Reports, Center for Economic and Community Engagement

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Examination of Economic and Community Development Opportunities Resulting from the Creation of a Community Kitchen
Bonham, Whitney; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Erickson, Julie; Sirmons, Clarence (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2013)
The Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development (OED) was contracted by the City of Roanoke’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) and Freedom First Credit Union to evaluate community and economic development opportunities surrounding the creation of a community kitchen that would reside in the former Villa Sorrento restaurant facility located at 1223 Patterson Ave, SW. The initial request from the clients focused on exploring models for how a community kitchen may help to precipitate entrepreneurship and business development activities within the market study area. Identification of promising strategies for how this community kitchen may concurrently support neighborhood revitalization efforts, educational and workforce training initiatives, efforts to alleviate food insecurity, and promote the local foods movement were also noted as desirable outcomes of this report.
The Future of Unmanned Systems in Virginia
(Uncork-It Communications, 2014)
Through this report, Virginia Tech became a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) test site. OED provided an overview of the issues and opportunities concerning autonomous vehicles in order to support informed decisions.
Assessing the Economic Impacts of a Small Satellites (SmallSat) Virginia Initiative
Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Tate, Scott; Camacho, Luis (2015)
CECE evaluated a proposal by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium for the Small Satellites Virginia Initiative program and found the program could bring up to $16.2 million to the state.
Assessing Opportunities for Agriculture and Agritourism at Montpelier
Mayer, Adam; Burke, Patrick; Ononpa, Nick; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Travis, Elli; Daugherty, Dick; Tate, Scott (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2015)
Orange County, with a planning grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID), administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), engaged the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development (VTOED) to explore sustainable agriculture and agritourism opportunities for land parcels owned by the Montpelier Foundation. As partners, Orange County and the Montpelier Foundation wished to assess opportunities for utilizing certain parcels of Montpelier’s 2,650 acres of land to support and add value to the county’s agriculture industry. The project inventoried and assessed development opportunities that would be a fit for Montpelier’s mission and the rural character of its Orange County surroundings, while offering potential to generate jobs, spur enterprise development, increase visitation, and enhance income in Orange County and the surrounding region. VTOED established a project working group, interviewed dozens of key informants and collected and analyzed agriculture and tourism data. Hundreds of opportunities were generated and pre-assessed.
Economic Impact Analysis of Virginia Tech Football
Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Alwang, Jeffrey R.; Mawyer, Adam; Burke, Patrick; Budzevski, Leeann (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2015-02-20)
This report estimates the economic contributions of Virginia Tech football to the New River Valley MSA and the Roanoke Valley MSA (NRRV). Virginia Tech football contributes economically to the NRRV in two ways. First, the Virginia Tech Athletics Department collects football revenue from outside the NRRV and spends it inside the region for its operations. Second, Virginia Tech football attracts visitors, who might not otherwise come to the region, and their spending puts new money in the regional economy.
Rural Retreat Train Depot Stakeholder Visioning
Gould, Maeve; Hesenjan, Faruk; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Mawyer, Adam; Onopa, Nick; Provo, John (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2016)
In spring 2016 the Rural Retreat Depot Foundation commissioned the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development to assist in the visioning of the historic Rural Retreat Train Depot. This technical assistance included gathering background data on town and county demographics and industry trends, research on case studies and best practices, interviews with similar train depots, and conducting a stakeholder visioning meeting to determine possible uses of the train depot and examine how the train depot’s new function can best benefit the community. The Rural Retreat train depot was originally built in the 1850’s by the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and was both a freight and passenger station. It burned down during the Civil War and was rebuilt in 1867 in the Italianate architectural style, and is one of only three depots in the nation remaining of similar design. In the mid-1900’s the depot was no longer used as a train station and was sold to a company that used it as a warehouse. Over the years, the building began to slowly deteriorate and the Rural Retreat Depot Foundation acquired the building in 2011. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. The Rural Retreat Train Depot Foundation formed to acquire, restore and manage Rural Retreat’s historic train depot as a means of preserving the culture of the region. The foundation is a non-profit organization whose board members include local business owners, a local food producer, local government officials and retired community members, many of whom have lived in Rural Retreat their entire lives. Each board member has a unique skill-set or interest such as music, local food, historic preservation, festivals, and Appalachian crafts. The foundation’s restoration master plan has two components: exterior restoration to the 1949 remodel condition and interior restoration to create an attractive, comfortable community space that will serve as the centerpiece for the town. The exterior restoration has largely been completed and interior restoration is ongoing. The train depot is currently home to a farmers market, available for community meetings, and is a versatile event rental space for family reunions, weddings, professional retreats, musical performances, and so on. The remainder of this report is broken up into four sections: 1) a review of select train depots in Appalachia and their reuses, 2) an overview of Rural Retreat regional data, 3) a summary of the April 27, 2016 Rural Retreat Visioning meeting, and 4) a synthesis of possible reuses for the train depot and recommendations.
