PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A change of scenery could be on the way to Portsmouth.
City council is debating a Virginia Beach development company’s proposal to build a waterside apartment complex and new city hall in Portsmouth, but there’s still a lot to be done before the project gets the green light.
On Tuesday, Portsmouth City Council held its first public hearing and voted on a memorandum to determine that city leaders can start negotiations with Armada Hoffler, the development company that has proposed the plans.
Portsmouth Mayor John Rowe said it’s the first step towards something he hopes will transform Portsmouth.
A high-end apartment complex along the Elizabeth River would replace city hall. In Armada Hoffler’s proposal to the city, the company proposed a 200-unit complex, complete with retail space and parking. It also proposed building a new city hall downtown on County St., where a municipal parking lot currently stands.
“It’s going to be vibrant, full of life, activity all throughout the whole year with a new presentation of the water to Portsmouth,” said Mayor Rowe.
Armada Hoffler is the same developer of Virginia Beach Town Center. Mayor Rowe said he trusts the company’s track record.
Some business owners in Old Towne said they support the proposed development.
Nettie Fischer, the owner of Little Shoppes on High, is located just a few blocks from where the proposed apartment complex would sit.
“I absolutely am hoping this happens,” said Fischer. “We need people on the street. It makes perfect sense. It’s a win-win.”
Next door to her, Angela Clark’s business, The Coffee Shoppe, has suffered a drop in business year after year due to tunnel tolls. Clark said a new apartment complex could bring more customers through her door.
“Anything that brings people down to Old Towne, I’m all for it,” said Clark. “It would actually help me with employees because it’s very hard now to hire employees that live on the other side of the water because they don’t want to deal with the tunnel.”
Mayor Rowe said Portsmouth is in need of more residential buildings downtown.
“We’ve got to create the housing for that move back to urban areas. Downtown is where people want to live now,” said Mayor Rowe.
City leaders still have to iron out a lot of details with the developer before it can finalize the proposal. Things like cost, the number of units, and a timeline still need to be negotiated. Mayor Rowe said it’s a lengthy process that could take months. Once a negotiation is reached, city council will vote again to finalize the project.
“This is a great project. It’s great for the City of Portsmouth, it’s great for the region,” said Mayor Rowe.