NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk’s Wards Corner has lived a long life filled with ups and downs.
The section of town surrounding Granby Street and Little Creek Road was one of the first suburban shopping centers in the country.
Shortly after World War II, it was even called the "Times Square of the South," featuring fancy retailers like Hofheimer’s shoes by the 1950s.
But it wouldn’t last long. As other retail areas in the city grew, businesses started moving out of Wards Corner.
Crime followed, and vacancies plagued the once popular shopping area.
By the mid-1990s, Revco Pharmacy and Pricebuster Video were well-known stores in the area. It wasn’t the mecca it once was, but Wards Corner still offered options for shoppers.
Things would get worse before they got better.
A nearby shooting in 1997 led to perception problems for the area, and a continued decline in tenants would leave Wards Corner at one of its lowest points.
Today, Wards Corner is showing signs of a revival. After bringing in a brand new Harris Teeter grocery store along with a supporting cast of solid chain stores and restaurants, the area just looks more inviting.
But a recent shooting has brought back some of those old concerns for locals.
A 19-year-old man was shot and killed in August at the intersection of East Little Creek Road and Granby Street, near many businesses, including a pharmacy and grocery stores.
Still, the area looks to rebound from one bad day and continue with the recent progress, hoping to give Wards Corner an all-new identity in the next few decades.