Local leaders will be joined by Virginia’s lieutenant governor for a ribbon cutting for the new Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services building this afternoon.
According to a press release from the city of Lexington, the ribbon cutting will take place at 4 p.m. today, Oct. 14, at 25 CJ Morrison Drive in Buena Vista. The event is open to the public and attendees will receive a sneak preview of the newly built facility.
The 17,300-square-foot RADSS building is a joint project undertaken by the city of Buena Vista, Rockbridge County, and the city of Lexington and costs $10 million. Ground was broken on the project in May 2025.
RADSS administers state and local social welfare and benefit programs for residents of Rockbridge County and the cities of Buena Vista and Lexington. RADSS will relocate its offices from downtown Lexington to the new facility in Buena Vista in January, though a firm moving date has not scheduled at this time.
Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi will be in the Rockbridge area to attend the Governor’s Summit on Rural Prosperity at the Virginia Horse Center, and the press release noted that “she has graciously agreed to assist local leaders with this ribbon cutting ceremony.”
The two-day summit gets underway today, with Hashmi and House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott among the day’s speakers. Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the keynote address tomorrow.
The RADSS site, according to the press release, will also be the future home of a regional, 8,000-square-foot Virginia Department of Health facility, making the location “a convenient, one-stop shop for residents accessing health and social services.”
Rockbridge County worked closely with Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to obtain a $2.5 million congressionally directed spending allocation to pay for a significant portion of this future $6 million health facility.
