Fraim Delivers State of Norfolk Address

This past Friday, city leaders and stakeholders were in attendance as Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim delivered his annual State of the City of Norfolk Address.  The speech always provides some good tidbits of info regarding ongoing or upcoming projects around town.

Norfolk City Hall Complex

CC Image courtesy of jsmjr on Flickr

The following include additional information on some of the topics we've been covering:

• Slover Library is on track for a winter 2014 opening.
• Construction of Phase 1 of the new courts complex should wrap up a year from now.  Construction of Phase 2 (whatever that consists of) will then start and conclude in early 2015.
• The city will hold more outdoor festivals promoting Granby St. and downtown Norfolk.
• Construction of Waterside Live! should take 18 months and be open before the end of 2014.
• Separate from that, a Request for Proposal to modernize the Waterside Marine will be issued shortly.
• The upcoming development of new housing downtown (Wainwright, 401 Granby, 416 Boush, Rockefeller) could potentially push the number of Norfolk's downtown residents to over 4500 once occupied.
• The Bon Secours mixed-use development on 21st Street between Hampton Boulevard and
  Colley Avenue will indeed bring a Fresh Market to the area.
• The Governor's School for the Arts renovation downtown will be complete by the time kids are in class next fall.
• Success and popularity of The Chrysler Museum's Glass Studio has it well-positioned to be the anchor of the proposed arts district North of Brambleton.
• Virginia Zoo's Animal Hospital and Wellness Center will open in October.
• The new Amtrak passenger rail station is under construction and scheduled to open in October.
• The new bus transfer center will be located off St. Paul's Blvd. (no surprise there and still doesn't make sense).

There is some other really good info in the address, but I think I hit on all of the developmental topics.