INSIDE THE ISLE NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 2022

LOCAL OFFICIALS BREAK GROUND FOR

BROADBAND EXPANSION

On July 14, 2022, Isle of Wight County staff members participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking event with Charter Communications, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, the City of Suffolk and Southampton County to celebrate the $35 million public-private partnership that will bring broadband internet to rural underserved areas in these three communities. 

A state grant of $21 million awarded through the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) provides significant support for this unique partnership. Together with two other broadband initiatives underway, infrastructure will be built to provide high-speed internet access for all county addresses within the next 36 months.

Stay tuned for more information on buildout timelines and coverage maps.

New Business Licenses - July 2022

New Business Highlights

Lovely Nails & Spa - 13609 Carrollton Blvd., Suite 5, Carrollton, VA (The Shoppes at Eagle Harbor)

No Short Kuts LLC - 13478 Carrollton Blvd., Suite #L, Carrollton, VA (Eagle Harbor Shopping Center)

See the full list of new July business licenses:

PDF Format (.pdf) or Excel Format (.xlsx)

We extend a warm welcome to all of our new businesses.

Thank you for putting down roots to grow in Isle of Wight County!

Take This Important Employer Childcare Survey to Inform Solutions to Virginia's Labor Shortage

If you represent a business—large or small—in Virginia, please take the following short survey about the impact of child care on workforce recruitment, retention, and employee productivity, and the strategies that employers are using to support access to child care for their workers.

In the midst of the state’s current labor shortage, the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce are seeking to understand the impact of child care availability on Virginia businesses. Survey results will inform policy recommendations for an improved child care system to better address the labor shortage and keep Virginia competitive as one of the best places in the country to do business.

Please respond by August 26, 2022.

For questions related to why the survey is being conducted, please contact

Karin Bowles at Karin@vecf.org

For technical questions about the survey, please contact Dr. Melissa Dahlin at MelissaD@PolicyEquity.com

New Grant Opportunity: Virginia Tourism Corporation Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program

The Virginia Tourism Corporation's (VTC) application portal is now open for the Fall 2022 Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program.

VTC is offering these grant funds to spur economic activity and travel across the Commonwealth to support small businesses and drive shoulder season visitation (September to May).

The grant has a maximum award of $5,000 and is for small tourism-related business with 20 or fewer full-time equivalent employees including boutique retail, restaurants, food trucks, small attractions, craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, boutique lodging and B&Bs, and events focused on shoulder season visitation.

Examples of marketing expenses that are eligible include, but are not limited to: digital advertising, social media boosts and sponsored ads, print advertising, hiring photographers and videographers, rack card printing and placement costs at Virginia Welcome Centers and Safety Rest Areas, display and promotional materials for trade shows and events.

The application portal closes at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

The Virginia Small Business Financing Authority (VSBFA) is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s business and economic development financing arm. Aligned within Virginia’s Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, the VSBFA offers programs to provide businesses, not-for-profits, and economic development authorities with the financing needed for economic growth and expansion throughout the Commonwealth. To accomplish this goal, VSBFA offers loans directly to businesses & non-profits, credit enhancements to banks that are lending to businesses & non-profits, as well as bond financings to benefit for-profit businesses, 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit entities, and to support clean energy and P3 transportation projects. VSBFA also helps small businesses seeking to attract equity investments by providing an equity incentive grant program.

Funding programs include the following: Economic Development Loan Fund, Cash Collateral Program, Loan Guarantee Program, Child Care Financing Program, and the Microloan Program. FLYER

For more information about financing programs administered by VSBFA,

contact Terrance Rogers, Regional Lending Manager,

804-371-0058 or terrance.rogers@sbsd.virginia.gov.

SAVE THE DATES: OCTOBER 12th-13th

The Virginia Rural Center will host The Governor's Summit on Rural Prosperity in Smithfield on Wednesday and Thursday, October 12th-13th! This event will bring together local, state and private sector representatives from across Virginia to discuss innovative initiatives occurring in rural communities. REGISTER!

PUT ISLE OF WIGHT ON YOUR SUMMER BUCKET LIST!

Visit Smithfield and Isle of Wight County and put all of these businesses and activities on your to-do list. Give yourself extra time to discover lots of other cool things in the community. Isle of Wight County has so much to offer!

Special thanks to Sew Personal Boutique in Smithfield for creating this Isle of Wight County Summer Bucket List!

FEATURED AVAILABLE PROPERTY

Office For Lease: 208 Gumwood Dr., Smithfield

Free-standing, brick office building in established Smithfield office park has 2,914 square feet available for lease. This building is divided into two units (1,457 square-feet each). Each space features an open floor plan with two private offices, kitchenette and private bathroom. Lease rate is $18.50/square foot NNN. Professionally managed association does maintenance of exterior buildings and landscaping. Conveniently located just off the highly visible Benns Church Blvd./Route 10 corridor in the Smithfield business district across from a Kroger-anchored Shopping Center. Adjacent to CVS Pharmacy, Hampton Inn & Suites and Wendy's/Family Dollar Shopping Center. Other park tenants include Riverside Diagnostic Center, Pivot Physical Therapy, Isle of Wight Family & Cosmetic Dentistry and a family medical practice.

For more information, contact David Tunnicliffe, AFO Realty, LLC,

at 757-916-8517 or david@aforealty.com.

Search the County's available properties database for more commercial or industrial properties. If you own or represent a commercial property in Isle of Wight County that is available for sale or lease, please CONTACT US, and we will add it to our database.

SIGN UP FOR EMERGENCY ALERTS

Get alerted about emergencies and other important community news by signing up for Isle of Wight County’s IWAlert Emergency Notification System. This system enables Isle of Wight County to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods. Sign up!