WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine along with U.S. Representatives Robert Hurt and Morgan Griffith applauded today’s announcement that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a permit to the Henry County Industrial Development Authority to proceed with development of the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre. Warner, Kaine, Hurt, and Griffith have long-supported efforts by Martinsville and Henry County to secure a permit for site preparation and make Commonwealth Crossing a reality. In August, they introduced the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act in both Houses of Congress to expedite approval of the site.

“I’m so pleased that we can finally move forward with the Commonwealth Crossing Business Center and help create jobs for Southside,” said Warner. “It shouldn’t have been this difficult but I’m proud Senator Kaine and Representatives Hurt and Griffith and I were able to work with state and local officials to get this done. This is a victory for Martinsville and Henry County.”

“This is welcome and long-overdue news for Southern Virginia,” said Kaine. “Martinsville and Henry County worked tirelessly and invested heavily to bring the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre to fruition, persevering through frustrating delays and regulatory hurdles.  From the beginning, Senator Warner and I worked together with Congressmen Hurt and Griffith to move this process forward, raising this topic at the highest leadership levels of the Army Corps of Engineers and applying appropriate legislative pressure in Congress.  I’m proud of this bipartisan effort and excited for the development and employment prospects it creates in Southern Virginia.”

“I was pleased to hear this excellent news for Henry County, and thank our local officials in Martinsville and Henry County who have worked diligently to bring jobs to Southside Virginia despite the bureaucratic red tape that continually stalled their progress,” said Hurt. “I look forward to Commonwealth Crossing’s development and the jobs it will bring to area residents. It is my hope that the Corps will now turn its attention to approving the permit for Pittsylvania County’s Berry Hill Mega Park, which is currently at a standstill because of the same unnecessary red tape that stalled Commonwealth Crossing.  To remedy these problems permanently, I will continue working with my Virginia colleagues to pass the Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act, which will ensure that future economic development projects do not face the same regulatory hurdles as Commonwealth Crossing and Berry Hill and instead can focus on creating jobs for Virginians.”

“Congratulations to Martinsville and Henry County on the approval of the Commonwealth Crossing permit,” Griffith said.  “I applaud local officials, the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation, and others in this community for their dedication to overcoming regulatory roadblocks, advancing this important project, and creating jobs in Southern Virginia.  It was very good working as a team with our United States Senators and Congressman Hurt on this project.  While this is very good news, our work continues on advancing a legislative solution to the underlying issue in an effort to see that projects like this one are no longer held up because of ‘speculative development’ issues.”