Sen. Mark Warner caught a glimpse of the some of the hottest upcoming new digs in town during a tour of the Dan River Falls residential and commercial project in downtown Danville Friday afternoon.
Warner was joined by Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, Mayor Alonzo Jones and other local elected leaders from Danville and Pittsylvania County for a visit inside the facility that sits along the Dan River in the former Dan River Inc. White Mill building.
When talking about Danville to local officials in the community room of the development, he used the phrase “comeback city” and praised the project while speaking with reporters.
“It’s a sign of renewal,” he said of Dan River Falls and its refurbishment of the former mill structure.
Warner’s office pointed to the 190-unit endeavor as one of the largest private residential and commercial development and downtown revitalization projects in Danville’s history.
“Every time I come to Danville, there’s a little more energy, there’s a new project,” the veteran U.S. Senate Democrat told the Register & Bee. “I kind of feel like I can share my ideas, but what I also get is some really great ideas back from the community.”
Following the tour, Warner held a conversation on affordable housing with local officials from across Southside Virginia, including economic developers, community development partners, neighborhood groups and affordable housing stakeholders.
He gave an update from Washington and talked about his work at the federal level to increase access to homeownership, narrow the wealth gap and invest in affordable housing.
Warner’s visit was part of a two-day swing through Central and Southwest Virginia, including stops in Farmville, South Boston, Martinsville, Stuart and Dublin.
He credited Danville with birthing the term “comeback city” and praised the River City for emerging from challenging times caused by the demise of the tobacco and textile industries a few decades ago.
The community could’ve “thrown in the towel,” Warner said, but now a lot can be learned of workforce training from Danville and Pittsylvania County.
