Goochland EDA reports record $488 million in 2025 investment, cites tourism and business growth

Sarah, economic development staff, told the Goochland County Economic Development Authority that 2025 was a record year for capital investment, reporting "$488,000,000 in actual investment in the county." She said the figure excludes Eli Lilly and credited multiple industrial projects including West Creek Commerce Center and Amazon activity.

Why it matters: The EDA said rising investment and tourism activity reflect recent marketing and permitting efforts that helped speed projects from application to operation. Sarah presented supporting metrics: 351 total business interactions, 67 business-to-business meetings, and strong tourism ad performance (reported 4,101,419 impressions and 118,000 clicks, with a 2.89% click-through rate).

Board members pressed for follow-up data and clarification. A board member asked whether the EDA has projected real-estate tax revenue from the new investments; Sarah said tax collection projections were not yet available and that tourism numbers are published annually in September. Members also requested that presentation materials be posted to the EDA SharePoint site for distribution.

The presentation also noted program-level outcomes: 63 businesses reported benefit from the Blue Dot Rewards effort (discussed separately), and the county recorded higher web engagement and paid-social returns than typical benchmarks. Sarah emphasized workforce challenges remain the top business concern and that staff continue to prioritize permitting and infrastructure conversations for expansions.

The meeting did not adopt new policy tied to the report; staff will return with requested distribution materials and any additional fiscal projections at a later meeting.