Areva delays new building in Lynchburg

The Areva nuclear company said today it will delay construction of a new building on Old Forest Road in Lynchburg.

The current economic climate is creating uncertainty in all major markets, including energy, said spokeswoman Denise Woernle.

To allow time for the economy’s impact to become clearer, the company will hold up on starting construction at its site on Old Forest Road. Work currently under way, including building design and a new parking lot, will be completed this year.

Woernle said Areva will continue to hire new workers for its design work on a new evolutionary power reactor, which will make office space “a challenge.“

It will reconfigure existing office space in the current Old Forest Road building to make room for additional employees, and lease space on Nationwide Drive to accommodate about 100 people.

Since January 2008, Areva has hired about 350 people in the U.S. with more than half of those in Lynchburg.  It anticipates hiring 200 more in 2009.