Economic development takes a team. Achieving success requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders, whether to implement a specific project or shape a long-term strategy for growth. Gentry Locke and Gentry Locke Consulting provides a complete suite of services to advance projects throughout Virginia, including Roanoke and the Shenandoah Valley, Richmond, Lynchburg, and throughout Hampton Roads.
Gentry Locke Is Positioned to Help
Gentry Locke’s unique history and geographic diversity across Virginia allow it to bring together a dedicated team of economic development and government relations lawyers to contribute to economic development. Our multidisciplinary economic development team includes incentives negotiation, real estate, construction, utilities, environmental, commercial, and corporate cross-border transactions, employment, and tax practitioners. Each of these practice areas, along with our relationships with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), Virginia state agencies such as the Department of Commerce and Trade, and localities makes Gentry Locke uniquely qualified to represent foreign and domestic industrial and commercial businesses.
Our Team’s Work in Economic Development
Gentry Locke attorneys play a crucial role in economic development by providing essential legal guidance to ensure projects are structured effectively and comply with all applicable regulations. Their expertise helps developers, businesses, and local governments navigate complex legal landscapes, secure funding, and mitigate risks. Here are some of the key ways our attorneys can assist with economic development projects:
- Structuring Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Attorneys help design and establish PPPs, ensuring that both public and private sector interests are balanced and legally protected.
- Negotiating Development Agreements: They negotiate terms and conditions of development agreements, representing their client’s interests and ensuring the agreements are fair and beneficial.
- Securing Financing: Attorneys assist in identifying and obtaining various financing options, such as grants, loans, bonds, and tax incentives, to fund economic development projects.
- Regulatory Compliance: They ensure that projects comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including zoning laws, environmental regulations, and land use policies.
- Land Acquisition and Real Estate Transactions: Attorneys handle the legal aspects of acquiring land and real estate, including title searches, due diligence, and closing transactions.
- Tax Incentives and Credits: They help clients navigate and secure tax incentives, credits, and abatements available for economic development projects.
- Community Engagement and Stakeholder Negotiation: Attorneys facilitate discussions and negotiations with community groups, local governments, and other stakeholders to garner support and address concerns.
- Drafting and Reviewing Legal Documents: They prepare and review all necessary legal documents, including contracts, leases, memoranda of understanding, and joint venture agreements.
- Risk Management: Attorneys identify potential legal risks and develop strategies to mitigate them, protecting their clients from potential liabilities.
- Litigation and Dispute Resolution: In the event of disputes, attorneys represent their clients in negotiations, mediation, arbitration, or litigation to resolve issues effectively.
By providing these services, our attorneys ensure that economic development projects are legally sound, financially viable, and successfully executed to benefit the businesses and communities involved in Roanoke, Richmond, Lynchburg, Hampton Roads, and all of Virginia.
Gentry Locke’s Full-Service Legal Support in Economic Development
Our full-service team provides clients with the following services:
Land Use Development
- Advising on land acquisitions, financing, renovation, and leasing
- Obtaining zoning, rezoning, site plan, special land use, and sign approvals
- Ensuring compliance with environmental, wetlands, and water rights regulations
- Negotiating access, utility, conservation, and reciprocal easements
- Preparing site development, farmland development, and operating agreements
- Providing guidance on green building, wind rights, oil and gas, and mineral rights
Economic Development
- Implementing economic development strategies
- Drafting state and federal incentive legislation
- Facilitating alliances between businesses and local governments
- Procuring local, state, and federal incentive packages
- Advising on participation in grant programs
- Securing tax credit and tax-exempt bond financing
- Serving as bond counsel
- Structuring public-private partnerships
- Negotiating construction contracts
Construction
- Procurement issues
- Contract negotiations
- Contract drafting
- Employment issues
- OSHA compliance
Gentry Locke’s Representative Matters
- Represented German company in establishing US entity and operations.
- Represented an international foreign owned glass fabricator that serves the defense, security and transportation markets with the selection, negotiation, and construction of its U.S. headquarters in southside Virginia. Our work included negotiation and advice regarding grant and performance agreements with Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), including the Commonwealth’s Development Opportunity Fund (COF), and a Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund (TROF) loan and grant from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission (VTRRC), real estate agreements, and construction contracts.
- Represented an industrial and commercial climate control equipment manufacturer in the relocation of its manufacturing facility, including negotiation of COF grant and Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grant (VEDIG) with Botetourt County, Virginia and VEDP. Our work also included the negotiation of a long-term lease agreement and expansion to construct an additional 200,000 square foot manufacturing facility.
- Represented a manufacturing company with the relocation of its headquarters in Virginia, including purchase agreement, financing, COF and TROF economic incentive grants with VEDP and Franklin County.
- Represented lenders and developers in the preparation, negotiation, and execution of performance agreements for the redevelopment of historic structures.
- Represented a data center developer in the entitlement and infrastructure planning of a 1 GW data center campus in southside Virginia.
- Represented a lender in the financing of a large multi-family apartment project that included performance and site development grant agreements.
- Represented a foreign owned subsidiary in the establishment of its U.S. sales and distribution entity.
- Represented a Virginia town in the negotiation of an economic development incentive and performance agreement with VEDP and lease for a warehousing location to support a public health care company.
- Represented a Virginia city in the redevelopment of a historic hospitality and retail center.
- Represented a Virginia town in the creation and development of a historic music venue, including a performance agreement.
- Attorneys have served or are serving on the Roanoke Regional Partnership board and the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority, among others.
