Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi joined a host of Rockbridge area leaders in celebrating the new Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services building during a ribbon-cutting last Wednesday afternoon.
The building near the Food Lion in Buena Vista will serve as the home for RADSS starting in January when the staff moves from the existing building on Preston Street in downtown Lexington.
The 17,300-square-foot, $12.6 million RADSS building at 25 CJ Morrison Drive was a joint undertaking by the city of Buena Vista, Rockbridge County, and the city of Lexington to replace the aging Preston Street location.
The site next door is also slated to be the future home of a regional Virginia Department of Health facility.
The RADSS project broke ground in early May 2025. The pristine new space has big windows, three intake rooms for private meetings with clients, a large conference room, a rental assistance office, staff offices and a colorful waiting room. Some of the finishing touches are still being completed, like inside window panes and doors. But the space feels fresh and is bathed in natural light, a big improvement from what staff members called cramped quarters at the Lexington office.
During a short speech on Wednesday afternoon, Hashmi praised local elected officials for working together to make the project come to fruition.
“It’s not easy to get elected officials to cooperate across different localities,” Hashmi said. “So, the fact that you have done this, Rockbridge, Buena Vista, Lexington have been able to come together for this wonderful opportunity, is just tremendous.”
RADSS administers state and local social welfare and benefit programs for residents of Rockbridge County and the cities of Buena Vista and Lexington.
Hashmi said that the new building is an important step toward making health and social services more accessible across Rockbridge County.
“This event represents more than just opening a building,” Hashmi said. “It really represents the value of intergovernmental cooperation, and it represents what we can all accomplish when we are working together to meet the needs of our different communities.”
Hashmi also praised the RADSS staff for their important work.
“Every day, you are working to support some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. You’re helping our families navigate challenges and helping them to access the critical resources that they need,” she said. “Your service is truly life-saving.”
After various community members spoke, the gathering moved outside, where Hashmi stood next to interim Lexington Mayor David Sigler. Holding a pair of oversized scissors, Hashmi cut the purple ribbon strung up across the building’s entrance under a beautiful blue fall sky.
Sigler said that in a few years, he hopes he’ll be attending another ribbon- cutting, this time for the Department of Health building. 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 portion of the future $6 million health facility.
“It would be efficient. It would be easy for our citizens, and it really would demonstrate what we’re all about to make things easier on our citizens by working together,” Sigler said.
Hashmi was in the area for the Governor’s Summit on Rural Prosperity at the Virginia Horse Center. After the ribbon-cutting, she visited with protestors outside the now-shuttered Augusta Health Clinic in Buena Vista.
“The closure of the clinics is a huge concern to all of us, and making sure that we’re able to provide critical services and ensuring that our health care providers are able to live in the communities that they serve is so important,” Hashmi told The News-Gazette.
