Saltwater Intrusion Spurs Regional Action to Protect Virginia Beach’s Water Supply

By HRCNN Staff Writer, Eric S. Cavallo

Saltwater intrusion, long regarded as a quiet threat beneath the Coastal Plain, has moved to the forefront of public concern in Hampton Roads. For decades, heavy withdrawals have lowered groundwater levels across the region, allowing salty water from the coast to slowly press inland. The result is a creeping risk of contamination in aquifers that once provided reliable fresh water. Today, officials and contractors alike are treating the issue as an urgent challenge with long-term consequences.

Although Virginia Beach households receive most of their drinking water from Lake Gaston through a regional pipeline, the health of the aquifers beneath the city still matters greatly. Those underground reserves remain essential for private wells, agriculture, and industry. State officials caution that even if tap water is secure today, the resilience of the region tomorrow depends on keeping saltwater at bay. Protecting the aquifer, they say, is central to ensuring Hampton Roads can sustain growth without sacrificing its water security.

The most ambitious response so far has come from the Hampton Roads Sanitation District. Its Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow, widely known as SWIFT, is designed to restore balance underground by taking highly treated wastewater, purifying it further to meet drinking water standards, and then returning it to the Potomac Aquifer. The process helps replenish pressure in the system, keeping saltwater from advancing and even slowing land subsidence that threatens roads, buildings, and utilities in low-lying communities.

Construction has been at the heart of the program. Firms including Garney Construction, MEB, Hazen & Sawyer, Tetra Tech, Carollo Engineers, and Crowder Construction have been responsible for everything from design to delivery. Their combined efforts represent one of the nation’s largest managed aquifer recharge programs. The scale is considerable: injection wells, advanced treatment trains, and continuous monitoring systems must all work in tandem to ensure that the project delivers safe water while stabilizing the aquifer.

At HRSD’s Nansemond Treatment Plant, Garney is leading the design-build team constructing a full-scale SWIFT facility. Hazen & Sawyer serves as overall program manager, guiding the multi-phase effort. Tetra Tech and Carollo Engineers are handling advanced treatment design, while MEB is engaged in critical construction roles. Crowder Construction, for its part, built the demonstration facility that proved the approach was viable. Each of these firms has contributed expertise that makes the program possible, and their work highlights the close partnership between public utilities and the private construction sector.

Meanwhile, state regulators continue to track conditions underground. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, working alongside the U.S. Geological Survey, monitors aquifer levels and saltwater movement to inform future permitting and planning. These data points shape the pace and scale of projects like SWIFT and provide policymakers with the evidence needed to justify major infrastructure investments.

For now, Virginia Beach residents can turn on their taps without worry. But the experts leading this effort agree that security depends on staying ahead of the threat. The SWIFT program, which is expanding across multiple facilities in Hampton Roads, is widely regarded as the region’s best defense against the slow but steady march of saltwater into fresh groundwater. It is a defense built not only on science, but also on the skill of the contractors and engineers who are turning plans into lasting infrastructure.

About HRCNN
The Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN), powered by Earthly Infrastructure®, delivers accurate, timely, and in-depth coverage of construction, infrastructure, zoning, and development across Virginia. Serving both industry professionals and the public, HRCNN provides trusted reporting on the projects and policies that shape the future of our communities.

Pembroke Mall Transforms into Pembroke Square: A New Chapter for Virginia Beach

By HRCNN – Hampton Roads Construction News Network Managing Editor

The redevelopment of Pembroke Mall into Pembroke Square marks one of the most ambitious urban renewal projects Virginia Beach has seen in decades. Long known as a central retail hub, the site is now being reshaped into a mixed-use destination that combines housing, office, hospitality, and community amenities—all designed to meet the needs of a growing and evolving city.

At the heart of this transformation is Core 22 Design Build, the Virginia Beach–based firm entrusted with bringing the vision to life. Founded with a commitment to delivering high-quality, locally grounded projects, Core 22 has steadily built a reputation for combining innovative design with deep knowledge of regional development patterns. The firm’s role at Pembroke Square underscores its growing importance in shaping the urban fabric of Hampton Roads.

The project will introduce a blend of uses that go well beyond retail. Plans call for new residential units, modern office space, dining, and a hotel component—creating a 24/7 environment that supports both economic vitality and community engagement. For Virginia Beach, Pembroke Square is intended not only to replace the aging mall but also to anchor the broader Town Center district as the city’s signature urban core.

City leaders have framed the project as a model for future redevelopment efforts. By transitioning from single-purpose retail toward a mixed-use framework, Pembroke Square reflects national trends in commercial real estate while responding to local demand for housing, walkability, and sustainable infrastructure. The shift also signals how municipalities are rethinking suburban commercial corridors to meet 21st-century needs.

Core 22’s involvement ensures that the project is not simply about construction, but about long-term community integration. With a track record in residential and commercial development, the firm brings expertise in both vertical building and local site considerations—from zoning compliance to stormwater management. Their approach positions Pembroke Square as more than a redevelopment; it’s an investment in a resilient, livable future for Virginia Beach.

