The Town of Shenandoah in Page County is a small, rural community in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.  The town was undertaking significant revitalization efforts when it was hit by two devastating fires in March 2006 and May 2007. While the fires destroyed renovated buildings, its impact reached beyond monetary considerations and raised barriers to rebuilding.  As a first step to rebound from these disasters and move forward, the town and other partners sought assistance from OED in developing a guide for Shenandoah’s future economic development efforts.

The community planning and visioning effort, shaped by OED’s review of Shenandoah’s changing economic conditions and experiences of other rural communities, and community meetings, generated a roadmap to balanced growth and community revitalization for the Town of Shenandoah.

The key asset of the town is its proximity to the growing Harrisonburg metropolitan area and to nearby natural features and tourist destinations like Massanutten. The value of the town’s location is enhanced further by the presence of advanced telecommunications infrastructure.

The town should take actions to realize the long-term potential from regional growth while simultaneously addressing the aspirations and needs of current residents. In planning its future, the Town of Shenandoah represents a “best buy” for many of the people and firms looking to select a community in the booming Shenandoah Valley region now and in the years to come.