mistermetaj

It might not be the only option, but it is the best options. This is a prime opportunity to reimagine Norfolk in the middle of downtown. You can't leave it non-contiguous. Like St Pauls, reestablishing the grid is the single most important thing Norfolk can do here.

The city needs to do a better job of proposing an actual plan for the TG residents. That doesn't mean empty promises of employment training, jobs during construction, or moving them to other public housing sites. It means setting up residents with section 8 housing throughout the city. The argument to removing public housing is the decentralization of poverty (something Paul Riddick clearly doesn't care about). There are plenty of landlords in Norfolk or the greater Hampton Roads area who rent to section 8 and are always looking for more residents. The federal government might not be a great landlord or developer, but they pay on time and actually require the landlords to treat the residents decently and maintain their homes. There is dignity in living in a private property over public housing. Nobody who needs public assistance should be forced to live in unkept barracks. The gaslighting in this article is so harmful. Referring to an underdeveloped, literally sinking public housing project as a "historically black neighborhood" is damaging to the image of Norfolk and residents who live in TG. It's turned gentrification into an almost racist word and keeps people, both city residents outside and inside public housing, stuck in the status quo. It's anti-progressive and divisive.

I still don't understand why they put a bus terminal there instead of by the Amtrak station and light rail. By all means put a stop by SPQ and in downtown, but that terminal just interrupts the flow of the area which needs a full re-establishment of the grid and better connectivity to the rest of downtown.

That's a really disappointing update. Really watered it down back to a pretty generic apartment complex. Removed all uniqueness from the building. Even the color got blander. Value engineer much?

The new treatment of the stairwell and additional balconies on the side street definitely help elevate this from pseudo suburban to a much more urban look. Great work by the architectural review board.

Too many people ignore the fact that the majority of developments in Norfolk are really just a Hobson's choice for the city. Same applies to what is currently going up on SPQ. In reality, this is the best the city can be right now. This development, regardless of the merits of the architecture, moves the city forward by removing vacant plots downtown and adding more to the tax base. It's these small infills that will hopefully drive up demand and future property values - the two things you need for the kind of developments we all wish for.

They need to carve it up and restore the grid. All malls are dying. McArthur served its purpose to bring people downtown, but it's not longer useful. This is the new waterside IMO, and that's not a good thing.

Short of the surface parking, this actually looks like a very attractive and urban apartment to me. Infill designs in Norfolk seem to be getting better. No need to get hung up on height. Many great cities are low rise, dense, and beautiful. No reason Norfolk can't be that one day. Walkability and connectivity is more important than height. Edit: Looking at the orientation, the surface parking lot is facing the bus terminal. It won't interact with the walkable streets in the area. That's more than acceptable.

Are there any full renderings for the block 20 development or do we only have a site plan?

I don't understand the hate for this proposal. Every SPQ proposal had a green space that looks essentially like this. Even in the images SPQ is gridded up nicely. If you want high rise buildings, you need to limit developable land to the point it makes sense to build up. This takes up a huge chunk of land with a beautiful green space. This vision has a ton of advantages.

This will be one hell of a festival of it works out. Thank you Pharell. Wow!

When Young Terrace is being bulldozed we can talk about monuments to public housing. Until then Norfolk will have plenty left once Tidewater Gardens is gone.

The problem with all of this is that ODU is becoming less selective to drive up their enrollment. As a result, community colleges like TCC and Thomas Nelson are struggling and there isn't necessarily a net benefit for the students.

This is a great development. It is expanding past st Paul's already with a nice urban look. Having the parking lot front May Ave is fine. The orientation of the complex works. I think they'll have a hard time selling the apartments giving the area around it, but it is a worthy addition to Norfolk.

Lets hope Norfolk at least forces them to change the design. This one is pretty bad for a proposal.

This is all mainly lower income / affordable housing. It was always going to be a budget development. It's coming out nice and adds a nice bit of urbanity for what it is. I think with some nice landscaping, this will be a nice addition. The city did it right when they required them to move the buildings flush with the street and moved the parking within the complex.

Restoring the grid and building a significant green space is wonderful. I'm content with townhouses, apartments, and offices. My only gripe is the idea of single family homes. Nix that and we have a great redevelopment ok our hands.

Eh, architecture is subjective. What some find bland, others consider homely and contextual. This building brings density, which is what Norfolk needs. Expanded base? Bring it on. I'm more concerned about the restaurants and retail, if any, that come with this bulding. This building was never a significant enough design that I cared if it was tall. We haven't had a modern design significant enough to care since Granby Tower.

Looks like it engages with the corner really well. Pushes the parking to the interior, so it won't be very visible (other than the parking already between the towers that currently exist). I imagine in time there will be garage built in the middle and larger redevelopment will take place.

Yeah, that whole area is hamstrung by the feds. However, simply following traffic and pedestrian lights go a long way to making crossing the street safer.

Original was slightly nicer, but this is beautiful and a perfect resort hotel. I wish we had this quality up and down the entire strip. Very impressed.

I disagree. The Greyhound is a total eye sore and makes crossing Brambelton extremely uninviting. Thisbuilding is modern, will have a restaurant and has guaranteed foot traffic. The more people that have to cross Brambelton, the better for the Neon district and the more improvements the city will have to make to cross the street. This is a win all three at around, and IMO the best of all the announcements. Can't get rid of that bus station fast enough.

I wonder how they came to want to build on that plot of land instead of the Snyder lot.

This is a great development and great design. So much more welcoming across Brambleton than that horrendous bus station. Adding students and a restaurant will be a great way to increase foot traffic and finally link downtown to the Neon district. Kudos to TCC for being a great partner with the city.

Huge fan of growing development and love the overall urban healing going on in Norfolk. That being said, I think the building is pretty ugly. Not as bad as it's neighbor city hall, but hardly an architectural gem.