Botetourt Co. development boom several years in the making

BOTETOURT CO., Va. (WDBJ) - Botetourt County is booming.

In the 220 corridor north of exit 150 on Interstate 81, development projects worth millions of dollars are now under construction.

And more are on the way.

What was once a Howard Johnson Motel will soon be high -end apartments.

There’s a new Dairy Queen coming to Daleville Town Center, and a Hampton Inn under construction there.

And across the highway - a new carwash, Dunkin Donuts, space for additional businesses and more housing.

it hasn’t happened by accident.

The county has been working strategically for several years, focusing first on creating jobs, then building more housing and extending broadband.

Gary Larrowe is the Botetourt Co. Administrator.

“And without having heads in the beds, then commercial developers do not look at the communities,” Larrowe told WDBJ7. “And so now, they’re starting to look at the communities. And we have I think right now about nine active projects, where there is development taking place along that corridor.”

Larrowe said the entire county benefits from the development taking place near Daleville, and he said the supervisors and county staff are committed to preserving the rural nature of other parts of the county.

And for those who are enjoying the new businesses, Larrowe said there are more to come.

“We’ve got some really exciting projects on the horizon,” Larrowe said, “and it will be things in the community that people want, people have asked for, people have sought.”

After jobs, housing and broadband comes transportation, Larrowe said. And county leaders acknowledge there is work to be done at Exit 150 and in the 220 corridor.

They have to prove the need for upgrades before they can advance, he noted.

But the supervisors have voted to hire an engineering firm to help move that process along, and they’re asking residents for patience as they address those traffic problems.

Copyright 2023 WDBJ. All rights reserved.