April 2017 | Business View Magazine

84 85 hopewell, virginia well, now AdvanSix, has invested in its property. Evonik has done major expansions, and Ashland Chemical is undergoing a $92 million expan- sion. Dane credits much of the success to the city being proactive. “Our philosophy is, if we can capture 75 percent of the revenue by making 25 percent available in incentives, that’s better than getting none of the revenue.We try to be creative in the short term and make these deals happen.” On the cultural front, Hopewell is becoming an arts-friendly community. “There is a large coffee house opening, with an art gallery and art studio space,” says Dane. “We also have affordable apartments downtown that would be perfect for artists-in-residence. An art studio near the Beacon Theater holds teaching work- shops, and an ‘Art Nights Out’ with wine and painting.We also have a 501(c)(3) non-profit starting a program encompassing all the arts – from performance, to painting, drawing, and music. They are well seeded, and we look for- ward to their success.” Last year, the city council adopted a HEAL resolution (Healthy Eating, Active Living) calling for Complete Streets that are walkable, drive- able, bikeable, and designed for safety. The first real effort is about to occur downtown in the Route 10 corridor with traffic calming mea- sures, wide bike paths, and improved pedestrian crossing areas. The River Walk is all about environmentalism, featuring educational points along the way, and observation areas to view osprey and bald eagles (Hopewell has a huge population). The Walk leads to City Park, a downtown gather- ing place since 1916 that’s being preserved as open space to connect with nature and offer river access. Dane notes, “The temptation is to build out everything commercial and use that revenue for growth through economic devel- opment. But there’s also a quality of life issue. We’re very conscious of that. It’s what Complete Streets and HEAL is about –making Hopewell a healthy, comfortable, environmentally-friendly community.” With a population near 23,000, Hopewell has room to grow. Housing market studies done in the last year show capacity for 600 more rental units of medium- to high-quality apartments and condos, and 350 to 400 units of higher-end housing. Annexation isn’t necessary because the city owns land for development. The study ana- lyzed what the market would bear in the region. To some degree, Hopewell will benefit from high demand in the nearby city of Richmond, where old tobacco warehouses and industrial areas were converted, making it a trendy place to live for artists, students, and Millennials just starting their careers. But the price point keeps going higher, so they can’t afford the rent. That bodes well for Hopewell. It has the river as a draw, and the amenities; not just infrastruc-