Press Release

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JAPAN TOBACCO INTERNATIONAL PROVIDES GRANT TO CITY OF DANVILLE

Japan Tobacco International has made a grant to the City of Danville to be used to design and build a fountain that will serve as the focal point for the entrance to the Tobacco Warehouse District.  This very visible feature, at the intersection of the Downtown District and the Tobacco Warehouse District, will highlight the renovated area along the Dan River that is the lynch pin of the River District. 

According to Steve Daniels, President of Japan Tobacco International, Leaf Services U.S.A., the JTI Fountain is intended to memorialize the legacy of tobacco as an economic engine for Danville over a span of four centuries.  Although the tobacco industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, JTI is today a major force in the overall economy of Danville and the surrounding counties. 

The company has established itself as a responsible corporate citizen of the community, and this gift of $400,000 to erect the JTI Fountain in Danville expresses just how committed JTI is to the future prosperity of the region.

The River District will undergo a number of improvements in the next year or so.  Main and Union Streets will be beautified.  Buildings that are now empty will be restored and occupied.  The development of Bridge Street as a technology corridor will be ongoing.  Buildings along Craghead Street will be prioritized for redevelopment. 

David Parrish, Deputy City Manager who is leading the local government’s effort to revitalize the River District, said, “This gift from JTI is clear evidence that the business community is supportive of the renaissance of the River District.  I hope that it is the first of many corporate expressions of monetary support for this critically important project.”

Karl Stauber, President and CEO of the Danville Regional Foundation, said, “This gift from JTI is a statement of just how valuable the corporate community considers the River District to be for our future success as a viable city.  The support of the City government, the Danville Regional Foundation, and now the corporate sector through JTI will ensure that before too much more time passes, we can all be proud of how our city looks and how it welcomes its citizens ‘down to the riverside.’”

Save the Date!

April 13 - April 28, 2012

 

Alla Parsons Art Exhibition

Reception: April 21, 7-9PM

Between Reality and Imagination

at Gourmet Frog Art Gallery:  310 Main St., Danville, VA 24541

Alla Parsons is originally from Russia where she received her basic art training. In the United States she continued her art studies at the university level and earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Painting from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Georgia Southern University. Her style can be described as Magic Realism - art in which some mystery or a secret seems to be hidden within the subject matter.  Juxtapositions of sharply rendered and detailed elements, both in the foreground and background, are used to develop an air of mystery or ambiguity.  Alla says: "My paintings are about the mystery of our everyday life". She emphasizes the objects of everyday life in new and unfamiliar ways.  She explores her physical, psychological and spiritual self as well as memories, family history and Russian heritage through her work. One can see her being influenced by Symbolism, Surrealism and Russian Icons.  In her work you can also see reflections on growing up in Russia, studying the works of the Old Masters in the Hermitage, and in the largest museums in Europe.

 

 

 

The Artists Reception is on April 21, from 7 to 9 pmwith the Artist Talk at 8 pm.

JARRETT WELDING AND MACHINE RECEIVES LOCAL JOB GRANT

The city of Danville announced today that Jarrett Welding and Machine Inc. is the recipient of a Local Enterprise Zone Job Creation Grant. The company is located in a Virginia Enterprise Zone and qualified for the grant because of recent job creation in the city. The grant amount was $18,750.

Danville’s enterprise zone program is an economic development program managed by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. The program is designed to offer state and local incentives for businesses to locate or expand within the designated zone areas. Danville has two enterprise zones, consisting of 3,551 acres of commercial, industrial, retail and office spaces.

Co-owners John and Cindy Carey purchased Jarrett Welding in April 2011 – rescuing the company from going out of business due to the death of the previous owner. The purchase saved eight jobs. Over the past year, the total number of employees has grown to 19.

“Our success is a true testament to our dedicated, loyal employees and overwhelming support from the community,” said John Carey. “We are thankful to the city of Danville for acknowledging our growth and assisting small businesses in the area. This grant will assist us in purchasing additional equipment and performing system upgrades.” 

