. When finished, it will bring 540 new jobs to the city.
Burton Station. When the city decided that this fading residential area, adjacent to Norfolk International Airport, offered great potential for business growth, officials ran into a few problems. While they've been able to purchase about 20 homes north of the railroad tracks that bisect the area, they ran into major problems with some of the 40 or so which remain.
The neighborhood is one of the oldest in the city. Homes have been built on family land and, in many cases, passed on without clear titles. The city is now considering condemnation of some of the properties. To do so would require project specific legislation on the part of the General Assembly.
- Jo-Ann Clegg ILLUSTRATION: Staff file photo by MORT FRYMAN
During the Christmas rush, there might be as many as 50 ``pickers''
working the floor at the expanded Lillian Vernon office/warehouse.
The pickers collect items from the many bins for shipment.
KEYWORDS: BUSINESS by CNB