EJ_LEWIS

Sam Samsalone a Realtor in Hampton Roads has a really cool youtube video about the NEON district of Norfolk. I think once more housing gets built here this area is going to really explode.

The renderings of the Casino were real nice. What were the reasons for Richmond voters voting down a Casino?

I wonder what was the reasons Richmond voters voted against the Casino? Here in DC we voted down a casino a few year ago because there was concern about a casino exacerbating already unsustainable ills. Did Richmond voters vote down the Casino for similar concerns? Should Norfolk be concerned about some of the social ills made worse by a Casino?

Newport News Shipbuilding is expanding to Fairwinds Landing in Norfolk. There is so much economic activity going in Lamberts Point that I'm wondering if there should be a separate discussion group for Lamberts Point. https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/newport-news-shipbuilding-expands-to-norfolk/

How so? This will create 500 jobs with more on the way.

Excellent news! This is a big win for Norfolk, Hampton Roads and Virginia. Norfolk has a chance to be a climate change and environmental hub. This means jobs and prestige for the region.

Enough already with the Pamunkey Tribe. How many more delays are they going to request!? Get this thing started or just drop it already! Portsmouth Casino is coming up on a year of operation. Norfolk has not even turned over an inch of ground for this project. I've totally lost interest in this project.

If I am remembering correctly the tower to the right of Virginia National Bank Building (now ICON) was First and Merchants Bank. My Mom took me with her there to open up my first ever bank account in 1978. Through many acquisitions its now a part of Bank of America.

This undated photo shows the vast 17 acre parking lot that the McArthur Center Mall would be later built on. Judging by the cars in the photo my guess is this is 1979 or 1980.

I guess we have to resign ourselves to 4-8 story buildings for the near future. I think that St. Paul's quadrant is developing a real presence downtown and up the urban feel.

Picture of S. Granby St. 1905. The Hilton on Main stands now to the right at this corner.

No apartments or condos in the Railyard development? Every new development in Norfolk should be mixed use.

The development looks a lot like the new row and town houses that replaced the projects in DC's Navy Yard neighborhood. I think this is a very nice development that will surprise a lot of us.

The proposed building looks nice and is very different for Granby St.

Don't like the sea of parking required for the VA Hospital. What about building a parking garage instead hidden underneath or behind the VA Hospital? The vision for Military Circle is to make it more urban not suburban. A large parking lot screams suburbia of the 60s and 70s.

I would be really surprised if the city decides to build a casino on the McArthur site. I think the long term vision for the mall is to redevelop it into a mixed use development. This seems like a better fit for the mall property then a casino. Now I do think a casino next to Waterside developed by Cordish would work perfectly.

It just seems that the Pamunkey tribe and city again do not know what they are doing. Time to kill this project and start over again, this time with a developer with experience building casinos. The city needs to clearly communicate with the developer on what they desire to be built at this location or at another location. Maybe they can work through the miscommunication problem and re-submit Headwaters to the Architectural Board. Just get this thing done or forget about it!

Chip Filer's reign as city manager for Norfolk was underwhelming. There is no good reason why the Military Circle re-development did not proceed at a normal pace. The city had three strong proposals from three solid developers. How did Norfolk blow this? I think the dysfunction lies between Filer and Alexander. Now that Mr. Roberts is taking over he has the ability to reverse course. They need to stop the zero tolerance policies for Downtown bars and restaurants. There is violence and city violations that happen at bars and restaurants in DC, but rarely are the establishments shut down, but usually their liquor license is suspended until they make changes to operations. This seems like a reasonable course and sends the message that the city does not want to merely punish business establishments but want to improve them. Only time will tell.

The Ohio Creek flood mitigation project is complete. https://www.pilotonline.com/2023/06/21/uniquely-norfolk-years-long-ohio-creek-watershed-flood-mitigation-project-is-officially-complete/

I'm an old timer I guess, I pronounce Norfolk Nawfuk. Often times here in DC I will slip into my Tidewater accent. Montichello Ave., Porchmuth, and Newpot News.

Why hasn't the city shared site plans with Tides management yet?

Downtown Norfolk looking west 1974.

Photo of Fusion taken during our walk around Ghent Sunday.

Here is a picture of the Galaxy Norfolk that I took from our hotel room at the Sheraton Waterside.

I've sort of moved on from this project. I may be wrong but I think the lottery board is setting up to disapprove the license for the Norfolk casino. I really hope I am very wrong!