FY2026 Community Project Funding Requests
Recipient: Capital Region Airport Commission
Street Address: 1 Richard E. Byrd Drive, Richmond International Airport, Virginia 23250
Request Title: Richmond Airport Passenger Terminal Apron Reconstruction
Request Description: The project will replace the deteriorating pavement used by airlines to approach the Passenger Terminal and to deplane and board passengers. The new pavement will have a 30-year life, ensure safety for the aircraft and passengers, and reduce the airport's high maintenance costs. A 2020 Virginia Department of Aviation Pavement Condition Survey determined that more than 52% of the pavement was in "Fair" to "Very Poor" to "Serious" condition. The pavement has deteriorated further in the five years since the Virginia Department of Aviation survey was done. Consequently, the Richmond International Airport needs to reconstruct portions of the Passenger Terminal Apron to ensure the safe and efficient movement of aircraft and passengers and reduce high maintenance costs.
Funding Request: $5,850,000
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: Charles City County
Street Address: 10900 Courthouse Road, Charles City, Virginia 23030
Request Title: Charles City County Sewer Collection System Modernization Project
Request Description: The project will upgrade wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations with state-of-the-art equipment and technologies to improve treatment efficiency and capacity. By upgrading wastewater treatment facilities and expanding the collection system, the project significantly reduces the risk of waterborne diseases and contaminants in local water bodies.
Funding Request: $4,000,000
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: Chesterfield County
Street Address: 9901 Lori Road, Chesterfield, Virginia 23832
Request Title: I-95 and Willis Road Interchange Improvements Phase 1
Request Description: The project will begin the initial stages of modernizing the existing diamond interchange into a hybrid, free-flowing Double Roundabout Interchange. The proposed interchange modifications will address excessive queueing and congestion along Willis Road and I-95, reduce the number of crashes caused by the existing interchange design, improve multimodal access, and improve freight access and reliability along I-95, a significant freight corridor. Specifically, the funding will allow the county to install a traffic light signal, shared path, road widening, stormwater drainage system, and repaving of a segment of the interchange.
Funding Request: $6,000,000
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: City of Colonial Heights
Street Address: 201 James Avenue, Virginia 23834
Request Title: City of Colonial Heights Waterline Replacement Project
Request Description: This project will allow for the replacement of aging infrastructure by addressing 2-inch galvanized steel waterlines throughout the City. The wastewater infrastructure is well past due for upgrades throughout the city. This project will address and renew the City's water distribution infrastructure, which directly affects thousands of residents. This work will also help prevent future water breaks that could potentially contaminate the water supply.
Funding Request: $1,611,780
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: City of Emporia
Address: 201 South Main Street, Emporia, VA 23847
Request Title: City of Emporia Norwood Water & Sewer Line Extension
Request Description: The City of Emporia, Virginia, is requesting $2,030,000 to complete the extension of the Norwood Water and Sewer Line, a critical component of its broader Water and Sewer Infrastructure Improvement Program. This initiative aims to enhance public health, environmental safety, and economic development in the region. The requested funding for the Norwood Water and Sewer Line extension is a strategic investment that promotes public health, supports economic growth, modernizes critical infrastructure, ensures environmental compliance, and leverages federal resources to benefit the community of Emporia, Virginia.
FundingRequest: $1,522,500
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: City of Hopewell
Street Address: 300 Main Street, Hopewell, Virginia 23860
Request Title: Hopewell Heretick Avenue Stormwater Project
Request Description: The Hopewell Heretick Avenue Stormwater Control Project is a rehabilitation of existing stormwater management infrastructure, including a stormwater collector pipe and outfall. The degradation of the existing metal pipe and conflicts with sanitary lines and laterals have created sinkholes that draw adjacent sediment into the pipes, which are discharged into the downstream channel. Further, the lack of adequate erosion controls at the pipe outfall has created a scour hole that draws sediment into the downstream channel.
Funding Request: $1,387,248
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: City of Petersburg
Street Address: 135 North Union Street, Petersburg, Virginia 23803
Request Title: City of Petersburg Poor Creek Rehabilitation
Request Description: This project will develop and implement an accelerated assessment and rehabilitation program for 8—to 15-inch diameter wastewater pipes and manholes in the Poor Creek area of the City of Petersburg. Through this program, over 90,000 linear feet of small-diameter sewer pipes and dozens of manholes will be assessed, with over 30% of the assets receiving rehabilitation and repairs.
Funding Request: $3,200,000
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: City of Richmond
Request Title: Stormwater Management within the Shockoe Valley & Shockoe Project
Street Address: 900 E Broad St, 14th Floor, Richmond, Virginia 23129
Request Description: This project will improve stormwater management in the largest watershed in the City of Richmond, the Shockoe Valley. Presently dominated by asphalt parking lots, the valley holds a FEMA-designated 100-year floodplain and floodway. It is also home to the Shockoe Project, a public-private collaboration engaged in the creation of a campus to recognize the impact of slavery on the City and the nation. The project will make needed storm drain and utility upgrades, improvements to curbs and gutters, and replace asphalt with permeable surfaces and landscaping. These improvements will reduce run-off, helping to implement stormwater goals that are established by the City's Masterplan, are necessary to the implementation of early stages of the Shockoe Project, and will encourage economic development adjacent to the Commonwealth's Capitol, one of Richmond's Amtrak stations, and the City's downtown.
