The Virginia Business Sites Ready Program (VBRSP) through the State of Virginia has awarded a grant to the City of Radford for $3.5 million in revitalization and site development efforts on an 80-acre site known as the foundry.
The foundry has been a part of Radford’s industrial base since 1880 as the Radford Iron and Coal Company and employed approximately 1,500 at its peak in the late 1970’s. The foundry produced an array of ductile iron products from water /sewer pipes to auto parts until they closed their doors in 2013. The site has been vacant for the past decade until the city purchased the property in August 2023. The site has recently been renamed “West Radford Commerce Park.” In June 2024, city council transferred the 80-acre site to the Economic Development Authority (EDA) for revitalization, site development and marketing.
City Manager, David Ridpath said the grant will be helpful for the project.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our city as we move towards redevelopment of a
long-time ‘brownfield’ status on a site that has so much history in our community,” he said. “Many thanks to [Radford Economic Development Director] Kim Repass for enduring the grant application complexities including the submission process, site visits from the reviewers and the sheer time involved. We appreciate the support from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Governor Youngkin’s Office.”
Mayor David Horton said redevelopment of the site could lead to new jobs for the city.
“Bringing new jobs and businesses to Radford has long been a goal for creating a robust, sustainable economy,” said Horton. “Reimagining parts of our community, investing, and redeveloping areas like the West Radford Commerce Park helps us move forward with 21st Century opportunities to build the Radford of tomorrow. We would be remiss if we didn’t thank Delegate Ballard and Senator Hackworth, Congressman Griffith, Senator Warner, and Senator Kaine, all members of our City Council both current and in the last few years, the Radford EDA – especially Kim Repass for her diligent work to help secure the grant.”
The VBRSP is a grant program that promotes characterization and development of sites to enhance infrastructure and promote Virginia as a competitive business environment. Grants are considered on a competitive basis and made at the discretion of the review team.
EDA Chair Abram Williams said the grant funds will help make the foundry site a marketable property.
“This is a tremendous announcement for the City of Radford and West Radford Commerce Park,” said Williams. “We are very excited to receive this grant as we are beginning development of the Commerce Park. These funds will help ensure that we have a market-ready site in the very near future that is ready for new business, job creation and will be a contributor to the overall economic growth in our region of the Commonwealth.”
The $3.5 million award will be utilized for engineering and planning, site grading work, perimeter fencing of the lagoon, elimination of any contaminated soil and the demolition and removal of the 200,000 square feet concrete slab that housed the former foundry structure.
“With this grant from the State of Virginia, we are able to take the necessary steps to remediate and redevelop the former Foundry property in West Radford that has sat dormant for over a decade”, said Repass. “Special thanks to the Radford Economic Development Authority, Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Governor Youngkin’s Office for your continued dedication, efforts and vision to establish a reuse plan for this site. The redevelopment of this property will bring new industry, job creation and an overall economic vitality to our city and region.”
City of Radford