Over a week has passed since AstraZeneca announced the investment of $4.5 billion at a location that Albemarle County has been cultivating for economic development purposes.
In May 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of 462 acres around the Rivanna Station military base to preserve it from encroachment and ensure its continued presence in the community.
“It’s where 3,000 employees currently work,” said County Executive Jeffrey Richardson. “Twenty-seven hundred are Department of Defense intelligence staff that work in the federal government doing Department of Defense work to keep our country safe.”
Richardson said defense officials have been on board with discussions about how the county can best use that property for economic development. The idea had been for the land to be marketed to defense and intelligence companies, but that broadened over time to consider some sort of academic use. The flexibility led to Albemarle County competing with other communities for AstraZeneca.
“It’s a biopharmaceutical manufacturing campus, two specialized production facilities and processes,” Richardson said. “About 75 acres of the Rivanna Futures property will be provided to AstraZeneca. They will build in that footprint buildings that will house 600 direct new jobs. The minimum salary will be $125,000 per year.”
Richardson said AstraZeneca is committed to building a workforce program to connect people who live here now with some of those jobs.
“[Piedmont Virginia Community College] has already stepped forward and said we really want to be in the middle and help in an appropriate way with workforce training and upskilling,” Richardson said.
Richardson added the presence of AstraZeneca will help the county on its quest to diversify its tax base by increasing the share that comes from commercial sources. That was noted by Supervisor Diantha McKeel.
“I remember twelve years ago when I was campaigning for this seat, one of the things I was saying was how appalling it was that we only had about 18 to 20 percent of our revenues coming in from businesses,” McKeel said. “That was part of my campaigning and we are now at 13 percent. “And I was saying at that point we need to be 25 or 30 percent. So this helps us.”
Supervisor Mike Pruitt was not on the Board of Supervisors when the land purchase was approved. He said the quick turnaround to find a tenant will mean the county recoups its purchase price earlier and there will be new career ladder jobs. However, he said there will be other effects.
“That also puts us ahead of schedule on the challenges that are going to come with that that we’re going to have to address,” Pruitt said. “This is going to be greater complexity in this county. This is going to be greater demand for services in this county. This is going to be greater demand for housing in this county. That’s going to come as Rivanna Futures plows ahead and continues to grow.”
Supervisor Ann Mallek said she understands those who may have concerns about what effects AstraZeneca’s presence might have and acknowledges there will be challenges.
“It is absolutely worth it to me about the good jobs for our children and grandchildren that will be provided,” Mallek said. “And I’ve got two 18 and one 22 year old grandchildren and I would like them not to have to make the 10 years in New England first and come back when they’re 50 instead.”
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