ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. — Thursday morning, the ribbon was cut to officially open the first Publix grocery store in Virginia Beach.
At the same time, a Publix was under construction in Carrolton in Isle of Wight County. It's part of a lot of growth happening in the county.
Watch: Publix in Virginia Beach officially opens
From construction at Publix to construction on the roads, a new hospital, and homes, there’s no shortage of growth in Isle of Wight County.
“We’ve had a pretty healthy growth pattern over the last decade," said Assistant Isle of Wight County Administrator Don Robertson.
It's easy to understand why this area is poised for growth as Carrollton's proximity to the James River bridge makes it easily accessible to the peninsula, while also being conveniently located near the south side.
Robertson said the county is trying to grow strategically.
“We have what are called development service districts. Those districts promote and allow for growth occur," Robertson explained.
The idea is for growth to happen in those areas so the rest of the county, about 85 percent according to Robertson, can remain rural.
According to U.S. Census data, the population of Isle of Wight County was estimated to be 40,711 as of July 1, 2023. That’s about a five and a half percent increase since the last census in 2020.
The population in 2020 was close to a 10 percent increase over the previous census in 2010.
“It’s okay for the business," said Napoli E Ristorante Italiano Owner Max Errico.
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Errico's restaurant is not far from the Publix. He said while the growth is good for business, it does create some headaches.
“The traffic is going crazy," said Errico.
He would like to see more done with the county’s roads and says many of his customers feel the same way.
“We’ve had the same roads for about 20 years. So they need to improve the roads, the service, because it’s becoming worse every day," Errico emphasized.
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That’s not lost on Robertson.
“The downside is the growth that may impact schools or impact our public services. We have to try to balance that, to try to look for opportunities to either mitigate or reduce the tax impact on our citizens. So, it presents some challenges for us but it’s a good challenge to have," said Robertson.
As of Thursday, an opening date for the Publix in Carrolton had not been announced.
