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This place has moved around to a lot of locations. Hopfully they picked the right spot this time, and they can settle down.

I was always thinking that if they removed one of the parking lanes, they can install permanent seating along the entire length of granby street between brambleton, and main. Somthing like the parklets they have, but much bigger.

When I say "drastically expand", I am refering to the adition of a terminal, or two, and maby a second runway. That in my opinion would be drastic. We would never get an airport like atlanta. They already have plans to add a third terminal, and there is space for a 4th, if they clear some buildings around miller store road. also, there plans for a parallel runway do indeed call for a portion of lake whitehurst to be filled in. I can see cargo traffic being transferred to other airports like the Hampton roads executive airport, to make even more space. As for the jet noise, and crash areas, that is somthing we already deal with, even if the airport wasnt there. Living in norfolk, I am constantly bombarded with jet noise, train noise, ship noise, traffic noise, gunshots, and sirens. Locate an airport on the outskirts of a major metropolitan, and you get alot more nimby resistance, because karen wants here suburban peace and quiet.(no ofense to anyone actually named karen). The noise, and other problems are an accepted fact for people living in the center of any major metro. The main point that I am trying to convey, is that I don't see our leaders investing in a new passenger airport, until they have milked every drop they can get from orf, and phf.

Considering, that the future trends of the area seem to be urban/and suburban infill (not sprawl (yes, I know there is still sprawl going on in the suburban cities.)),the currant airport is centrally located (regarding population), and the future decline of automobile use(in favor of multi model transportation), also the feasibility of alternatives such as HSR, and high speed ferry service; I dont see a new airport being taken seriously for many, many decades(if ever). I do see ORF expanding drastically to keep up with the inevitable population increase in the future. If Suffolk somehow had a major population boom, and surpassed Norfolk, or Virginia beach (which is unlikely), then maby a new airport would make sense where the Hampton roads executive airport currently sits, but as of present day, that is highly unlikely.

The rising skyline of Fort Norfolk/EVMC. It was raining, so the picture is a little blurry.

Finally! Starting to look like a tower.

At this point, id be happy if they get a food lion.

The reason that both Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach have such high populations is that they have been building massive neighborhoods with large 5-8 story condo/apartment buildings anchored by strip malls containing most of the basic amenities. Simply put, they have the space to pack people in. Norfolk suffers from the fact that it is a landlocked city, and much of the land is occupied by historic neighborhoods with single family homes. There really isn't much room for growth exept for some of the lower density public housing, and empty industrial sites.

I noticed this when walking around downtown. Its at the old Hummingbird Macarons location next to Cure. Looks interesting.

As much as I like MacArthur Center, and consider it the best mall in the aria, and as much as I agree that it saved downtown Norfolk from being like downtown Newport News, it is definitely nearing the end of its it's useful life. When MacArthur Center was built, Downtown Norfolk was lacking major retail. Granby street was run down, partly because the city killed it by closing it off to vehicle traffic. The mall brought the missing retail that the city needed. Fast forward to today, and downtown Norfolk is doing better than it has in a long time. The problem is downtown no longer needs all that retail. Also other malls like Pembroke, and Lynhaven, and the outlets are catching up quick, with there offerings for the suburban dwellers, and tourists, which make up most of MacArthurs cliantel, and dont even get me started with Amazon. Downtown Norfolk is currently saturated with more retail than it can handle. The city needs to act quickly, because while MacArthur is not dead yet(it will not die tha same death as Military Circle, because that mall had its own unique problems.), if it is allowed to die, it will begin to hurt downtown Norfolk. Imo, tear it down. Keep the parking garages. Restore the street grid, but keep it on a road diet to avoid creating barriers, and make it bike and pedestrian friendly. Rebuild what remains into a mixture of public squares,and connected buildings of at least 8 stories. Floors 1-3 should contain retail and restaurants like the type of restaurants that front Monticello ave. On the third floor, they can put in a network of pedestrian walkways simular to Short Pump, or the High Line in New York. Above that they can build apartments, hotels, and ofice space. They should also add a major attraction of some sort; either a small amusement park, water park, museum, or somthing creative. Throw in a couple skyscrapers just for fun, and you have the next generation of MacArthur center, and downtown.

