Destination 2022

In November 2016, the Town of Christiansburg held a Council Retreat, in which Town staff met with council members over a two-day period to discuss future goals and initiatives. The result? Destination 2022 - an updated and revised version of Council's Vision 2020.

Out of the retreat, Council adopted seven goals and determined the essential elements, the high priorities, the moderate priorities and the items to continue tracking for each goal.

Take a look at the full Destination 2022 report (PDF). Starting on page six, the goals are listed in order of priority, as determined by Council. On page seven, you'll see the first goal - An Active Destination for Culture, Recreation & Entertainment - and the items Council determined to be essential to that goal, in order of importance, as well as the items that are high or moderate priorities. Town staff have created project teams for each of these items and are ready to get to work!

In 2022, Christiansburg will be known as:

An Active Destination for Culture, Recreation & Entertainment

Christiansburg is a recognized pacesetter for recreation, entertainment and leisure activities in western Virginia. Our state-of-the-art aquatic center is used extensively by residents, as well as collegiate, high school and age group organizations. Our facility draws Olympic-class competitions and hosts Atlantic Coast Conference tournaments, bringing national acclaim to the Town of Christiansburg.

Our athletic fields are constantly enjoyed for multiple recreational and community purposes by residents and visitors alike. Christiansburg is proud to be the youth baseball and softball capital of the region and a sought-after destination for rectangular field sports, thanks to the town's new regional park. Sporting opportunities are complemented by attractive neighborhood parks, open spaces and an active multi-purpose recreation and senior center.

Numerous entertainment and cultural opportunities are available in Christiansburg through our events, popular downtown activities and arts district. In 2022, our Farmers' Market is a popular weekly destination, and the extended Huckleberry Trail allows residents to walk or bike there. The Town has developed a small area plan for the Midtown area to support the proposed passenger rail station, creating synergies in the areas of transportation, tourism, conference center capacity and aquatic center resources. Be sure to check out our other plans for ensuring Christiansburg is an active destination for culture, recreation and entertainment on pages seven-eight of the report.

The Destination for Retail, Commerce & Service

Christiansburg is the retail hub of Southwest Virginia. The Town's business-friendly approach to commerce and tourism has allowed us to attract professional services, national retailers, restaurants and hotels, while maintaining our antiques corridor and the support of our many locally-owned businesses. Visitors to our local universities and community college, along with interstate travelers, find ample opportunities to shop, dine, relax and enjoy our numerous overnight accommodations. In 2022, the Town is funding programs and policies that are supportive of new and/or leveraged private investment in businesses and buildings in the Downtown and Cambria areas. Extended infrastructure along entryway corridors and prime development areas has supported growth and economic development. Find out more about our plans to make Christiansburg a destination for retail, commerce and service on pages nine-10 in the report.

Clean and Green, Healthy and Safe

In 2022, Christiansburg is recognized for its commitment to environmental consciousness and green practices. Residents, businesses and our Town government are cooperatively dedicated to reducing our community's carbon footprint. At the same time, Christiansburg is a model for interconnected trails, a beautification program that enhances interchanges and major entry points of town and a partnership with the private sector to continue rehabilitating deteriorated structures in our historic districts. For more on how we plan to make Christiansburg clean and green, as well as healthy and safe, turn to pages 11-12 of the report.

A Town of Well Informed and Actively Engaged Citizens

In the year 2022, Christiansburg is a town of well-informed, engaged citizens and government leaders. The Town's award-winning website always has fresh content that is easily found and digestible. The Town's Police, Fire and Rescue Departments have an active presence on social media, and Town staff never let any call go unanswered. Residents can be assured that all complaints are handled in a professional and timely manner. Check out what else we'll be doing to ensure we have a town of well informed and actively engaged citizens on page 13 of the report.

Partnering with Businesses and Residents

As a result of modern ordinances and policies, Christiansburg enjoys a vibrant mix of residential, commercial and recreational land uses in 2022. The Town has assembled the land necessary for the development of the proposed passenger rail hub, has grown considerably along entryway corridors and has increased programming in Downtown and Cambria. The Town is enriched by a spectrum of quality housing choices with a healthy balance of residents from varying cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Plentiful opportunities exist to conduct business or secure employment close to home within the Town due to ample, strategically dispersed commercial, office and industrial districts. Read more about how we plan to partner with businesses and residents on pages 14-15.

A Sound Financial Entity

Christiansburg is a sound financial entity with AAA bond rating resulting from creative, responsible business practices. The Town is recognized for effective planning, budgeting and financing, including the use of governmental grants, low interest loans and public/private partnerships. Through the use of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software product, the Town has fully integrated operational and communications functionality for finance, collections, budgeting, human resources, community development, purchasing, materials handling, project tracking and work orders. We've got more plans to ensure we're a sound financial entity on pages 16-17 of the report.

Everyone's Hometown

Christiansburg's gateways communicate a sense of welcome to a beautiful and serene community that anyone would be proud to call home. Christiansburg retains its unique hometown charm while being highly regarded as a progressive community. Our revitalized downtown welcomes you with brick-lined sidewalks, attractive lighting and flowers springing forth from planters and hanging baskets.

Residents of this historic town enjoy shopping in an area that attractively blends modern architecture with period storefronts. Nestled amidst towering church spires and mountain vistas, we offer a vast array of housing choices; whether you desire maintenance-free living in apartments or townhomes, the tranquility of homes wrapped around the natural splendor of forested areas, or the well-maintained convenience afforded by our multitude of subdivisions - each offering a variety of historic and contemporary styles to choose from. No matter where you live, the values of small town living are preserved by friendly residents living in harmony with their natural surroundings with the beauty of Appalachian foothills framed in the background. There's more to know about how we'll continue being everyone's hometown on page 18 of the report.