City Receives $7.5 Million Grant To Prepare Site for Manufacturing Development

City Receives $7.5 million Grant To Prepare Site for Manufacturing Development
The 82-acre “Tract 8” near Blue Hills Drive will soon be “shovel ready” to attract new manufacturing business thanks to a $7.5 million grant from the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program (VBRSP) and a $2.5 million match from the City of Roanoke.

Tract 8, the city-owned land adjacent to the Roanoke Centre for Industry and Technology, is one of the last pieces of developable property for manufacturing in the city.

“Our city is 97 percent built out, and Tract 8 is one of our remaining opportunities to continue attracting manufacturing to the city,” said Marc Nelson, Director of the Department of Economic Development. “In today’s environment, speed to market is a crucial factor on where businesses choose to locate. We are honored to receive this award from the state and eager to get to work.”

VBRSP, administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), develops “shovel ready” sites to attract new business and accelerate expansion in Virginia. Through VBRSP, localities can apply for grants to assist with the costs associated with the development needed to attract businesses to the site.

The city will work alongside contracted engineers to ready the site for a prospective manufacturer by summer 2026.

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