Over 20 projects recommended for $8.3M in ARC funding

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has recommended 22 projects in Southwest Virginia, including 19 existing and three planned initiatives, to receive a total of $8.3 million in funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) program. These projects aim to support infrastructure improvements and job creation across the region. The recommendations cover a wide array of developments.

Key projects include a new passenger rail station in Christiansburg, improvements to the Reynolds Homestead/Virginia Tech Foundation, and a shared-use kitchen and agribusiness incubator. Noteworthy among the planned projects is "Smyth County Mission Critical 47," which involves comprehensive site planning for a 213-acre opportunity, strongly suggesting a potential data center development. Other initiatives encompass water and sewer projects, downtown redevelopment strategies, artisan network expansion, and various economic development and public service authority plans across several counties.