by philip newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
Norfolk now has City Sites - a
campaign by the Norfolk Department of Development to spread the word about the city's properties.
Take a tour at the city's website.
You will find properties for sale or for lease, including vacant schools.
The sites are owned by the city, Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and Norfolk Economic Development Authority.
Visitors can access the City Sites' website at the city's main page at www.norfolk.gov/ or at the
by philip newswanger
philip.newswanger@insidebiz.com
Railroads, including Norfolk Southern Corp., and warehouse operators are at each other's throats.
It's not the first time.
The conflict involves free time and demurrage, terms the shipping industry uses in contracts that determine who pays and when.
The Surface Transportation Board, which regulates transportation in the U.S., issued a proposed rule May 8 clarifying who pays.
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
The Port of Virginia has lagged behind Savannah's port for too long, Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton said, so an amendment in Gov. Bob McDonnell's budget will allow the commonwealth to use grants to lure new business into building in Virginia and using its port.
The Port Grant Program will give grants to companies that use the port, create at least 25 new jobs and move into a "port zone." The zone covers a swath of Virginia from Richmond to Hampton Roads.
Over two years ago, Chesapeake officials decided that the best and fastest route to a new Jordan Bridge over the southern branch of the Elizabeth River was to turn it over to the private sector.
The Jordan Bridge had to be replaced because it was 80 years old and structurally deficient, but the city had no money.
So city officials turned to Figg Bridge Builders, a division of Figg Engineering Group, whose portfolio is packed with bridges the company has designed and built nationwide.
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
Southwest Airlines is adding flights to Atlanta out of Norfolk International Airport and Delta has added four daily flights to New York's LaGuardia Airport.
Southwest, which in March pulled its low-fare AirTran service out of Newport News/Williamsburg Airport, is adding three flights to Atlanta beginning Aug. 12, said Wayne Shank, executive director of Norfolk International.
Delta added the four flights to LaGuardia in April.
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
The city of Norfolk is moving forward with plans to build a new downtown bus transfer center that would replace the current one on Monticello Avenue, which officials say is unacceptable for riders.
The city has looked at several locations for the new station, including Harbor Park.
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
For the past year, Virginia has lost millions of dollars because the Chinese government banned importing of logs from the commonwealth.
Now, state officials hope a scheduled trip by a Chinese delegation to Virginia next week will change the government's mind and let wood from the commonwealth enter China again.
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
The Virginia Beach City Council could soon vote on a resolution that would decide whether to put the issue of light rail on the ballot in November.
A resolution, drafted by council members John Uhrin and Jim Wood, requests that the Circuit Court of Virginia order a Nov. 6 referendum that poses the question, "Should the City Council adopt an ordinance approving the expansion of The Tide light rail system into the City of Virginia Beach?"
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
After more than two years as the CEO of Hampton Roads Transit, Phil Shucet's last day was Friday.
A veteran transportation expert, the former head of the Virginia Department of Transportation was brought in to fix the troubled agency, which was plagued with problems - namely millions of dollars in cost overruns related to Norfolk's light rail.
Now, the Tide is on track, ridership has exceeded projections and Shucet is moving on, with former Chesapeake City Manager William E. Harrell taking his place.
By Bill Cresenzo
bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com
Almost a year to the day that the company was founded, shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries said its net income was up for the fourth quarter 2011, and its president and CEO was set to mark the anniversary by ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange last Thursday.
The company reported that it had sales of $6.58 billion during its first year of operations, and fourth quarter sales stood at $1.74 billion, down 2.2 percent from 2010.
