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Regional economic updates: CVPED outlines major projects and TJPDC legislative priorities adopted
Summary
The Board heard a CVPED briefing on major regional projects (including AstraZeneca’s $4.5B Rivanna Future site and major data-center investments) and approved the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission’s 2026 Legislative Program, which prioritizes public education funding, state budget/funding protections, and defense of local land-use authority.
Nelson County supervisors received an economic-development briefing from the Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development and approved regional legislative priorities advanced by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC).
Helen Cauthen, CVPED president, highlighted regional projects she said will shape local opportunity: the AstraZeneca announcement for a $4.5 billion Rivanna Future site projected to create roughly 3,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent positions; EdgeCore’s $17 billion data-center investment in neighboring Louisa County; and other data-center activity by AWS, Cielo, DataBank and CloudHQ. Cauthen described a new Central Virginia Innovation Corridor strategic roadmap and noted a $100,000 planning grant from GO Virginia supporting UVA’s Manning Institute for Biotechnology at Fontaine Research Park, which Cauthen said is expected to hire about 100 researchers.
Board members asked how Nelson could attract businesses and overcome the lack of modern ready-to-build sites and buildings. "Sites and buildings are the biggest challenge," Cauthen said, noting that advanced, shovel-ready sites typically require substantial due-diligence and state-level support. Dr. Ligon asked whether Lovingston could become an opportunity zone; Cauthen said Nelson does not qualify and offered to follow up with more detail.
Separately, David Blount of the TJPDC presented the 2026 Regional Legislative Program. Blount said the program’s top priorities are public education funding, state budgets/funding (opposing unfunded mandates and cost-shifting to localities), and land-use and growth-management protections. The Board unanimously adopted Resolution R2025-78, approving the TJPDC legislative program as Nelson County’s regional priorities heading into the 2026 General Assembly session.
The briefing and adopted positions reflect regional efforts to coordinate economic development, workforce initiatives, and legislative advocacy on matters the Board identified as priorities for the coming session.