The Crooked Road Economic Impact Factsheet
(Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2016)
The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail promotes Southwest Virginia’s music and culture by marketing over 60 cultural music venues to tourists from around the world. During summer 2015, the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development collected surveys and conducted interviews with key stakeholders to assess the economic impact of The Crooked Road on the region.
Hillsville Farmers’ Market Feasibility Study
Dowd, Frances; Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Mawyer, Adam; Gould, Maeve (Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development, 2016)
OED conducted a feasibility study for a proposed farmer's market in downtown Hillsville, VA, with the goal of promoting healthy eating and making sure healthy foods are accessible to all community members. In 2020, Downtown Hillsville broke ground on the structure for their farmer's market.
An Economic Impact Analysis of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail
Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Dowd, Frances; Burke, Patrick (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2016-03-01)
The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail promotes Southwest Virginia’s music and culture by marketing over 60 cultural music venues across 19 counties, four independent cities and over 50 towns. Since 2003, The Crooked Road has branded the region as a unique place with one of the richest musical traditions and cultures in the world. Its work has contributed to the rise of interest in and appreciation for the region’s heritage music, helping to attract tourists, grow businesses, and improve Southwest Virginia’s quality of life for local residents. In 2015, the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development prepared a report that confirms these effects and estimates The Crooked Road’s economic impact.
Orange County works to grow economy based on OED assessment’s findings and recommendations
(Virginia Tech, 2016-05)
Folklore says that President James Madison loved craft beer so much, he once tried to appoint a Secretary of Beer to his cabinet. Hundreds of years later and on recommendation of Virginia Tech’s Office of Economic Development (OED), the Orange County Board of Supervisors is certainly doing Madison’s beer appreciation justice by looking to establish a brewery at Montpelier, Madison’s Virginia home. Last year, OED began researching agriculture and tourism-related economic opportunities for Montpelier through a grant sponsored by the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID) This year, the OED presented their findings and provided best-practice recommendations to Orange County and The Montpelier Foundation.
Virginia small satellite initiative investment could return millions
(Office of Economic Development, 2016-10)
The OED evaluated a proposal by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium for the Small Satellites Virginia Initiative program and found the program could bring up to $16.2 million to the state.
Economic Impact Analysis of the Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport
Travis, Elli (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2016-12-22)
This report estimates the economic contributions of the Virginia Tech – Montgomery Executive Airport (VTMEA) to the New River Valley (NRV). The current operations of the VTMEA contribute to the local region in three ways. First, the airport collects operational funds from outside of the NRV and spends them inside the region for its operations. Second, it attracts visitors to the NRV who might not otherwise come to the region, and their spending puts new money in the regional economy. Third, the airport fosters economic development by providing local, national, and international businesses and investors the ability to travel in and out of the region with ease, and serves as a critical gateway to Virginia Tech for the purposes of research, athletics and community relations. The first two of these impacts we can estimate quantitatively using operational and visitor spending data. The third impact we assess qualitatively using business surveys and interviews.