The economic impact of Pembroke Square is expected to be significant. Beyond the immediate construction jobs, the project will generate ongoing employment through retail, office, and hospitality operations. It also promises to expand the city’s tax base, contributing to infrastructure and services that benefit residents across Virginia Beach.

As Pembroke Square takes shape, it embodies a larger story unfolding in Hampton Roads: the reinvention of aging spaces into mixed-use anchors that support both growth and sustainability. With Core 22 Design Build at the helm, this redevelopment represents not just a new chapter for Town Center but a blueprint for how cities across Virginia can navigate the challenges—and seize the opportunities—of modern urban development.

About HRCNN The Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN) provides independent coverage of infrastructure, housing, zoning, and environmental policy across Virginia. By highlighting the intersection of local development and national trends, HRCNN delivers fact-driven reporting for industry professionals, policymakers, and the communities they serve.

EPA Suspends 2025 WaterSense® Awards, Raising Questions for Industry

By HRCNN – Hampton Roads Construction News Network Staff Writer

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quietly suspended its annual WaterSense Awards for 2025, leaving water efficiency advocates and industry partners without one of the nation’s most visible platforms for recognizing leadership in conservation. The decision, confirmed in an email from Acting WaterSense Program Manager Veronica Blette, has sparked uncertainty about the future of the program’s recognition initiatives.

For more than a decade, the WaterSense Awards have been a cornerstone of EPA’s efforts to highlight best practices in water efficiency. Utilities, builders, manufacturers, and nonprofits competed annually for recognition, with winners often leveraging the award to strengthen partnerships, market products, or demonstrate compliance with sustainability standards. The pause in 2025 raises concerns that the momentum built around conservation recognition may be losing ground at a critical moment.

In her communication, Blette explained that the decision stemmed from “program resource constraints” and the need to reassess priorities. She emphasized that the WaterSense label itself remains unchanged, and that EPA continues to view water efficiency as a national priority. Still, the suspension of awards creates a vacuum in industry acknowledgment, at a time when communities face mounting challenges from drought, flooding, and climate-driven water stress.

The WaterSense program, established in 2006, has long served as a voluntary but highly influential label for plumbing fixtures, appliances, and homes that meet strict efficiency standards. Over the years, award recognition extended beyond products, showcasing the leadership of local governments and builders in advancing water-smart development. By putting the awards on hold, EPA is signaling that recognition may take a back seat to maintaining core labeling and verification functions.

Industry response has been cautious but concerned. Builders and manufacturers note that awards offered more than prestige—they provided a competitive edge in demonstrating commitment to conservation. For utilities and municipalities, WaterSense Awards were often used to highlight partnerships and validate public investments in efficiency programs. Without this recognition, stakeholders may struggle to maintain visibility for initiatives that save both water and money.

For Hampton Roads, where sea-level rise and stormwater management remain pressing concerns, the suspension lands at an awkward time. Regional utilities and builders have increasingly turned to WaterSense specifications as part of their strategy for resilience. The loss of a high-profile award program reduces opportunities to showcase local innovation in water stewardship, even as demand for such solutions continues to grow.

EPA has not announced whether the WaterSense Awards will return in 2026. For now, industry professionals are left to navigate without the recognition program that, for nearly two decades, helped set benchmarks for leadership. Whether the pause proves temporary or permanent, the change underscores a broader truth: as water challenges mount nationwide, the need for innovation and accountability in conservation is greater than ever.

About HRCNN
The Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN) provides independent coverage of infrastructure, housing, zoning, and environmental policy across Virginia. By highlighting the intersection of local development and national regulatory shifts, HRCNN delivers fact-driven reporting for industry professionals, policymakers, and the communities they serve.

Quarterra’s Arrival Could Reshape Virginia’s Housing Landscape

By HRCNN — Hampton Roads Construction News Network

In the Hampton Roads housing market, where inventory remains tight and prices continue to climb, the arrival of a national multifamily builder such as Quarterra carries consequences worth examining. While most headlines around housing tend to focus on interest rates or local rezonings, the deeper question is whether new players in the market can disrupt the longstanding supply-and-demand imbalance that keeps many entry-level buyers on the sidelines.

Quarterra, once part of Lennar and now a stand-alone multifamily powerhouse, has been steadily expanding its presence across Virginia. Its projects in Northern Virginia, such as the Lumen development at Tysons Corner, showcase a blend of scale, capital, and design that few local firms can match. And while Quarterra’s portfolio has traditionally been concentrated in larger metro areas, its national strategy and recent property management consolidation with Alfred’s RKW Residential signal an intent to broaden its footprint. For Hampton Roads, this could mean new development energy in cities like Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.

The significance is not only that new buildings would rise on local skylines, but that a company with Quarterra’s resources has the ability to deliver hundreds of units at once. In markets long dominated by a handful of builders, such capacity matters. Local firms often manage growth carefully, limiting inventory to maintain price strength. By contrast, a national multifamily developer is incentivized to build at scale, creating new supply that filters across price points. Even luxury apartments can relieve pressure on the overall market by drawing households upward and opening opportunities in more affordable segments.

