NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Norfolk City Council voted Tuesday night to add more land to the St. Paul’s area revitalization area.
The resolution, which passed 6-1, adds two more plots of land to the east and northeast of the roughly 200-acre area currently designated east of St. Paul’s Boulevard.
The goal is to add even more affordable mixed-income housing for people displaced by the demolition of public housing in the area.
The areas include 645 Church Street (the former location of the Willis Building) at the corner of Church Street and Brambleton Avenue, and a “Future Block 9.”
Council voted two weeks ago to sell the 1.5-property Willis Building site to Connecticut-based Richman Group Development Corporation for just over $400,000 for the project.
“An important aspect of the City’s vision is to help create healthy, vibrant mixed-income communities, replete with market rate and affordable housing options, increased economic activity that expands job opportunities for all residents, and amenities that adequately address local resident demands, including quality shopping, cultural and recreational resources, and high-performing schools,” the resolution says.
The Tidewater Gardens was the first public housing to be demolished, with 214 out of the 618 units leveled as of December. The other two set for demolition are Young Terrace and Calvert Square.
A lawsuit to dismiss Norfolk’s plans to redevelop the public housing complexes was dismissed in December 2021, with both sides reaching an agreement that included assurance that Tidewater Gardens residents who want to return to the area following the redevelopment will have the opportunity to do so.
The agreement also included efforts to help with housing vouchers and the addition of more units set aside for public housing residents that previously planned.
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