The area outline in yellow was purchased by the Middlesex County Economic Development Authority. The red line shows Norview Marina, which will be operated by a Deltaville corporation.
EDA Acquires 21 Acres on Broad Creek; GO Virginia Planning Grant Application Filed for Marine Training Facility
In October 2025, the Middlesex County Economic Development Authority, with backing from the Middlesex County Board of Supervisors, purchased approximately 21 acres with access to Broad Creek in Deltaville for $1 million. The acquisition is the foundation for Project Access, a two-phase initiative to establish the first public boat ramp in the Deltaville area and develop a marine business and workforce training facility on the site.
The Land and the Loan
The property adjoins Norview Marina on Broad Creek and includes two waterfront access points and significant road frontage on General Puller Highway. The county provided the EDA with a $1 million loan at 1% interest over 25 years, with no payments required for the first two years. That period will allow the EDA to pursue grants and plan infrastructure improvements before debt service begins.
The EDA did not purchase the marina portion of the property. Norview Marina will be owned and operated separately by a Deltaville corporation.
Phase 1: Public Boat Ramp
The EDA’s first development priority is a public boat ramp. Deltaville currently has no public water access point. A properly designed facility — with adequate ramps, docks, and parking — requires 7 to 10 acres and will be planned to serve both recreational and commercial boaters over the long term.
“The Middlesex EDA will continue to work cooperatively with the board of supervisors and in conformance with stated objectives in the Middlesex County Comprehensive Plan, Tourism Action Plan and the EDA’s Strategic Plan to expand public access options to the Rappahannock River and the Bay from Deltaville; and develop both training and job opportunities for the marine industry,” said EDA Chairman John Anzivino. “Successful completion of both tasks will be challenging, but they represent an important investment in Middlesex County’s future.”
Phase 2: Marine Industrial Park and Training Facility
The remaining acreage is designated for a marine business and training facility. The model is patterned after successful North Carolina developments that combine marine industry space with workforce training. In Virginia, existing marine training programs focus largely on commercial and industrial sectors. Deltaville’s marine economy is built around recreational boating service, storage, and repair — a specialized sector with limited formal training infrastructure in the region. The proposed facility would address that gap through partnerships with Rappahannock Community College and local vocational programs.
Supporting Infrastructure
The Broad Creek channel was dredged to a controlling depth of 10 feet in May 2025, funded by a $2.3 million grant from the Virginia Port Authority. Improved navigability strengthens the case for both the public access facility and the marine industrial campus by ensuring year-round access for larger vessels.
GO Virginia Planning Grant
The EDA has applied for a GO Virginia planning grant in partnership with the Mathews County EDA. GO Virginia requires a minimum of two localities per application; both EDAs will provide in-kind services as the local match. The $100,000 planning grant would fund a feasibility study to validate industry demand and determine whether a future GO Virginia implementation grant is warranted. Grant awards are expected this summer.
“Planning work determines whether a future GO Virginia investment is feasible,” Anzivino noted in a memo to the EDA board.
USDOT BUILD Grant Award
In July 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Middlesex County $1,595,720 through the federal BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) grant program. Announced by U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, the award will fund 100% construction-ready designs for the public boat ramp and water access facility, as well as planning-level and schematic designs for the Marine Industrial Park and Workforce Training Facility. The grant was developed in partnership with the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission. Engineering and project management work is scheduled to begin November 2026 and run through April 2028.
What’s Next
The EDA is actively pursuing funding opportunities through additional grants to advance both phases of Project Access. Updates will be posted here as planning milestones and awards are confirmed.
Related coverage:
Middlesex County purchases 21 acres on Broad Creek — Southside Sentinel, October 23, 2025
Marine industrial park eyed for Deltaville — Southside Sentinel, April 9, 2026