Gov. Ralph Northam cuts ribbons on more than a dozen Cape Charles businesses in whirlwind tour

The Daily Times

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam cut ribbons for more than a dozen new Cape Charles businesses in a whirlwind tour Friday, highlighted by a parade of more than 30 golf carts driven by residents of the waterfront town on the Chesapeake Bay.

"Smitty, you and the town of Cape Charles have a lot to be proud of," Northam said to Mayor Smitty Dize in a brief speech given in front of an enthusiastic audience gathered at the last stop on the ribbon-cutting parade, the recently opened Cape Charles Brewing Company.

"This is truly God's country and it is so great to see Cape Charles and the Eastern Shore thriving," said Northam, adding, "The opening of 14 more businesses in Cape Charles is just so commendable. This is a tremendous, tremendous team effort. It drives our economy in Virginia; it drives tourism in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

He noted $80 million was spent in Northampton County related to tourism in 2016.

"A celebration like today, where we celebrate 14 new businesses in the last year — isn't that awesome?" said Dize.

"We welcome each of those businesses and offer them a helping hand, a listening ear, a voice of advice," Dize said.

The ribbon-cutting marathon at recently opened businesses included Cape Charles Cabs, Carts and Carriages; the Northampton Hotel; Buskey Cider on the Bay; Mason Ave. Furniture Exchange; Table and Tonic; Cape Charles Distillery; Cape Charles Candy Company; Voiajer; Zest; Tim's Place and Peach Street Convenience Store; Peach Beach Shave Ice Shack' Hope's Harbor Hair; and Cape Charles Brewing Company.

The addition of the brewery, located on Stone Road, extends Cape Charles' business district "far sooner on Stone Road than it ever has in recent history," Dize said.

"When you drive in, this is the first thing you see — this is awesome," he said, gesturing behind him to the new, wood-sided building.

"All of this did not happen overnight," he said, noting that over the past 20 years, many people invested in the vision of a revitalized Cape Charles.

The town in its early years prospered with the nearby presence of the ferries across the Chesapeake Bay, but in later years it experienced a downturn after the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and the cessation of the ferries.

Things started to turn around in the latter part of the 20th century.

"In the late 1990s, many took a huge risk, investing time, energy and resources in our town," Dize said.

As with many places, the economic recession starting in 2008 hit the town's economy, but in 2012, "we took it to the next level," he said, noting the opening of "cornerstone" businesses including Brown Dog Ice Cream, Moonrise Jewelry, and Eastern Shore Custom Carts and more.

The recent surge of new businesses is the result in part of the efforts of Cape Charles Main Street.

The town launched its Main Street Program about two years ago and has since welcomed numerous new businesses to its historic downtown district.

Earlier this summer, it was announced Cape Charles will be the first town to receive a Virginia Downtown designation in a pilot program launching through Virginia Main Street, a program of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

Commonwealth Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball visited the town June 27 to announce Northam’s selection of Cape Charles as the site for the new program.

BACKGROUND Cape Charles to pilot new Virginia Main Street program

Friday was a day to celebrate the opening of the new businesses and also to look to the future, according to the mayor.

"So take a moment to reflect, celebrate and dream of all the sweet things our town will be," Dize said.

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