NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk city officials have unveiled a proposal to build a mixed-use development in the place of the former Greyhound bus station in the NEON District.
With the name "Houndstooth," the development off Brambleton Avenue would include 220 residential units, a parking garage, a gym, a recreation room and a rooftop deck.
Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander announced the proposal during his State of the City speech on Friday, saying it would be a $35 million capital investment creating more than 300 construction jobs.
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According to a blog post from the NEON District, Hampton Roads-based developer The Breeden Company and design firm Work Program Architects are spearheading the project. The district hailed Houndstooth as a place "where Downtown’s emerging creative class can live, work, and play."
"In alignment with the goals of the City’s Downtown Norfolk 2030 plan, the project will contribute to coastal resilience and pedestrian connectivity, with public art encouraged to enhance and enrich residents’ lives and bring people together," the NEON District wrote in a blog post.
"It will include active uses that animate the public realm, live-work dwellings for artists to make and showcase their work, and spaces like the NEON plaza that encourage community and collaboration."
Here's a video by Work Program Architects demonstrating the renderings of the development:
The announcement comes as Norfolk city leaders have searched for a developer to revitalize the former bus station, which served as a temporary homeless shelter until late 2021. Originally, the city hoped to redevelop the site into a culinary arts building for Tidewater Community College (TCC), but those plans later fell through.
Houndstooth could provide a boost to NEON District, which is losing French café and bakery La Brioche due to what owners say is a lack of foot traffic in the area.
Co-owner Jacqueline Devulder said that business for the NEON District staple has been "slow" since the middle of 2023, leading them to rethink their location.
Officials didn't say what the next steps for the project are, or how long it would take for the development to happen. 13News Now has reached out to the City of Norfolk for further inquiry.
In a written statement to 13News Now, The Breeden Company President/CEO Timothy Faulkner expressed excitement for the project.
"We look forward to working with our team to revitalize a space important to our city and develop a modernized building that will serve as a community and gateway to the NEON District," Faulkner wrote. "The connectivity of the district to Downtown Norfolk is a critical part of the long-range plan for development in the city. WPA and AES, Consulting Engineers, have been pivotal partners in the process."
