Chesapeake, Va. – Chesapeake Mayor Alan Krasnoff made several big announcements during the annual State of the City speech at the Chesapeake Conference Center on Wednesday.
One of the biggest announced the mayor announced is that the city is in the early phases of bringing a new 260,000 square foot retail center to Battlefield Boulevard. Though it’s still in the preliminary phases, the mayor said they hope to add several national retailers like the Kroger Company, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Field and Stream, Home Goods, and PetCo.
He also spoke on several important transportation projects in the city, calling transportation the key to prosperity. Projects important to Hampton Roads and Chesapeake include replacing the High Rise Bridge, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Bridge, and 22nd Street Bridge.
Plus, a plan for Dominion Boulevard corridor will soon be in place, he said.
Another plan mentioned was the automatic fire aid agreement between Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Under the plan, response to neighborhoods where two city borders connect within a seven-minute automatic aid zone would be enhanced through automatic dispatching.
Fire chiefs from all three cities are being briefed by the Tri-City Auto Aid Committee next Monday. The plan should be ready in May.
The mayor also spoke about the need for broadband technology in underserved areas of the city, saying it’s essential for prosperity and growth. The city has a statutory right to create a wireless service authority or join with others to fill in digital blanks. Mayor Krasnoff says Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms agrees that common wireless broadband needs deserve shared solutions.
With an estimated 6,000 Chesapeake residents serving in the military and more than 27,000 veterans calling Chesapeake home, veteran issues were also a topic. The Hampton VA Medical Center will open a 10,000 square foot clinic in Chesapeake to serve Chesapeake and Southside veterans. The city will donate property near the hospital to the Southeastern Virginia Housing Corporation. The mayor is urging that property be used for the construction of a veteran’s apartment complex.
A Veterans Benefits field office will also open at Tidewater Community College’s Chesapeake campus to support the veterans that live within the city.
The mayor also recognized and praised several city workers, including employees who worked hard to clear snow, firemen who saved a house fire victim, and police officers who bought presents for underprivileged children.
“Today, Chesapeake is open 24/7. We’re global. And the world is saying, how are you? Thanks to you and the men and women who have made a better place, we’re strong and well, and ready to face the day the Lord has made. In that spirit, I ask for God’s blessings for you and Chesapeake, and thank you for the opportunity to serve.”
