NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk’s Maury High School could soon get new life.
The future of the historic building has been up for discussion for years. For many, the school building holds fond memories.
“It’s a historical place in our city, that when you think about Norfolk, you think about Maury High School," said Norfolk School Board member and Maury alum Carlos Clanton.
“This is our 10-year class reunion. I graduated in 2014, and it was really important for me to see what they were going to do with the building," said Maury alum Taryn Majors.
Thursday night, community members got an update on what's next for the century-old structure. Developers with Heartland Construction shared their plan to build a new high school on the property while preserving aspects of the historic building.
“Maury High School has had additions over the years. So, the main front part of the Maury High School that you see, that’s the historic portion. Some of the non-historic portions in the rear of the school, some of those will need to be removed to make room for some of the new athletic amenities," said Robert Hudson, vice president of Heartland Construction.
Norfolk School Board members previously discussed transforming the historic portion of the school into apartments. Clanton said that aspect of the project is still up in the air.
“We’re going to look for something that’s going to be a win-win, that preserves the historical aspects, gives it a new life, could meet a challenge that we have potentially with affordable housing in this city, but then also a state-of-the-art new school," Clanton said.
Developers with Heartland Construction say construction would happen in four phases, and would include new sports fields, fencing, and possibly an indoor pool. The proposed changes are expected to be complete by the fall of 2028.
Developers say there will be more public input sessions further down the road.