This is particularly relevant in Hampton Roads, where buyers and renters alike face constrained options. For many young families, the price of new single-family homes has been pushed beyond reach, as builders hold pricing power in a market short on alternatives. The presence of a national builder with the ability to deliver volume may weaken that grip, easing scarcity and giving buyers relief from what has too often felt like a controlled market.

Still, the implications are complex. Local builders who have long set the terms of development may view Quarterra’s presence as unwelcome competition, especially if land values rise and project standards shift upward. Others may see opportunity in partnership, leveraging Quarterra’s capital and management infrastructure to pursue larger-scale developments together. Either way, the entry of a firm with national reach forces a recalibration of the region’s housing dynamics.

Quarterra’s recent financial moves underscore this potential. The company has engaged in multi-billion-dollar transactions, selling large portfolios to investors such as KKR and QuadReal, while reinvesting in select markets. With a management platform now overseeing more than 50,000 units nationwide, Quarterra has both the balance sheet and the operating infrastructure to scale quickly in regions where demand is strong. If Hampton Roads becomes a focus, local builders and policymakers will need to adapt to an environment where the pace of delivery is no longer set solely by local interests.

For buyers, that adaptation may be long overdue. Housing affordability in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and the broader region has become a persistent challenge. Introducing a new supply stream at scale could soften demand pressures, break through price locks, and open doors that have been closed for too many entry-level households. In the end, the presence of Quarterra in Virginia should be viewed less as a threat to established players and more as an opportunity for the market to reset — toward balance, toward competition, and, most importantly, toward relief for the families who simply need a place to call home.

About HRCNN The Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN) delivers independent, fact-based coverage of development, zoning, and infrastructure issues shaping Virginia. Our reporting provides residents, policymakers, and industry professionals with clear insight into how growth is managed across the region. By highlighting both local builders and national firms, HRCNN is committed to transparency, accountability, and advancing public understanding of the forces that are reshaping Hampton Roads.

Leading with Purpose: Kyle Larkin’s Vision for Granite Construction’s Next 100 Years

By Staff Writer, Hampton Roads Construction News Network

Granite Construction Incorporated, founded in 1922, has spent more than a century building America’s infrastructure—from highways and rail systems to dams and environmental restoration. Today, the company stands as one of the nation’s largest diversified heavy-civil contractors and vertically integrated materials producers, publicly traded and employing thousands across the country. Its projects reflect a legacy of craftsmanship, resilience, and innovation. As Granite moves into its second century, the leadership of President and Chief Executive Officer Kyle Larkin will define how that legacy evolves for the next hundred years.

Larkin joined Granite in 1996 as an estimator in the Reno, Nevada office after graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Construction Management. Over the years, he advanced through the company’s operational and executive ranks, serving as project engineer, chief estimator, manager of construction, regional manager, and president of subsidiary Intermountain Slurry Seal. In September 2020, he was named president, and in June 2021, chief executive officer. Along the way, he earned an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, pairing real-world construction experience with strategic business insight.

Under Larkin’s leadership, Granite has sharpened its competitive edge through vertical integration—owning both the construction and materials sides of the business—and embracing “best value” procurement models like progressive design-build. These approaches allow the company to control cost, ensure consistent quality, and deliver on complex, high-value projects that demand innovation and collaboration.

Growth through mergers and acquisitions has been another cornerstone of Larkin’s strategy. In 2024, Granite acquired Dickerson & Bowen, expanding its Southeast operations. In 2025, the company made two major acquisitions—Warren Paving and Papich Construction—for a combined $710 million. These strategic moves are expected to generate hundreds of millions in additional annual revenue, expand aggregate reserves, and strengthen Granite’s vertically integrated model.

The results have been tangible. In the second quarter of 2025, Granite achieved a record-high project backlog of $6.1 billion. The materials segment saw double-digit revenue growth, gross profit rose significantly, and annual revenue guidance for the year was increased. Larkin attributes these gains to disciplined operations, strong market positioning, and the early contributions from recent acquisitions.

Still, Larkin’s vision is about more than financial performance. He has consistently emphasized the importance of safety, workforce development, and building high-performance teams. In his view, sustaining Granite’s success into the next century depends on cultivating talent, fostering relationships, and empowering teams to perform at their best.

For Virginia’s builders and infrastructure leaders, Granite’s trajectory under Larkin offers an instructive example of how legacy, innovation, and people-first leadership can work together to meet the demands of a changing industry. As the Commonwealth undertakes major investments in transportation, flood protection, and renewable energy infrastructure, Larkin’s approach offers a model for growth that is both ambitious and sustainable.

About the Hampton Roads Construction News Network
The Hampton Roads Construction News Network (HRCNN) is dedicated to delivering accurate, timely, and in-depth coverage of construction, infrastructure, zoning, and development in Virginia and beyond. By spotlighting industry leaders like Kyle Larkin, HRCNN connects regional professionals with national perspectives, fostering informed dialogue and sharing strategies that strengthen the built environment for generations to come.