@varider, sorry if i offended, but what i was getting at is that having a lot of finance/banking firms isn't necessarily going to create more vibrancy in downtown Norfolk or propel Hampton Roads status. Richmond's downtown area has an impressive roaster of banking/finance firms, law firms, and advertising agencies by most most standards yet I wouldn't consider it vibrant at all. NoVA doesn't particularly have lots of finance type firms, but its collection of defense consulting and information technology firms is among the best in world and it an extremely vibrant and thriving area.
Hampton Roads has a lot going for it: Port of Virginia, DoD/Navy, decent Sized Airport, beaches, etc but it is lacking a presence of major corporations. Once HR can convince some major corporation to move their HQ or set up major operation in HR, HR could easily be on its way to becoming the next Charlotte. I keep bring up RVA cause its a good point of reference for me, I live there for right now.