2017 Quarter 4 Southwest Virginia (WDA 1) Quarterly Workforce Report
(Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2017)
Welcome to the 2017 fourth quarter workforce report produced by the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development on behalf of the Southwest Virginia Workforce Development Board (WDB). This report covers Workforce Development Area I (WDA I), which covers the LENOWISCO and Cumberland Plateau Planning Districts, including the counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Wise and the independent city of Norton. These quarterly reports analyze and present regional labor supply and labor demand data to inform the public of the evolving workforce landscape. Please note that the data presented in this report is the most up-to-date data available as of December 2017. In this quarter’s report, we explore some basic regional trends including population, employment, and workforce gaps. We then delve into four industries targeted by the region’s GO Virginia Growth and Diversification Plan. This GOVA region is comprised of WDA I and the Mount Rogers Planning District—spanning from Lee County in the southwest, Carroll County in the southeast, Buchanan County in the northwest, and Bland County in the northeast. GO Virginia is a recent initiative approved by Virginia’s House of Delegates, which offers funding for suitable workforce and economic development projects. By improving collaboration across regions, this initiative is meant to leverage local capacity to encourage the development of targeted industry clusters that have predominantly higher wages and attract money from outside the state. GO Virginia regions across the state have identified four or more target industry clusters, and have developed strategies to grow and diversify these clusters. Arguably one of the most prominent strategies identified by all GO Virginia regions was to growth, retain, and attract skilled workers. This report will provide some basic data on the target GOVA clusters in WDA I and highlight assets and areas where workforce stakeholders may play a role in GO Virginia.
2017 Quarter 4 New River Mount Rogers (WDA II) Quarterly Workforce Report
(Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2017)
Welcome to the 2017 fourth quarter workforce report, produced by the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development on behalf of the New River Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board (WDA II). This region comprises the New River Valley Regional Commission and the Mount Rogers Planning District, including the counties of Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, Smyth, Washington, Wythe and the independent cities of Bristol, Galax and Radford. These quarterly reports present an analysis of regional labor supply and demand data, to inform the public of the evolving workforce landscape. Please note that the data presented in this report is the most up-to-date data available as of December 2017. In this quarter’s report, we explore some basic regional trends including population, employment, and workforce gaps. We then delve into four industries targeted by two regional GO Virginia Growth and Diversification Plans. WDA II straddles GOVA regions one and two. Region I is comprised of Workforce Development Area I and the Mount Rogers Planning District—spanning from Washington County in the southwest, Carroll County in the southeast, Buchanan County in the northwest, and Bland County in the northeast. Region 2 comprises the New River Valley and Workforce Development Area III (Roanoke)—spanning from Pulaski in the southwest, Franklin County in the southeast, Giles in the northwest, and Alleghany County in the northeast. GO Virginia is a recent initiative approved by Virginia’s House of Delegates, which offers funding for suitable workforce and economic development projects. By improving collaboration across regions, this initiative is meant to leverage local capacity to encourage the development of targeted industry clusters that offer predominantly higher wages and attract money from outside the state. GO Virginia regions across the state have identified four or more target industry clusters, and have developed strategies to grow and diversify these clusters. Arguably one of the most prominent strategies identified by all GO Virginia regions was to growth, retain, and attract skilled workers. This report will provide some basic data on the target GOVA clusters in WDA II and highlight assets and areas where WDB stakeholders may play a role in GO Virginia.
Same Ecosystem, Different Entrepreneurs: An assessment model for measuring diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems
Lyon-Hill, Sarah; Tate, Scott; Cowell, Margaret M.; Gupta, Khushboo; Keneshlo, Yaser (Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2017)
This paper explores how to measure entrepreneurial ecosystems with an urban-rural mix by using Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s four indicators framework and while accounting for the needs of different types of entrepreneurs from main street to high growth firms.
GO Virginia Region II Snapshot: People, Industry, Common Targets and Themes
(Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development, 2017)
The Office of Economic Development presented a growth and diversification plan for GO Virginia Region II, a statewide initiative designed to encourage southwest Virginia's economic growth.
