CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Even a year into the pandemic, there were still firsts when it came to how Hampton Roads residents lived their ordinary lives.
Chesapeake Mayor Rick West remembered back to March 2020, when the city had finished its latest "State of the City" address, not knowing at the time it would be the city's last large gathering before the coronavirus outbreak forced mass shutdowns.
“We thought this would’ve been a 1-2 month venture. Never thought we’d still be talking about it," West told 13News Now on Thursday.
In his annual State of the City, West addressed the city of nearly a quarter million people by speaking before a virtually empty room at the Chesapeake Conference Center.
Despite a dark year for many, West focused on the positives and what he was looking forward to for the city.
“You might think a look back at the past of this year is all negative, but let me assure you, it’s not," West said during the address.
The city saw economic growth during a time of uncertainty. According to city officials, $271 million was made in Capital Investment and 2,680 new jobs were created in 2020.
“I was surprised - I just got those figures in this morning before I came into the state of the city. That was probably the biggest thing on my mind," West said.
More than 75% of residents 65 and older had been fully vaccinated by Thursday's address, according to West.
More State of the City addresses are scheduled through the Hampton Roads Chamber in the upcoming weeks for other Eastern Virginia cities.