NORFOLK, Va. —
Heather Anderson owns Plant Norfolk on Granby St. She’s thankful for the updates but knows the next few years will be difficult.
"It’s going to take like two years so it’s going to be difficult...We’ve discussed whether we want to stay or close. We’re going to try and weather it," Anderson said.
Anderson is happy the city is investing in the area. Even with recent businesses closing or moving, the NEON District is an area of focus for revitalizing Norfolk.
Owners of other businesses on the block, like Xchange Norfolk echo the same sentiment.
"I am excited 'cause the street is going to look newer...It’s going to be more than an inviting feel," owner Sunny Chana said.
Chana runs the popular clothing store in the District. Chana and those like him ultimately hope the result is worth the wait.
"We’ve lost a lot of restaurants on the street as well which brought a lot of traffic on board. We are looking forward to the upgrades to bring more traffic on board. We're excited about that," Chana said.
City officials have outlined the project. The first four phases of the project will run until next spring. These phases are all about updating the infrastructure. The second half of the project will move further up Granby Street and continue to Virginia Beach Blvd. The streetscape improvements are expected to wrap up in 2027.
According to the city's website, construction crews will start in the 700 block of Granby St. between Brambleton Ave. and Olney Rd. on the east/former Greyhound Station side of the street first, then the west, followed by the 800 block between Olney Rd. and Virginia Beach Blvd.
During construction, vehicular traffic will be restricted to northbound travel (towards Virginia Beach Blvd.) and there will be no on-street parking on Granby St. Additional parking has been added on Monticello Ave. and Virginia Beach Blvd. Construction is set to start on June 17th.