2017 Quarter 4 Virginia’s Blue Ridge Works (VBRW) Quarterly Workforce Report
(Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2017)
Welcome to the 2017 fourth quarter workforce report, produced by the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development on behalf of the Area III Workforce Development Board (VBRW), Virginia’s Blue Ridge Works! This region includes the counties of Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Franklin, Roanoke, and the independent cities of Roanoke and Salem. These quarterly reports analyze and present regional labor supply and labor demand data to inform the public of the evolving workforce landscape. Please note that the data presented in this report is the most up-to-date data available as of December 2017. In this quarter’s report, we explore some basic regional trends including population, employment, and workforce gaps. We then delve into four industries targeted by the region’s GO Virginia Growth and Diversification Plan. This GOVA region is comprised of VBRW and the New River Valley—spanning from Pulaski in the southwest, Franklin County in the southeast, Giles in the northwest, and Alleghany County in the northeast. GO Virginia is a recent initiative approved by Virginia’s House of Delegates, which offers funding for suitable workforce and economic development projects. By improving collaboration across regions, this initiative is meant to leverage local capacity to encourage the development of targeted industry clusters that have predominantly higher wages and attract money from outside the state. GO Virginia regions across the state have identified four or more target industry clusters, and have developed strategies to grow and diversify these clusters. Arguably one of the most prominent strategies identified by all GO Virginia regions was to growth, retain, and attract skilled workers. This report will provide some basic data on the target GOVA clusters in VBRW and highlight assets and areas where workforce stakeholders may play a role in GO Virginia.
Halifax County Virginia Strategic Plan For Agriculture And Forestry
Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development (Virginia Tech, 2017-08)
In 2016, Halifax County, with the support of its county partners including the Halifax Farm Bureau, commissioned the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development (OED) to assist in the development of a Strategic Plan for Agriculture and Forestry for Halifax County. The purpose of this plan is to support this vital industry sector by leveraging existing assets and highlighting opportunities for the future.
GO Virginia Region 2 Growth and Diversification Plan, August 2017
Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development (Virginia Tech, 2017-08)
GO Virginia’s objectives, as set by the state, are simple and provide a clear path for action. The program seeks to grow jobs that pay higher than the regional median wage, primarily through investment that is new to Virginia. This requires a focus on industries with high growth potential, featuring in-demand occupations with higher wages. This Growth and Diversification plan, written for GO Virginia Region 2, provides a roadmap for utilizing GO Virginia funding for projects across this region, which includes the Lynchburg, New River Valley, and Roanoke-Alleghany sub-regions. Each of these areas has a strong history of local cooperation, and some experience with interregional collaboration, primarily between the New River and Roanoke Valleys. Together however, they all share many economic similarities: traditional industry strengths in manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture; emerging technology sectors; mixed urban and rural characteristics; and higher education and health care as economic and employment drivers. This plan documents the concentration of different industries across this footprint, their job growth rates compared to the nation, their contributions to gross regional product, the number of higher than median wage jobs available in these industries, and assets unique to the region that drive opportunity.
Tertiary Workforce Services Analysis in Southwest Virginia: Transportation
(Virginia Tech. Office of Economic Development, 2018)
There are many layers to a thriving workforce. According to the three sector economic theory, there is a need for “primary sector” raw materials, “secondary sector” manufacturing and production of goods, and “tertiary sector” services such as transportation, distribution, and customer service (Fisher 1939; Clark, 1940; Fourastie 1954). The concept behind these three layers can be applied not only to the production of goods, but also to the workforce itself. On the primary level, workers need the basic raw materials, namely employment opportunities (businesses). On the secondary level, workers need the education, training, and professional development to prepare them for these jobs. On the tertiary level, workers need “wrap around services” in their lives to enable them to remain employed. Regardless of the ways in which this concept is framed (in terms of goods or in terms of workforce), this tertiary layer forms the essential foundation of a healthy economy. This report is one of three reports that explore these critical tertiary services in Virginia’s Workforce Areas I, II, and III: childcare, transportation, and behavioral health facilities.

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