An
update to the Downtown Norfolk area plan, Downtown Norfolk
2020: A Vision for the Next Decade, was
adopted by City Council on April 21, 2009.
While this plan update continues Norfolk’s tradition of using
physical planning as a primary tool for economic development, it
also marks the beginning of a new era Downtown.
Light Rail Transit (LRT) is under construction. The LRT system
will greatly enhance Downtown’s role as the unique center of the
region. Transit stations will be key focal points in Downtown’s
interconnected network of pedestrian-friendly streets and public
spaces. All of the needs of daily life will be within walking
distance or accessible by transit, and Downtown will
increasingly become the destination of choice. Additional
initiatives will be developed along the NET shuttle bus route.
Together, these initiatives establish all of Downtown as a
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). The major focus of this
update is the framework of transportation and pedestrian open
space which will encourage future private investment.
This update focuses on two broad themes: 1) creation of place,
either around alternative modes of transportation, such as LRT,
or the waterfront; and 2) creation of improved connections
between the Downtown and city’s neighborhoods. Together, these
represent the completion of the renaissance of Downtown’s urban
core.
Transit Oriented Places
-
Government
Center Station TOD: A new civic green, with space
for public art, and Courthouse complex will create this
gateway into the core of Downtown.
-
MacArthur
Station TOD: In the heart of Downtown, this station
will be accompanied by a variety of small-scale shops,
plazas, an information center, a new library, and activity
areas to become the hub of Downtown.
-
Monticello
Station TOD: The new station will provide
access for both Granby Street and a new series of
developments on the long undeveloped east side of Monticello
Avenue. It will also serve Scope, Chrysler Hall, and
Tidewater Community College.
-
Museum Station TOD: A series of residential
and hotel developments along this thoroughfare have been
coordinated to complement the historic character of
Freemason and enhance the character of Brambleton Avenue, to
promote pedestrian crossings, and to maximize the use of the
transit station. It is accessible to the Chrysler Museum
within a 5-minute walk.
-
NET TOD: An expanded NET line to the north
will provide new access for properties north of Brambleton
Avenue, making those properties and streets an integral part
of Downtown, while also improving connections between Ghent
and Downtown. Revisions to parking regulations are also
recommended to improve utilization of this area.
Waterfront-Related Places
-
Hotel
Conference Center: A new Hotel and Conference
Center fronting on Main Street will greatly improve
Norfolk’s capacity to attract major conferences and events,
with tts proximity to the Granby Connector, providing
pedestrian access to Waterside and the renovated Town Point
Park
-
East Main
Street and Harbor Park: Waterfront mixed-use
development and improvements to waterfront pedestrian paths
and the entrance to Harbor Park are recommended. This
waterfront segment includes the Ferry Landing and leads to
East Main Street and the Government Center complex.
Connections to the Neighborhoods
-
Pedestrian
crossings along St. Paul’s Boulevard and Brambleton
Avenue should be improved.
-
Expanded
NET to include additional service that will
begin in Downtown and then extend north along Granby Street
to 21st Street, west to Colley Avenue, and then
south to the Fort Norfolk-Medical Center LRT station.
-
LRT
Stations to the East at Harbor Park, Brambleton
Avenue (Norfolk State University), and Ballentine Boulevard
(Broad Creek), and to the west at Fort Norfolk (Eastern
Virginia Medical Center), should lead to improved access to
the nearby neighborhoods and employment centers.
-
A bicycle
path should be marked to further establish
connections between Downtown and the surrounding
neighborhoods.
A
Downtown Norfolk Pattern Book has also been
prepared as a companion to the Downtown Norfolk 2020 Plan.
This pattern book was designed to ensure that the attributes of
future development will continue to create a sequence of
attractive urban spaces. The pattern book allows the user to
identify the urban qualities of a site, determine basic massing,
compose the urban façade, and choose an appropriate
architectural style, with references to typical material and
applications for that style.
City
Planning Commission Briefing (January - February 2009)
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