Funding Request: $2,230,728.93
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: Henrico County
Street Address: 4301 Parham Road, Richmond, Virginia 23228
Request Title: Henrico County White Oak Water System Extension
Request Description: This project will extend County water within the White Oak Swamp watershed in Eastern Henrico to provide water to homes currently served by individual wells that are threatened by contamination of groundwater by PFAS. Phase 1 White Oak Water Extensions will provide approximately 4.5 miles in this initial project of the overall 35 miles needed to provide public water service to individual homes and remove potentially contaminated private water supply wells from service. This initial project will provide public water service to 143 properties in the county.
Funding Request: $4,800,000
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: Prince George County
Street Address: 6602 Courts Drive, Prince George, Virginia 23875
Request Title: Prince George County Beechwood Manor Asbestos Pipe Replacement
Request Description: This project is a component of an overall plan to decommission two existing groundwater wells that draw water from the Potomac Aquifer within the Eastern Virginia Groundwater Management Area. It also replaces aging waterlines that contribute to diminished water quality and marginal pressures currently experienced by the customers served by these waterlines.
Funding Request: $800,000
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: Surry County
Street Address: 45 School Street, Surry, Virginia 23883
Request Title: Surry County Wastewater Improvements Phase 2
Request Description: Surry County is requesting $3,379,541 to create a combined water system that would serve the schools, an industrial park, and areas between the two developments. This project will connect our schools to a public water source and expand the newly created combined system's overall capacity. It will also equip our school facilities to accommodate additional students and programs, and provide opportunities for rural housing and business developments near the County's schools and the Industrial Park.
Funding Request: $3,379,541
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: Town of Lawrenceville
Street Address: 400 North Main Street, Lawrenceville, Virginia 23868
Request Title: Town of Lawrenceville Wastewater Treatment Facility Expansion Project
Request Description: This project request would make major upgrades at the Lawrenceville Wastewater Treatment Facility that will eventually allow the Town of Lawrenceville to expand the facility from 1.2 million gallons per day (MGD) to 2.2 MGD of the Lawrenceville wastewater treatment capacity. Specifically, in Phase 1 of the project, Lawrenceville is requesting funds to replace existing critical equipment and components, which were installed in 1997. These critical components are becoming difficult to replace due to market availability. The revised budget will reflect all of the mechanical and electrical controls and components to be upgraded to today's standards.
Funding Request: $5,497,800
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: Virginia Commonwealth University
Address: 601 West Main Street, Suite 331, Richmond, Virginia 23284
Request Title: Virginia Commonwealth University Robotics and Autonomous Systems Research
Request Description: This $1,000,000 in funding would be used to provide resources for a new Robotics and Autonomous Systems Engineering research program that benefits state and national needs in U.S. manufacturing, transportation, defense, agriculture, and other critical areas. This project is a good use of taxpayer funds because it will allow Virginia Commonwealth University to conduct cutting-edge research in robotics and autonomous systems, addressing critical applications in aerial drones, autonomous vehicles, collaborative and rehabilitation robots, and AI systems that control these robots. This research will impact key industries such as manufacturing, transportation, defense, agriculture, advanced medical devices, and automation technologies.
Funding Request: $1,000,000
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: Virginia Passenger Rail Association
Street Address: 919 E Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219
Request Title: Virginia Passenger Rail Ettrick Station SOGR and ADA Improvements
Request Description: VPRA is requesting funding to support planned Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements at Ettrick Train Station in Ettrick, VA. Amtrak’s Petersburg (Ettrick) Station serves as the intercity passenger rail transportation hub for the Tri-Cities region, which includes Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie County, and Prince George County, all south of Richmond.
Funding Request: $2,000,000
[Link to Financial Disclosure/Federal Nexus Letter]
Recipient: Virginia State University
Address: 1 Hayden Drive, Petersburg, Virginia 23806
Request Title: Virginia State University Center for Generative AI and Industrial Cybersecurity
Request Description: Virginia State University is requesting $2,500,000 to establish a Center for Generative AI and Industrial Cybersecurity at Virginia State University (VSU), focusing on addressing the multifaceted challenges and ethical concerns posed by generative AI, such as misinformation, copyright issues, bias, and the impact on jobs. Aligned with VSU's mission to provide transformative education and produce leaders for a diverse workforce, the Center aims to enhance the university's research capabilities. The proposed Center will offer open access to tailored AI models and host a high-performance GPU Farm and heterogeneous computing resources for training open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) beneficial to HBCU students and faculty. This initiative seeks to leverage the potential of generative AI and cybersecurity research to secure industrial processes, utilizing high-fidelity AI computing platforms for anomaly detection and cyberattack mitigation. The proposed Center is set to deploy state-of-the-art computational frameworks that include Edge AI for decentralized processing close to data sources, and GPU clusters for centralized, high-performance computing. This dual-structured approach will provide a robust infrastructure that supports a broad array of research, education, and practical applications in the dynamic fields of AI and cybersecurity. In an age dominated by generative AI and the rising prominence of heterogeneous computing systems, cybersecurity specialists are confronted with a new array of security challenges.
Funding Request: $2,500,000