City considers QVC land sale

Published 9:01 pm Monday, February 9, 2009

Suffolk’s QVC branch is looking for room to expand, and it is preparing to finalize a deal with the city for 18 acres that would give it the space it needs to do just that.

The purchase of city-owned land by QVC is among the items on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting of the Economic Development Authority.

The Suffolk branch of the national home shopping channel is looking to purchase city-owned land in the Wilroy Industrial Park, said Cindy Cave, the economic development director. Selling the land will help add to Suffolk’s tax base, she said.

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The property in question is located adjacent to the company’s current million-square-foot facility. The company employs about 500 full-time and 300 seasonal employees, with an average payroll of $28 million a year.

Cave said she does not anticipate immediate development on the land, but rather said the land is for QVC’s future expansion.

In November, QVC announced it would phase out most functions of its West Chester, Pa., distribution center over the next year, shifting the functions to other locations in the United States. The majority of its home product lines, which include products for bath, bedding, parties, windows, outdoor living and more, will be shifted to the Rocky Mount, N.C., and Suffolk distribution centers.

Also on the agenda for the meeting are an audit report and a Corps of Engineers report for the Hampton Roads Technology Park.

The meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Feb. 11 in the economic development conference room, 127 E. Washington St.