NORFOLK, Va. — In Norfolk, the future of the former DePaul Hospital site is decided: an after-school and summer program for youth is taking the space over.
Executives at Next Step To Success said they plan to demolish the current building and build a new campus that will serve up to 300 teens.
The nonprofit’s founder and chairman, Chuck McPhillips said the new site will be called the St. Vincent DePaul House.
“We don’t believe it’s feasible or desirable to retain any of the existing buildings," McPhillips said. "They’re obsolete and it really would be foolhardy to try and keep them. It would not serve this program well. If the rezoning is granted to us, we would propose to demolish those buildings and construct that campus. You’ve seen the design of the St. Vincent DePaul Campus.”
McPhillips said the nonprofit helps teens with things like academics, character development, and general life skills. The initiative offers teens ages 13 to 18 a wide range of activities after-school and during the summer.
McPhillips said the nonprofit's goal is to cut the poverty rate in Norfolk by ensuring youth have the tools they need to succeed in life.
People who live and work in the area say the nonprofit taking over the DePaul site is a good idea.
“I think it’s very good! Anything they can do to help teenagers," Norfolk resident Sharon Goble said. “I think in this day and age, it’s very important for the future of our country to make sure these teenagers are on the right track.”
Another resident, Ebony Tetteh agreed.
“Definitely. Anything for the kids," she said. “I never really thought about it [the future of the site] but making it an after-school program for teens would be a good idea.”
But other residents are questioning what exactly is in the works and what this new project will mean for their community.
“My concern is about what the extent of the property is going to be involved. What it is going to exactly be," Cathy Masters said. “I was kind of surprised that it wasn’t discussed before it was a done deal.”
McPhillips said everything is still in the beginning stages.
He said executives plan to meet with neighbors about the project to answer any questions. He said the nonprofit's goal is to engage Norfolk youth and keep them on the path to success after high school.
“Frankly, people sit around and say, ‘They ought to do something. They ought to do something about something like this.’ And we finally said maybe we are they," McPhillips said.
Before this, a developer planned to transform the DePaul Hospital site into a luxury apartment complex, but those plans fell through after the developer pulled out of the project.
“Next Step To Success” executives now need to ask Norfolk City Council members for a rezoning, as this new campus will not serve as housing.