NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Construction crews have broken ground on a massive new apartment complex in the Ocean View section of Norfolk.
The $30 million complex known as Pinewell Station will have 145 units, the Breeden Company said in a news release.
The release said the four-story building will also have amenities including a state-of-the-art fitness facility, in-pool fire pits and a roof top deck overlooking the Chesapeake Bay.
“When you look at the urban area that is being most focused on, it is the Norfolk area,” said Breeden Company Chief Operating Officer Tim Faulker. “As we looked at the statistics of millenials coming back to the area, we see that Norfolk is probably the biggest opportunity.”
Pinewell Station is being built at the site of the former Ocean View Senior Center. 10 On Your Side reported last April that seniors were upset when they were told they had to move so the land could be redeveloped.
“The Senior Center, of course, was a repurposed building in the first place,” said Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander. “That building, the seniors deserve a nice facility where they can have activities, the program as it relates to wellness, arts and crafts, so we have a commitment to our seniors.”
Cottage Line Civic League President Ken Paulson said, “There’s going to be an adjustment period and that’s what some people define as a problem is they have to adjust to change, but this is a change for the better.”
The original center is now located at the the East Ocean View Community Center on 20th Bay Street.
In January, some seniors told 10 On Your Side some of the issues with the new arrangement have included parking, sharing the space (at certain times) with youth and waiting for a full kitchen to be installed.
“Norfolk has momentum. Families and empty nesters, millenials are looking to live in an urban and dynamic environment,” said Alexander. “The city has continued to make a commitment to target blighted property, to improve every neighborhood.”
