Henry County is ready to begin construction activities on Lot #2 of Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre.

On Tuesday, the Henry County Board of Supervisors awarded a $24 million contract to Haymes Brothers, Inc., to begin grading the lot in early summer of this year.

Grading refers to an engineering process that changes the slope and soil elevation around a construction site before building.

“This is a crucial step in our economic development efforts as it ensures we have a site ready for prospective industries who wish to locate in Henry County,” said Jim Adams, Chairman of the Henry County Board of Supervisors. “We are thankful to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s Site Readiness Program and the Harvest Foundation for their financial support for this project. This investment will pay dividends for our residents and taxpayers through job creation and a sizable capital investment.”

Henry County received $22,237,705 from the site readiness program in 2023 and the Harvest Foundation provided a $6 million matching grant later in the year.

The bid by Haymes Brothers, Inc., was the lowest of eight bidders on the project. It is estimated that the project could take up to two years to complete; however, the timeline could be expedited should a prospective industry wish to purchase the property.

Once grading of the lot is complete, it will be the only site in Virginia more than 150 acres with full utilities and rail access.