NORFOLK, Va. — Staff with the Downtown Norfolk Council (DNC) are sharing a fresh set of goals as part of their strategic plan. Since the process began to update, they gained a clearer vision of desires and priorities for the corridor thanks to feedback from their outreach.
Karriem Daniels, a lifelong Norfolk resident, thinks the Downtown strip is faring well.
"They're doing better at cleaning up the streets," said Daniels.
That's a top priority identified by the DNC, according to President & CEO Mary Miller.
"Our 'Clean & Safe' program [...] that's our ambassador program. So, we have ambassadors who work seven days a week cleaning Downtown and working as extra eyes and ears for the police department, as well as being on-street concierge. No matter what group provided input, that came up as the number one thing," said Miller.
She also touted a reduction in crime Downtown and overall citywide.
That comes after a string of shootings on the Downtown corridor in 2022 prompted changes meant to improve safety and crack down on business compliance.
Some storefronts closed since then, leaving vacancies. One challenge listed on the updated strategic plan is "storefront vacancies throughout Downtown and barriers to opening new ground-level businesses."
Miller said DNC is working with Norfolk's economic development office to attract retailers.
Although, Miller also said the corridor has a lot going for it right now.
"Broadway at Chrysler, look at the shows happening at The Scope. The Admirals are doing well; the Tides did incredibly well last year. And coming out of COVID, festivals and events are back," she added.
Desira Sloan — a Norfolk resident, mom and Tidewater Community College student — told 13News Now she wants to see more locally-owned businesses fill the gaps, and that's not all.
"More activities, more festivals, get everybody outside. And then, figuring out what do with the mall," said Sloan.
Forty-four percent of people who filled out an online survey put the reimagining and redeveloping of MacArthur Center as a top improvement priority. City leaders purchased the mall in 2023.
"What is the future of MacArthur Center? We know the city is working on some activities," said Miller. "So, hopefully, in the month of April, we'll learn more about that."
Additional housing in the area is under construction, too, and is slated for completion this summer. However, Miller also pointed out that they want to keep advocating for more price-point options.
Additionally, Miller's team is striving to make Downtown more welcoming to cruise line passengers. The Half Moone Cruise & Celebration Center will start year-round service in 2025.
Temporarily, for now, two Baltimore-based ships are using our homeport.