Mayor Sherman Saunders said, “Jarrett Welding is a wonderful example of a small business that is thriving in this challenging economic environment. Providing quality jobs for the community is our top priority, and I applaud the efforts made by John and his team at Jarrett Welding and Machine.”

Several employees are graduates of Danville Community College’s welding and machinery programs and have been employed by the company for decades. DCC President Carlyle Ramsey said, “Danville Community College has enjoyed an extraordinary relationship with Jarrett Welding for more than 30 years. In the past few months, we have had several constructive conversations with the general manager, Jamie Parsons, about the future, and I believe that it is a very exciting future in terms of value-added jobs, especially in welding and precision machining. We look forward to referring highly skilled and talented technicians to Jarrett in the near future.”

The 40,000 square-foot facility is made up of three separate buildings and spans both sides of Goodyear Boulevard. The company manufactures custom-made wrought iron and design-build structural steel for schools, industrial applications and homebuilders. It also offers full-service CNC machining from custom parts to production runs. Clients include contractors, manufacturers and Homeland Security.  

Monday, March 19, 2012

City Wins Economic Development Award

The city of Danville has won the 2012 Community Economic Development Award. The award, given by the Virginia Economic Developers Association, recognized outstanding communities in the commonwealth for their efforts in advancing the economic viability of their community through economic and community development programs.

The city of Danville’s Office of Economic Development submitted the winning application, focusing on the River District revitalization effort and its impact on community development, business attraction, and community involvement. All nominees were grouped according to population and evaluated among other similarly-sized communities. Danville’s submission fell into the population category of 40,001 to 100,000.

“I am very thankful for the award and the recognition,” said David Parrish, deputy city manager. “The city is committed to the transformation of the River District and has set an aggressive timeline to do so. We could not be successful without the support from the community, downtown stakeholders, and our partners in the effort – the Danville Regional Foundation and the Industrial Development Authority (IDA).”

All nominations were reviewed and evaluated by an awards committee, composed of community and economic development leaders from around the state.

Evaluation criteria focused on innovativeness, transferability, community commitment and leverage, measured objectives and secondary benefits.

The nomination will now be submitted to the Southern Economic Development Council for its regional competition later in the spring.

In November, 2010, the “renaissance” of the River District was launched with a trip, sponsored by the Danville Regional Foundation (DRF), to Greenville, S.C., to learn of its 20-year downtown revitalization efforts. From this trip, Council members, city staff and city administration started to develop a strategy for redeveloping the River District.

Since the trip, the city of Danville, along with the DRF staff and downtown leaders sought out a consulting group to help determine how to best utilize the land in the River District, design a cohesive feel to the area, and bring together property owners, businesses and residents within the district as well as the entire community in the redevelopment effort.

Out of 22 firms responding to the RFP, BBP & Associates, LLC and Allison Platt & Associates were selected to head the $100,000 project, which was predominately paid for through a grant from the DRF.

The city was recently approved for a $1.4 million grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to improve downtown Danville’s streets and sidewalks. The VDOT funds, in addition to matching funds from the city, will be used to widen existing sidewalks, install brick pavers, create move visible and pedestrian crossings, and provide amenities such as outdoor café space, and new lighting. 

Phase One of the streetscape improvement plan includes Main Street, from Craghead Street/Memorial Drive to Floyd Street, and N. Union Street from Main Street to Spring Street. Land Planning & Design Associates from Charlottesville is responsible for this phase of construction, which will begin in fall 2012.

March Mixer - You Are Invited

IDA Purchases Blighted River District Building

The Industrial Development Authority (IDA) has purchased the former Wise Hundley building located at 322 Main St.  The goal is to gain control of key properties, make minimal upgrades and code related improvements, and get the buildings back into the hands of a private developer and back on the tax rolls.

The IDA is currently obtaining estimates for facade repairs.