General Information

Economic Development

The Department of Economic Development is primarily responsible for initiating, coordinating, implementing and monitoring programs that promote new business development and encourage existing businesses to remain and grow in Portsmouth. The mission of the department is to facilitate the expansion of the City's tax base and new job creation. The department provides services to numerous departments and agencies of the City as well as the City Council, and the Portsmouth Port and Industrial Commission (PPIC). The department is also responsible for Vision 2005, which targets key initiative areas in the City to help build a strong urban design framework, and thereby sets the foundation for continued development.

Vision 2005

Portsmouth is proud of improvements it has made in neighborhood quality, fiscal strength and economic development. The vision of these improvements began in 1993 with Portsmouth Vision 2005, Portsmouth’s long-term strategic plan for community and economic development. Attributing its growing success to the principles Vision 2005 has followed since its beginning, citizens and community leaders come together to share their ideas for the future of Portsmouth. To provide direction and assistance, the City hired the urban design firm, Urban Design Associates (UDA). Committee members enlist the support of others in the community and have many group discussions of the pros and cons of ideas being considered. Through this process, the citizens have identified 4 initiatives that re-address the historical and future developments of the neighborhoods. Strategic planning has been ongoing for three years in the following focus points of the City:

To date, Vision 2005 has added two neighborhoods to its community development process. New projects within existing committees have risen to twelve. Citizens’ commitments to contribute necessary time to the many Vision 2005 projects is difficult to measure. Committee volunteers meet monthly with land-use planners and urban development architects. They receive and submit collected materials and make presentations in their Committees and make recommendations to the Mayor’s Steering Committee before scheduled Council meetings. They solicit support from Portsmouth’s businesses, associations, and our military neighbors. There are currently 160 active volunteers in Vision 2005.

Business Parks

The PortCentre Commerce Park

The PortCentre Commerce Park is comprised of 60 acres. Approximately 15 acres are available for development. This commerce park is ideal for businesses with both office and light industrial needs. Its location is adjacent to the Olde Towne Business District.

It is also strategically located in the heart of Hampton Roads with direct access to I-264. This location links the park to the entire region offering quick connections via I-464 or I-64 to Chesapeake, Route 44 East to Virginia Beach and I-664 North to Newport News and Hampton. Access to I-95 and I-85, major North-South trucking routes, are within a one hour drive. Norfolk International Airport is just 15 minutes away immediately adjacent to I-64.

Portsmouth Corporate Center

Portsmouth Corporate Center is being developed as a 100+ acre business park located immediately adjacent to I-264 at Victory Boulevard. It will offer the mid-size office or light industrial tenant an excellent opportunity to develop sites in the 20-30 acre range with the same access to all major road networks.

The Greenwood Industrial Park

Greenwood Industrial Park was developed in 1987 and has 15 acres of the total 60 acres remaining. The park is also adjacent to I-264 and offers the small office or light industrial tenant the opportunity to develop 2-3 acre parcels at very favorable prices.

Other Major Businesses and Industry

The Portsmouth Marine Terminal

The Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT) is one of four general cargo facilities owned by the Port of Virginia. Since port unification in 1981, the Port of Virginia has also operated this type of commercial business at two other marine terminals in Newport News and Norfolk and an inland port facility in Warren County. PMT has three shipping berths with 3,540 feet of marginal wharf situated on 250 acres of land. Five state-of-the-art container cranes handle containerized, breakbulk and roll-on/roll-off cargo. PMT is a versatile facility offering refrigerated hook-ups, specialized warehouse space, fumigation facilities and straddle-carrier container stacking. In 1992, the Port of Virginia continued a $31.75 million expansion of the PMT. Sea-Land Service Terminal borders PMT and offers an additional 1,000 feet of wharfage and two container cranes. In 1992, Sea-Land Services’ port facilities completed a $10 million expansion.

Renaissance Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center

The Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center offers 249 spacious and luxurious guest rooms, including five suites. In addition to standard personal and business amenities, each guest room offers high-speed internet access.

The hotel's meeting facilities were constructed to meet IACC-certification standards and offer more than 24,355 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space. A unique Case Study Amphitheater seats up to 70 people and every meeting room is equipped with high-speed internet access.

Situated in downtown Portmouth's historic Olde Towne district, the hotel overlooks the busy Elizabeth River and the skyline of neighboring Norfolk. Attractions from Williamsburg to Virginia Beach are nearly equidistant from our central location.

NTELOS PortCentre Building

NTELOS opened its customer care facility in the PortCentre I Building in Portsmouth with an initial investment of $9.6 million. NTELOS staff consists of approximately 125 employees. The company was started by a $400,000 grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund that was used to assist the City of Portsmouth with site preparation. NTELOS is a leading wireless digital Personal Communications Service (PCS) provider in the mid-Atlantic region.

NTELOS was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Waynesboro, Virginia. The company provides a broad range of integrated solutions for business and residential customers in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Kentucky. Their services include the largest digital PCS network in the region, local and long distance telephone services, and Internet access. Their acquisition of PrimeCo's Richmond and Norfolk operations and other PCS license in Pennsylvania has accelerated the need for this facility. The addition of the customer care center in Portsmouth will enable NTELOS to meet the needs of its growing customer base.

Lindab, Inc.

Lindab, Inc. is the world’s largest manufacturer of heating ventilation and air conditioning duct systems. It recently completed a 110,000 square-foot expansion to its manufacturing facility at Airline and Victory Boulevards. The company, which located its very first U.S. manufacturing plant in our area, has seen a tremendous increase in demand for the spiral ductwork and fittings they produce. The existing 47,000 square-foot facility was improved, becoming a showcase facility for its kind.

RADVA Corporation

RADVA Corporation, a leader in the design and manufacture of an array of foam products, has won several awards signifying their outstanding level of productivity and service. These accolades include Canon Virginia’s "Vendor of the Year" for both 1995 and 1996. Portsmouth’s Small Business of the Year for 1997. In addition RADVA is proceeding with a $1.2 million, 50,000 square-foot expansion of its manufacturing plant on Elliott Avenue in Portsmouth. The company employs 45 people.