HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — When Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck leaves his office for the last time in less than a month, he will leave proud of what he helped accomplish and confident in the future.

“I have spent a great deal of time over the past eight-and-a-half years listening to residents and businesses,” Tuck said in his address at the Hampton Roads Convention Center Tuesday afternoon. “That enabled me to see the city through a variety of perspectives. We are diverse and we are fiercely passionate. It’s not easy to leave, but it’s time.”

Tuck, who turned 70 in August, opted not to run for a third term as Hampton’s mayor. Last month, Vice Mayor Jimmy Gray was elected to succeed Tuck on Jan. 1.

His final State of the City address became just as much a celebration of his time in office as it was about the accomplishments of the city.

Tuck touted that crime is on the decline and that more businesses continue to want to locate in the city.

He announced Amazon recently opened a second facility in Hampton Roads Center South, in the old Gateway building. They will provide “first mile, last mile, middle mile” operations in the region and employ approximately 125 workers, both full- and part-time.

Those who live in downtown Hampton will be able to shop at a Normand’s Market grocery that is coming, and he also mentioned a development deal that will see the construction of new single-family homes in the College Court area of Buckroe.

He also teased that there could be housing coming to the former Wood’s Orchard site.

However, Tuck said what he might be most proud of over his time on City Council, which actually spans more than 14 years, is the small improvements made.

“I think we’ve done a number of things to raise people’s quality of life,” Tuck said. “The bus shelters — I used to see people sitting on shopping carts waiting for buses,” Tuck said. He also touted putting in sidewalks.

Tuck has made promoting mentorship a top priority and said he plans on continuing to do that even after he leaves office.

“Focusing on individuals has a ripple effect,” Tuck said. “When you bring one person out of a life of violence, you help younger siblings and the entire family, their neighborhood and the city at large. It saves lives, and at the same time, it saves tax dollars. The cost of early intervention is intensive, initially, but it’s much less than the cost of locking someone in prison long-term.”

It was announced the annual event, put on by the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, saw record attendance this year.

Chesapeake Mayor Rick West was one of the first-time attendees. He said Tuck’s presence will be missed.

“Donnie was always the first person to pick up the phone and call me if he saw something going on in my city that he felt he could help with,” West said.

In a video following his speech, several highlighted the contributions Tuck has made to the entire region.

He was the chair of the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization for three years.

“Looking back, I am proud of all that we have achieved together,” Tuck said. “Moving forward, I know you all will work to meet the challenges we still face.”