NORFOLK, Va. — The City of Norfolk has released the three summaries and renderings it received for the redevelopment of Military Circle Mall.
Now, the Norfolk Economic Development Authority is asking for the public's input.
For the first time, the public has a chance to see what the mall could become in the future, as well as job opportunities and economic impacts the development could have.
The city received and released summaries and renderings from the following teams:
- The Crossroads Partnership
- Norfolk MC Associates
- Wellness Circle, LLC
The redevelopment project is located at the crossroads between Virginia Beach Boulevard and Military Highway, at Military Circle Mall.
“The redevelopment of this corridor is important to Norfolk and Hampton Roads. The City has been aggressive and deliberate in pursuing this transformational project. We are grateful for the work of everyone involved, and look forward to the next phase of this project,” said Mayor Kenny Alexander.
Now that the plans have been selected, the Norfolk Economic Development Authority has created an online survey for the public to provide feedback on the plans.
The Norfolk EDA wants input from current and future Norfolk residents, workers, business owners, property owners, and visitors.
The survey says it takes 5-7 minutes to complete, and can be found here.
“The release of the executive summaries will provide the public an opportunity to review the overall scope of the development plans. Public input is an extremely important part of this process,” said Jared Chalk, Executive Director of the EDA & Director of Development.
You can find summaries of the projects below. The full proposals are online here.
The first proposal comes from Crossroads Partnership. It features a sports complex, an arena, an Optima Insurance building, Sentara corporate offices, a proposed school of public health, and a hospitality area.
According to the proposal, the arena would be a state-of-the-art 15,000 seat facility that would bring sports and entertainment to the area.
Crossroads Partnership pitched a 128-key Hyatt House hotel and a later development of a full-service luxury Universal Music Group hotel and entertainment venue.
There would be a walking path with intertwining paths and exercise equipment hubs, along with bike and scooter lanes.
When it comes to housing, this plan would create 987 multi-family units which would be a mix of market-rate and affordable housing targeting millennials.
The retail would be service-oriented, food, and beverages. Restaurants would include national chains as well as local flavors of Norfolk.
Crossroads Partnership's proposal says its plan -- all three phases -- would cost over $925 million and would create 3,100 jobs during construction and 1,800 jobs during operation.
Norfolk MC Associates hopes to redevelop the mall into a "community for the 22nd century."
Their plan features Sentara Wellness Village Offices, office space, a hotel, multi-family housing, retail and entertainment spaces, and an outdoor performing arts amphitheater.
The new housing would consist of 864 units of mixed market, workforce, and senior housing. The new amphitheater would seat 8,000.
Norfolk MC Associates' plan also features a new grocery store/fresh food market and a new recreation center.
There would also be an educational aspect to this plan. Norfolk State University would have an extended campus in the community which will provide an on-site business center for small business start-ups.
In addition to the buildings and amphitheater, the plan also includes 43 acres of open space and a 9-acre lake.
Norfolk MC Associates' proposal would cost $663 million and would create 2,200 jobs. It also features a renewable energy aspect.
The final proposal comes from Wellness Circle LLC, a group that includes Grammy award-winning artist Pharrell Williams who is the lead developer on the team.
Wellness Circle's proposal is exactly that: a proposal for a "future shaped by wellness." It features an entertainment arena, retail space, office space, restaurants, and outdoor space that promotes exercise and social engagement.
This proposal would create a 15,400-16,500 seat arena, providing "a world-class regional destination for culture, sports, and civic engagement."
The outdoor space, or as they call it the "Wellness Loop," would be a highly activated green path that circles the community. At the center, there would be "Trident Park."
The community would be anchored by 500,000 square feet of health care offices and medical service space.
When it comes to housing, Wellness Circle's plan includes 708 multi-family units, 147 townhome units, 288 low-income housing tax credit units, and a 200-room hotel.
The plan includes 200,00 square feet of retail and restaurant space as well.
Wellness Circle's plan would be a $1.1 billion investment.
