Valley Pulse

A handout at this morning’s Economic Development Authority meeting in Waynesboro had a listing of the city’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats when it comes to business operations in the city. The members originally talked about it last month. They’ve also talked recently about what to do with the 52 acres of industrial land near nTelos and the Waynesboro Town Center. City leaders have said previously that the city is not ready to attract businesses.

Here’s the list.

Strengths: direct access to I-64; direct access to rail service; proximity to Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, national parks and national forest, and Charlottesville and Harrisonburg (universities and markets); quality local workforce; Virginia Main Street Program community; public schools; excellent public parks; regional shopping; right-to-work state; great quality of life; excellent medical facilities nearby (U.Va./AMC); enterprise zone incentives; local YMCA programs; new hotels (total number of available rooms); telecommunications infrastructure; land values; Artisan Center, Shenandoah Vally Art Center, P. Buckley Moss Museum; Heritage Museum; local festivals and events; South River; economic development funding; civic organizations; restaurants; increasing diversity; basic public infrastructure

Weaknesses: downtown flooding; lack of available sites and buildings; local industrial jobs tied to declining markets; no clear game plan for downtown or economic development in general; lack of higher educational facility; workforce training and readiness; aging population; lack of downtown residence; need specialized niche/retailing downtown; lack regional transit; downtown parking; no theater; deteriorating buildings; perception of the public school system; low wage base; lack of critical mass of unique or high-end restaurants; higher poverty rates among certain segments of the population; failure to attract higher-wage jobs

Opportunities: excelent medical facilities; need to market downtown inventory; proximity to Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive and extension of enterprise zone to include E. Main St.; potential for producing packaging materials for nearby industries; local “supply chain network”; Artisan Center of Virginia expansion; adaptive reuse of industrial sites; urban trout fishery and Trout Unlimited initiatives; Fishburne Military School; SAW Foundation

Threats: blighted areas nearby in the county; competition for the Artisans Center; local industries are particularly impacted by changes in national, global economy; city fails to be proactive; inability to establish an active economic development program; city has not understood and forged productive relationships with the business community

Feel free to add your own in the comments.