Has anyone noticed the construction going on adjacent to the garages? If it is what i think it is, the airport is about to gain another major structure. Albeit a parking garage, but if they are going for symmetry (which is what there plans show) it should be the same size as the other large garage. Imo, the large parking garage on the north side of the baggage claim aria is the most visually noticable part of the airport. I have a feeling that when they are done building it(if thats what they are doing) the airport will look much more impressive.

My 2020 wishlist/predictions. Norfolk 1. Legit Site work begins at spq. 2. Site work begins at proposed casino. 3. Improvements are made to the Elizabeth river trail around harbor park. 4. Somthing gets approved for the boathouse site. 5. Granby station opens 6. The future of MacArthur center is layed out. 7. The city approves a new rout for the tide. 8. The city embraces, researches, and promotes its history with the underground railroad, soul music, cuisine, ect. 9. The city makes improvements to aditional neighborhoods like park place, and norview. 10. Site work begins on gateway tower, and a new tower is proposed, and approved elsewhere in the city. 11. The rail yard opens in some capacity at the end of the year. Virginia beach 1. The city does somthing with the ns row it purchased. Weather its light rail, monorail, brt, linear park, ect; somthing needs to be done. Otherwise, its just a waste of money. 2. Major infill projects begin in the vibe district, and the aria starts to feel urban. 3. Major project is approved near town center. 4. The city announces aditional projects/buisness es along rt.13. Enbraces rout 13 as a potential tourist destination. Due to all the projects that have happened there recantly in norfolk. 5. Site work begins at the wave. 6. Sitw 2020 is successful and epic, and an even more epic sitw is announced for 2021. 7. Oceanfront pier development moves forward. 8. Vb relaxes its restrictions on food trucks. Maby even going as far to create a portland style food pod in the vibe district. 9. Vb starts to get rid of its bad reputation of having too many regulations, while simultaneously cleaning up some of the scetchy areas around the oceanfront. ( get rid of the no cursing signs, permit open contaners in certain locations. Increase visible police presence in such a way that it doesn't feel like your going to go to jail for sneasing, but you feel like you wont get caught up in a fight near the nightclubs, or wont get mugged off the strip at night. If there feeling froggy, maby they can set up a nude beach in such a way. it wont be visible to families. Im not a fan of nude beaches, but it would be progressive. ) 10. The city inplements there plan to keep hotels booked year round, by setting up winter atractions. The rest of the region. 1. A comprehensive flood mitagation plan is announced. 2. Portsmouth cleans up its act, and its streets, and adds an attraction to old town that cant be found anywhere else in the aria. (Examples include riverboat casinos, and/or parhaps a night market simular to the ones found around Asia. ) 3. The region begins to attract the attention it deserves. 4. Hampton relizes and takes advantage of the fact that they can call themselves virginias fishermans wharf. 5. Plans for the interstate conecting hampton roads to points south move forward. 6. Site work begans at orf. 7. Kingsland usa moves forward, or somthing else of that significance is anounced somwhere in the region. 8. Amazon opens its facilities in Chesapeake, and Suffolk. 9. legit potential routs are announced for an extention of the tide into places like chesipeake, and Portsmouth. 10. Bus, and ferry service is expanded. Maby including a high speed ferry rout between norfolk, hampton and other cities.

The biggest hurdle this city/regoin have is the mind set of the population, and the arias bad reputation. A large chunk of the population is transient military. They come from other cities and towns that they care about, and dont see this aria as somthing worth there investment because they know that they will eventually leave. To them, this is just another place in the long list of places they have been. Also, alot of born and raised locals are nimbys because they have grown accustom to the aria and fear a change in there life style. Also, lets face it, alot of people like to dump on this aria. People reluctantly leave there home to come here, and they hate there jobs, or whatever, and as a result, they tell there friends how much they hate this aria. With those issues, it honestly supprises me that norfolk has nice things despite all the bad lip service we get.

Thats cool, but does that mean they are fully moving out of there current location under Chrysler hall? If so, i will miss the unique speak easy vibe, that the place had. Its definitely somthing unique, however, i wish them the best.

There are a ton of restraunts in downtown norfolk. Granby st is practically a window shopping situation when it comes to restaurants. I doupt a casino with a few restraunts is going to hurt things any more than waterside, or the main. If you cant take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Granby is prime realestate. Maby we can get some michelin star restraunts if these folks move out.