About the DWBA

About the DWBA

     History of decline

     For a decade or more, business owners and individuals have been concerned that the economic conditions as well as the quality of life in Denbigh - particularly along the Warwick Boulevard Business Corridor - have been in a steady decline. As a result, businesses have suffered financially; residents have lost pride in the community and Denbigh, the proud seat of Warwick County, Virginia is failing. Once evoking thoughts of a tranquil small community, Denbigh now calls to mind images of police tape, trash, shopping carts, and graffiti. This located in and on a poorly planned area consisting of an incoherent array of worn out or boarded up strip malls; surrounded by poorly built, low rent, government assisted multi-family buildings.

     While many different circumstances, initiatives and actions (or apathetic inaction) have contributed to this certain decline, the Denbigh we recognize today is really the Denbigh of some altered universe.

     One may ask the rhetorical question: Had there been great leadership in the city, what would Denbigh look like now? Where was the concern for Denbigh in the last 50 years?; in the last 30 years?; last year?

Nevertheless, the "who's and what's" that have contributed to this shift in reality and have the ultimate responsibility for the general state of decline, are not a matter of concern for the DWBA. From its inception, the goal of the Denbigh Warwick Business Association has been to cut through the clutter and get on with getting Denbigh back on track. To skip forward to a future day when, once again, Denbigh becomes a vibrant and attractive place for businesses to flourish and for residents to take pride and raise their children.

In 2004, a study was conducted of the Denbigh area by the city's Department of Planning culminating in the release of the Warwick Boulevard Corridor Study. Included in this study were recommendations for specific improvements in the area. There were many positive suggestions included and the report was extremely comprehensive and well done. Lamented in the report however was the fact that no association of business owners were present in the area to help direct the focus of improvements and to partner with local government to effect positive change. Council member Madeline McMillan, (North District - Newport News) was already on top of this problem and through her efforts was able to gather a group of business owners together who were interested in taking on the challenge.

As a result, the Denbigh Warwick Business Association was formed in May of 2004 and has a growing and active base of members. Over fifty local businesses with economic interests along the Warwick Boulevard Business Corridor (Denbigh) have now banded together and embarked on a mission to "Improve Historic Denbigh".

You can help Denbigh by lending your support to the Denbigh Warwick Business Association. Join Today!