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Virginia Tech study recommends industrial uses for Pathway Park, flags entrance redesign as key hurdle
Summary
Virginia Tech advised Smyth County to focus on industrial development for the 46.2‑acre Pathway Park site, saying industrial scenarios generate faster payback and meet grant restrictions; the report urges a Route 11 entrance redesign to reach ‘tier 5’ readiness. Local officials raised concerns about water capacity, site size and long timelines.
Ashley Poshemas of the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement presented an ROI assessment for Pathway Park that modeled multiple industrial scenarios, concluding that industrial users (advanced manufacturing, food and beverage, plastics/chemical) would generate the strongest fiscal returns for the county on the site’s 46.2 developable acres.
Poshemas told the board the site has “tier 4” readiness and that redesigning the Route 11 entrance is the principal remaining improvement required to reach “tier 5” status and make the property competitive. She said the study modeled realistic development scenarios and estimated jobs, annual tax revenue and total economic output for each, using IMPLAN to convert projected activity into direct, indirect and induced impacts.
The consultant also highlighted that public investments already made at Pathway Park were funded through grants with use restrictions (Tobacco Commission and GO Virginia) that prioritize traded‑sector, industrial employment; Poshemas said that non‑industrial uses such as a sports complex or training facility would not meet the grant terms tied to prior infrastructure grants.
Board members and residents asked about alternative industrial sub‑types and environmental/resource impacts. One county member asked whether recycling or closed‑loop plastics processing had been modeled; Poshemas said that recycling facilities were not included among the scenarios and that, while certain plastics and chemical subindustries were part of the plastics/chemical cluster, a dedicated recycling scenario did not surface as an optimal ROI case in this study. She offered to follow up with additional analysis if requested.
County staff reported there are active prospects: three current leads and a planned pitch in Atlanta to additional prospects. Still, speakers raised concerns about the site’s modest size (46.2 acres), the long lead time before construction (staff estimated earthmoving would not start before 2028 even if entrance work proceeds), and how the county would address housing and workforce needs if a larger employer locates in the county.
Several public commenters urged the board to weigh alternative uses if industrial recruitment stalls. Chilhowie Town Manager Brian Martin urged caution about water availability for high‑use tenants, saying the town’s three springs are approaching 80% of capacity and recommending that the board consider lower‑water tenants or pursue legislative remedies to change covenants if industrial recruitment fails.
The next procedural steps discussed included prioritizing the Route 11 entrance redesign to reach tier 5, using the report to narrow marketing to target clusters, and pursuing targeted recruitment and interjurisdictional coordination on housing and utilities.
Notes on figures and sources: the presentation repeatedly referenced a county investment figure that the transcript alternately recorded as $5,800,000 and (in other lines) as $5.5 million; meeting materials and the Virginia Tech report should be consulted to confirm the county’s precise capital figure and any repayment obligations tied to specific grants.
