
WILLIAMSBURG — The City of Williamsburg hosted its One Williamsburg Holiday Reception Thursday Evening at the Stryker Center, unveiling its State of the City Address, the city’s 2025-2026 Goals, Initiatives, and Outcomes (GIOs) two-year strategic plan and its progress toward its vision for Williamsburg in 2040.
New residents and participants in the Future Festivals used to gather public input as part of the biennial GIO process received mailed invitations and were joined by community leaders at the reception which was open to the public.
Mayor Douglas G. Pons noted The State of the City Address was shaped with the input of residents who took part in the Future Festivals and two surveys.
The pre-taped address, a roughly 50-minute film, featured all members of the city council discussing the roadmap for the next two years and also featured remarks from Colonial Williamsburg President Cliff Fleet and William & Mary President Katherine Rowe. Central to the presentation was progress toward the goals outlined in the new GIO strategic plan
- One Williamsburg
- Courageously Leading
- Innovating a Modern City
- Prioritizing Safety and Wellness
- Engaging with Our Partners Connecting with the World

“The state of the city is strong, it is prepared, and it is hopeful. We emerged from the pandemic financially strong with a healthy reserve fund with little compromise to our vision for Williamsburg’s future. We have advanced major projects like the sports center, Capitol Landing Road Improvements. and the African American Heritage Trail,” Pons said. “The possibilities of a live performance venue and a downtown children’s park are closer to becoming reality. We are prepared for what 2026 will bring our community, and we are hopeful it will be a transformative year that bolsters our tourism offerings to the benefit of our community and long after the 250th commemoration events conclude.”

Pons celebrated progress toward a reinvigorated municipal campus that will include a new police station in the next year, and eventually, a new downtown library.
“I am standing right outside a truly great achievement of the past two years: a beautiful new fire station worthy of the community it serves and the firefighters who call it home. We celebrated Williamsburg Fire Station’s grand opening a little more than a year ago to great fanfare thanks to the tremendous support of our residents,” Pons said.
The address also noted progress in internet connectivity, strides the city is taking to address affordable housing and plans to build on improvements in public transportation. And, the city said in the next two years it will complete Williamsburg’s portion of Trail757, formerly known as the Birthplace of America Trail, stretching from Richmond to Fort Monroe.
The city also touted its work with James City and York counties, in particular regarding the regional sports center and a planned indoor/outdoor entertainment venue. It noted with an expected 18% increase in tourism for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, the city said collaboration with William & Mary and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation would be crucial.
In his portion of the presentation, Councilman Caleb Rogers discussed plans to revitalize the Blayton and Triangle buildings, once the center of the black community. He said in the next two years, the will issue a Request for Proposals for redevelopment of the buildings that will encourage minority respondents and provide for minority commercial tenants post-redevelopment.
Council member Barbara Ramsey addressed what was planned regarding the achievement gaps that led to the city’s consideration of splitting away from the Williamsburg-James City County School Division, including modernizing the joint operating contract for WJCC Schools.
“Having the courage to reimagine education to better serve our schoolchildren is one example of what makes the City of Williamsburg a special place,” Ramsey said.
Other topics covered included street improvements, exploring further diversification in special events, additional uses for existing properties such as Waller Mill Park, and infrastructure improvements, including additional public restrooms.
“As we approach 2040, the City of Williamsburg has set a vision for the community we all aspire to be: ‘One Williamsburg that is courageously leading, innovating a modern city, prioritizing safety and wellness, engaging with our partners while connecting with the world,'” Pons said.
Watch the Williamsburg State of the City 2024 address.