HAMPTON, Va. — Sitting on the outskirts of the City of Hampton with rich and long-standing history, the Fort Monroe site has been doing just that...sitting.
Historic buildings that used to house enlisted soldiers have been empty for years while other older buildings are boarded up and slowly decaying.
However, the site still holds opportunity. Executive Director of the Fort Monroe Authority (FMA), Glenn Oder, which oversees the property, says he sees that opportunity every day.
"These buildings right now need to be repurposed. They are a financial drain on the Commonwealth of Virginia and they're not getting any better," said Oder. "The idea of repurposing these buildings and bringing it back to life will not only bring vibrancy to the building, but also to the community."
In December 2021, leaders with FMA sought for developers to repurpose several buildings on the historic property.
Now, the trustee board recently approved two main projects to help revitalize the area.
The projects include two new apartment housing units set to be developed by Richmond-based company called Echelon Resources Inc.
The projects also include a firing range training facility for Hampton Police Division to replace the former store on the site.
Bruce Sturk, Hampton's Federal Facilities Director, says the Hampton Police Division has an urgent need to relocate its training facility due to noise complaints from nearby neighborhoods and that is where this new opportunity came into play. He says it's in partnership with the Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
"It's fully soundproof...and a lot of state-of-the-art features. Folks won't even know there's a firing range there because it'll be so soundproof," said Sturk.
Fort Monroe also serves as a location for residential rental properties and businesses, and Oder stressed that people who live or frequent the site for work will not experience any changes.
In the 1800s, the Army and Virginia struck a deal giving the army the land to build Fort Monroe, as long as the military used it. The fort closed in 2011, and the Chamberlain property will be the last piece of land handed back to the Commonwealth.
Oder says he wants people to feel at-home here while also maintaining the rich history on the property.
"What we're going to be doing is working with the developer, following strict historic guidelines to make sure this building is protected, and we're going to be re-purposing this building and I imagine we will see this turn into apartments, like one or two-bedroom apartments," said Oder. "It's going to be beautiful. It's going to be a balanced, mixed-use community."
Oder and Sturk say it'll take a few months to get the apartment units and training facility approved through permit and other processes before construction begins.
From there, construction could take between a year to 18 months.