Tri-Cities, Virginia
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Fry-Jefferson map
(1752)
The Tri-Cities of Virginia (also known as the Tri-City area or the Appomattox Basin) is an area in the
Greater Richmond Region which includes the three independent cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell and portions of the adjoining counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Prince George in south-central Virginia. Other unincorporated communities located in the Tri-Cities area include Ettrick, Fort Gregg-Adams, and City Point, the latter formerly a historic incorporated town
which was annexed to become part of the City of Hopewell.
Regional description
The Tri-Cities area is centered on the
Richmond-Petersburg region, and helps to insulate it from hardship due to economic fluctuation in particular sectors of the economy.The tri-city region has been undergoing a opioid epidemic for several years now as well.[1]
The region's central location also allows it to benefit from growth in other regions of Virginia and the state as a whole.
Transportation in the Tri-Cities
State Route 36
.
Major river crossings include the
James River
.
Norfolk Southern Corporation
.
Bus Transportation is provided by the
GRTC together provide express bus service between Richmond and Petersburg, with some express buses stopping at Brightpoint Community College in Chester
.
Media
Periodicals include:
- The Richmond Times-Dispatch, local daily paper for Richmond.
- The Progress-Index, local daily paper for the Tri-Cities and Sussex located in Petersburg.
- The Colonial Voice, a weekly for Colonial Heights.
- The Traveller, for U.S. Army post then named Fort Lee. Defunct as of January 2021.[2]
- The Chester Village News, for Chesterfield County.
- The Hopewell News & Patriot, (defunct) for Hopewell, Prince George County and Colonial Heights.
Radio and television stations are the same as those listed for Richmond, Virginia.
Culture
Like many cities in the United States, the city of
loft apartments and eclectic restaurants. In 2004, the Shockoe Bottom Arts group moved from downtown Richmond to downtown Petersburg due to lower real estate prices there. Several antique shops, a former train station, and a theater are the centerpiece of "old town" See Also: Petersburg
Similarly, Hopewell has commenced a revitalization projects with renovations of their harbor complex, "Town Triangle," and the historic Beacon Theatre.
Other cultural productions in the tri-cities occur at local colleges and at the playhouse on Fort Gregg-Adams.
Education
Educational facilities in the region are listed as follows:
- K-12
- Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts And Technology
- Chesterfield Public Schools
- Hopewell Public Schools
- Petersburg Public Schools
- Prince George Public Schools
- Dinwiddie Public Schools
- Colonial Heights Public Schools
- Colleges and Universities
- Richard Bland College (Petersburg)
- Virginia State University (Ettrick)
- Brightpoint Community College (Chester)
- Army Logistics Management College(Fort Gregg-Adams)
Infrastructure
The area is served by several
Southside Regional Medical Center
(Petersburg), and Poplar Springs Hospital (psychiatric facility) (Petersburg).
Southpark Mall
Interstate 95, the mall complex has expanded significantly to include many big box retailers. While the mall itself is located in Colonial Heights, Virginia
, other development has increased throughout the tri-cities.
Fort Gregg-Adams
Fort Gregg-Adams, formerly Fort Lee, is a
Army Women's Museum
. Military personnel make up a significant presence in the tri-cities area.
The fort is named after two African American officers Lt. Gen.
General Robert E. Lee.[3]
Federal prisons
The Tri-cities also is home to a
Federal Correctional Institutions known respectively as FCI Petersburg Medium and FCI Petersburg Low. Despite its name, the address of the Petersburg Federal Correctional Complex is actually in Prince George County. In addition, there is United States Probation Office near FCI – Petersburg, in Colonial Heights
, Virginia, and the two agencies enjoy a supportive relationship.
Industries
State Route 144 (Temple Avenue). The quarry is currently owned by Vulcan Materials Company and quarries natural sand as well as asphalt and concrete aggregates for gravel. Ruffin Mill Industrial Park or Appomattox Industrial Park is located off Ruffin Mill Road exit from I-95 and is 298 acres (1.21 km2). Hopewell also is known for a number of chemical manufacturing
plants.
Civil War history
Many sites in the tri-cities area have names reflecting the region's role in the
Petersburg National Battlefield Park and is commemorated in nearby Crater Road and the Fort Gregg-Adams entry "Mahone Gate" named after Confederate Brigadier General William Mahone, who was present at the Battle of the Crater during the Siege of Petersburg in 1864. Until 2023, Fort Gregg-Adams was named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee.[3]
References
- ^ "Opioid addiction in Virginia". vdh.virginia.gov.
- ^ Buffett, Patrick (25 January 2021). "Production of Fort Lee, Va., newspaper ending after this week's edition". United States Army.
- ^ National Public Radio.
