Rivanna Futures will anchor America’s next globally competitive innovation and technology hub that will advance Intelligence and National Security technologies while expanding into high-impact sectors like bio-manufacturing. As a key initiative within Central Virginia’s Innovation Corridor, this hub will leverage regional assets and strategic collaborations, which now includes AstraZeneca’s advanced manufacturing presence.

Opportunities to Partner:

Academic - create programs that build a talent pipeline; leverage research & development acumen to gain federal research grants in key sectors of technology, biomedical, and aerospace; while providing credentialing and continuing education to those on base.

Private sector - provide resources, knowledge exchange and transfer, and swing capacity for the mission while leveraging existing partners at Rivanna Station, North Fork Discovery Park, and across our region.

Local and State Government - leverage resources for business retention & expansion and site readiness and educational pathways and pipelines. Federal resources will support site development and ongoing research & development.

Non-profit - facilitate knowledge transfer between agencies and partners; provide entrepreneurial incubation support; host K-16 STEAM programming in the classroom, afterschool, and in the summer; veterans services.

Initial Site Conditions: Drone Capture of Development Area

View the Conceptual Plan

Rivanna Futures Project Information 2024

Rivanna Futures Timeline 

2001 

Summer: The National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC) relocates from downtown Charlottesville to new facility in northern Albemarle County. 

2010 

August: The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and National Ground-Intelligence Center (NGA) establish a mission at the NGIC facility, which is renamed Rivanna Station.  

2016 

February: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publishes a master planning report on Rivanna Station, identifying security needs and potential installation growth. 

2017 

September: The Governor of Virginia releases a report on the state’s defense industry, including expansion options for Rivanna Station, based on a study sponsored by the Secretary of Defense and Veterans’ Affairs. 

2019 

December: Expansion of NGIC’s secure facilities is approved by the federal government. 

2023 

February: The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce and the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service publishes a study on the defense industry’s regional economic impact. The study shows the defense sector accounting for $1.2 billion in annual regional economic impact.   

May: Albemarle County signs a contract for the purchase of 462 acres adjacent to Rivanna Station.  

December: The County closes on the site, which is renamed Rivanna Futures. 

2024 

June: 172 acres of the Rivanna Futures site is rezoned to Light Industrial zoning, with a special use permit for office use. 

October: Rivanna Futures site is added to VSCAN, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s site selection database. 

April: Go Virginia grant award received in the amount of $613,000 for design engineering.

July: Virginia Business Ready Site Program Grant award in the amount of $9,700,000 to complete site design and permitting and begin site development construction

October:

• AstraZeneca announces investment of $4.5 Billion to build a manufacturing center on an 87-acre portion of the property.

• Economic Development Access Program grant was awarded in the amount of $546,800 to advance the design of the Boulders Road extension.