Falling Branch Corporate Park Phase 2: 20-acre pad graded; water line and pump-station design cleared by Christiansburg and DEQ

Montgomery County staff reported construction progress at Falling Branch Corporate Park Phase 2, Site 2, saying a 20-acre graded pad is complete and work on paving is underway.

According to staff, Lot 7 has been sold and construction is active there; Lot 3 (the 20-acre pad) is complete with grading, topsoil, seeding and a 10-inch gravel base. The water line is finished and the Town of Christiansburg and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality approved the pump-station design. Street lights have been installed.

Paving remains a major outstanding expense. Staff said paving is the next substantial item, with an estimated cost noted in the discussion at about $300,000. Installation of a natural gas line is in progress and has taken longer than staff expected. A change order reduced one contractor’s scope by about $31,000 and moved that work into a separate contract.

County staff said Christiansburg has requested funding to pave Parkway Drive all the way to North Franklin; that extension is listed in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s six-year plan but has not yet received VDOT funding. Staff described a process of reviewing smaller punch-list items once paving and substantial completion are reached; staff also noted that substantial completion triggers a 30-day window related to liquidated-damage penalties.

On market interest, staff said there have been inquiries—particularly from distribution uses along I-81 and other larger-site users—but high construction costs are limiting new speculative building. Staff pointed to bigger regional announcements, including Google data-center projects in neighboring Botetourt County, as part of the broader demand context.

Staff noted a modest topsoil deficit was addressed by moving material on-site. The county did not record any formal vote on the site update in the provided transcript excerpt.