Roanoke City Council Approves Evans Spring Master Plan

On February 20th, after nearly three and a half hours of public comments, including expressed support from the Economic Development Authority, Roanoke City Council voted in favor of the Evans Spring Master Plan. The privately-owned 150 acres of land along the southern side of Interstate 581 is the largest assemblies of developable vacant land left in Roanoke. The plan provides a general framework for how development should occur.

Virginia Western Community College Expands Biotechnology Offerings

As part of the new Associates of Science (AS) in Biotechnology degree at Virginia Western Community College, enrolled students take a course called “Biotechnology Concepts.” This course, in part, aims to expose students to the many different facets of biotechnology in southwest Virginia by attending Biotech-focused professional events, touring local industry and research laboratory spaces, and hearing from guest speakers in class. Our most recent guest speaker, Dr. Alex Hyler from CytoRecovery, shared about her own path to becoming the company’s CEO and CSO as well as the development and applications of their novel cell-sorting technology. She left VW headed to Atlanta where she is delivering a platform to a client at Georgia Tech! This class is possible through the efforts of the Roanoke Blacksburg Biotechnology Project.

Luna Innovations Stretches Fiber-Optic Wings Worldwide

Luna Innovations Inc., a Roanoke-based company specializing in fiber-optic sensing and monitoring technology, finished last year with a large investment and major acquisition. In December, New York City-based White Hat Capital announced their contribution of $50 million into the company, and Luna is using about half of that to buy a United Kingdom-based fiber-optic sensing company called Silixa.

Wasena Bridge Groundbreaking Ceremony

Last week, we celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for one of the largest infrastructure projects in the City of Roanoke. The project is slated to begin in early April. Demolition to the bridge will start along the south end in Wasena and will take about six months to fully remove. The new bridge should be completed—along with nearby landscaping and tree plantings—by Spring 2026.

As a reminder, the Wasena business community is OPEN and continuing to offer excellent service to our citizens!

Business Spotlight

Antojitos Daleyza Opens in Northeast Roanoke

There's a sweet new shop on Plantation Road serving Mexican ice cream and desserts. See how the owners of Antojitos Daleyza honored the legacy of a loved one by starting a business in the City of Roanoke.