2025 State of the City

At the city’s annual State of the City luncheon on Dec. 3, Mayor Jimmy Gray touted Hampton’s economic growth and outlined some new developments in federal contracts and housing. The luncheon, held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center and sponsored by the Peninsula Chamber, was attended by several hundred residents and members of the Hampton business community. Mayor Gray spoke of how the eventual completion of the HRBT Expansion Project will position Hampton “at the epicenter for defense, energy, aerospace and logistics.” He pointed out the Hampton Logistics Center and the Phenix Commerce Center as examples of the city’s prime position as a regional hub. The mayor also announced that H.I.I.’s Newport News Shipbuilding division will invest $28 million to convert its existing facility in Hampton into a Light Manufacturing Advanced Technology facility, with almost 300 jobs related to the company’s production of aircraft carriers and submarines. He also announced that Advex would invest $6 million to expand its advanced manufacturing capacity in the Langley Research and Development Park. “These projects speak to the importance of shipbuilding and the defense industry to Hampton’s economy and the livelihood of our residents,” Mayor Gray said. Recognizing Hampton’s fifth All-America City honor, the mayor spoke about the city’s prospects in five areas — economic growth, resilience to sea level rise, quality of life, neighborhoods and housing, and engagement. He identified many new businesses that opened in Hampton this year, and talked about recent developments at NASA Langley Research Center, Fort Monroe and Joint Base Langley-Eustis. In addressing housing, he highlighted the city’s Infill Housing Planbook and the Model Block Initiative, and he noted that WVS — the developer of the mixed-use Constellation project on Settlers Landing Road — will move forward with its next phase, which will add more than 50 new luxury apartments downtown. The mayor described the new neighborhood resource center opening soon off of Rip Rap Road, and the new office space for the Office of Economic Empowerment and Family Resilience, both of which will open in 2026. "As always,” Mayor Gray told the crowd, “the two things that make me most excited about our future are our natural resources and our people. We have so much to work with, and we have citizens who love to live, work, play and raise families here. I have every confidence in our team here in Hampton, but we can’t do it without you. Thank you for what you have already done for Hampton in my first year as mayor, and thank you for continuing to bless our city with your talent, your passion and you dedication. Let’s continue to level up together.” Also at the luncheon, City Manager Mary Bunting and Hampton City Schools Superintendent Raymond Haynes talked about the successes of the city’s schools and the Academies of Hampton, noting an on-time graduation rate of almost 99 percent and the hundreds of students who have received their associate’s degrees before completing high school.