REGIONAL VIEW eastern virginia FOR THE RECORD
The new state budget includes more funds to expand Interstate 64 in Hampton Roads, including widening the highway all the way to Richmond. Negotiators in the General Assembly agreed to set aside $93.1 million from federal COVID-19 relief funds for work on I-64. The money is to go to the proposed 44-mile network of express and toll lanes for the region. The express lanes network includes the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, which is undergoing a $3.86 billion expansion. (Daily Press)
Jared Chalk, Norfolk economic development director, says Military Circle is a top redevelopment site for the mid-Atlantic region.
Military Circle redevelopment
could include arena by Beth Cooper
F
our groups — including mid- Atlantic developers, entertainment and sports figures, concert promoters
and arena operators — are competing for a chance to redevelop Norfolk’s aging Military Circle Mall into a mixed-use community. Overhauling the struggling mall has
long been on the city’s to-do list, but the project was jump-started last year when the Norfolk Economic Development Authority purchased the 75-acre property for $11 million and the adjacent Double- Tree Hotel property for $2.4 million. The city chose four finalists to submit full proposals to transform Military Circle into a walkable neighborhood with housing, retail and office space. With a May 14 deadline for submissions, a developer will be selected this summer. “We’re not trying to create an area
that’s a cookie-cutter destination,” says Norfolk Economic Development Director Jared Chalk. “We want to create a project that’s a catalyst for future change and growth for the entire east side of Norfolk.” Sitting at the crossroads of Interstates 64 and 264 near Norfolk International Airport, city officials say Military Circle is one of the top redevelopment sites in the mid-Atlantic. Rising 13 feet above sea level, the property is Norfolk’s highest ground and therefore the most resilient to rising sea levels.
12 | APRIL 2021 “It’s a much more desirable site when
there’s that type of elevation,” Chalk says. “The future growth of the city will be dominated by that corridor.” An arena, a longstanding fixture
on Hampton Roads’ wish list, could be included in the winning proposal, as three of the development teams have indicated their plans will contain an entertainment component. But Chalk says an arena is not a requirement. “Our goal first and foremost is to reposition the area.” The Garcia Cos., the group behind
a failed proposal to build an 18,000-seat arena at Virginia Beach’s Oceanfront, is one of the 14 members of proposal group Norfolk Next. Wellness Circle LLC, a team with famed musician Pharrell Williams, also includes major concert promoter Live Nation and Oak View Group, a nationwide operator of arenas, stadiums and convention centers. The Crossroads Partnership, a group including real estate companies led by NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and Olympic gymnast Jair Lynch, has ASM Global, which specializes in managing stadiums, convention centers and theaters. The fourth group, Norfolk MC Associates, includes Virginia Beach developer Bruce Thompson’s Gold Key | PHR, which recently transformed The Cavalier Hotel. ■
Downtown Norfolk’s 140-store mall MacArthur Center may have a future date with a wrecking ball. According to Norfolk’s economic development department, a complete teardown of the 1.1 million- square-foot structure is one of three possibilities envisioned for MacArthur Center’s future by the city. Still, the city doesn’t own the mall and can’t control what happens to it. The mall structure is owned by Starwood Property Trust, which defaulted on an interest-only loan worth $725 million in late 2019 that used MacArthur and three other malls as collateral. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
Newport News Shipbuilding has laid off 314 salaried employees in its first workforce reduction since the shipyard laid off 1,218 employees in 2015, according to a letter sent to employees on Feb. 26. The action also included the demotion of an additional 119 managers. The shipbuilding company, the largest industrial employer in the state with more than 25,000 employees, is continuing to hire for some positions. A subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News Shipbuilding is the largest military shipbuilding company in the country. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
Plasser American Corp., a Chesapeake manufacturer of huge railroad repair machines, plans to significantly expand its operations and add 98 new jobs to the region. The company, which has a 150,000-square-foot headquarters, announced a $52.6 million expansion on March 3. Plasser will build an 82,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and a 45,000-square-foot, three-story office building near the company’s current location. Plasser will hire 98 more employees in manufacturing and engineering through the expansion and double the company’s production capabilities. (Inside Business)
The company behind Portsmouth’s upcoming casino wants it to be the first casino to open in Virginia, maybe as soon as late next year, but without its planned hotel. In a March 9 meeting with Portsmouth City Council, representatives of casino operator Rush Street Gaming said their development agreement with the city guaranteed they would build a hotel, but they don’t plan to open it at the same time as Rivers Casino. Rush Street says the hotel will take longer to build and that the pandemic has introduced uncertainty into the lodging industry. (The Virginian-Pilot)
PEOPLE
Radford University President Brian Hemphill has been hired as Old Dominion University’s ninth president, ODU announced on Feb. 12. He will succeed John Broderick, who is retiring this year. Hemphill, who has led Radford since 2016, will join ODU this summer. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
Hemphill
The board of directors for Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries has elected Kari Wilkinson to serve as executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, effective April 1. She will succeed Brian Cuccias, who retired on April 1. Wilkinson has served as Ingalls’ vice president of program management since 2016. (
VirginiaBusiness.com)
Wilkinson
Photo by Mark Rhodes
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