Downtown Norfolk, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norfolk Central Business District
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Central Business District
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| Downtown Norfolk | |
Skyline of Downtown Norfolk
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| Nickname(s):
"The Heart of Virginia's Waterfront"
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| Motto(s):
"Thou Shalt Grow"
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Artist's depiction of Downtown Norfolk's Road Layout
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 Norfolk Central Business District
Location in Virginia
Norfolk Central Business District
Location in the United States
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| ZIP code |
23510
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| Area codes | 757, 948 |
Downtown Norfolk is the main center for business, government, and culture in the Hampton Roads area. For a long time, Norfolk's downtown waterfront was busy with shipping and port activities. But when new ways of shipping cargo, like container ships, became popular, the old port facilities in downtown Norfolk were no longer needed.
This left many empty piers and warehouses, which made downtown look neglected. At the same time, new shopping centers opened in the suburban areas. These new places offered more convenience, like free parking and air conditioning. This made downtown's Granby Street, which used to be the top shopping spot, lose its popularity. Businesses found it harder to compete.
Starting in the 1920s, leaders in Norfolk began working hard to bring new life back to the city's center.
Contents
Discovering Downtown Norfolk's History
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Downtown Norfolk Historic District
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Granby Street (2008)
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| Location | Granby, Main, and Plume Sts., City Hall Ave., and Bank St.; also Granby, Freemason, Charlotte, Bute, and York Sts., College Pl., and Monticello Ave., Norfolk, Virginia |
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| Area | 43.3 acres (17.5 ha) |
| Architect | Cassell, Charles E.; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Beaux Arts, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000475, 01000613 (Boundary Increase) |
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| Added to NRHP | March 20, 1987, May 30, 2001 (Boundary Increase) |
The Downtown Norfolk Historic District is a special area listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in 1987 and made larger in 2001. This district includes 97 important buildings in Norfolk's main business area. These buildings show how wealthy Norfolk was from the 1890s to the 1930s.
You can see different styles of architecture here. These include Classical Revival, Beaux Arts, and Italianate styles. Some famous buildings in the district are the Showcase Building (around 1914) and the Hotel Fairfax (1907). Other important places include the Walter E. Hoffman United States Courthouse and the Wells Theatre.
Granby Street's Challenges
To bring shoppers back, Norfolk's leaders tried to make Granby Street like a modern shopping mall. They called it "Granby Mall." They closed the street to cars, added new landscaping, and put in new street furniture.
However, this idea did not work as planned. Closing Granby Street to cars made it harder for people to visit businesses. This led to fewer people walking by the shops. The street felt empty, and more businesses started to close. This created a difficult situation for Granby Street for many years.
Downtown Norfolk's Big Changes
While Granby Street faced challenges, city leaders also focused on the waterfront. Many old piers and warehouses were falling apart. The government offered money through "urban renewal" programs. These programs helped cities remove old, neglected areas to build new things.
Norfolk used these funds to tear down many old buildings downtown. This included some older homes and important city landmarks. At the waterfront, almost all the old shipping buildings were removed. In their place, a new road called Waterside Drive was built.
New attractions rose where the old piers and warehouses once stood. These included the Waterside Festival Marketplace, a shopping and entertainment area. Also, Town Point Park, a beautiful park with great river views, was created. The Norfolk Omni Hotel was also built. These changes helped create the modern skyline of downtown Norfolk.
Waterfront Success Story
Unlike the Granby Mall idea, the changes to Norfolk's waterfront were a big success. Town Point Park became a popular public space. People gather there for events like Harborfest or just to enjoy the views.
The Waterside festival marketplace opened in 1983. It became a new place for fun and shopping. It helped kickstart the renewal of downtown. (However, by 2012, the Waterside was not as popular, and the city considered new plans for the space.)
Nauticus, a national maritime center, was built on an old pier next to Town Point Park. Near Nauticus, the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center opened in 2007. This is a place for cruise ships and events. The USS Wisconsin, a famous battleship, is docked there for people to visit. Clearing the old buildings also made way for new office buildings. These changes have made downtown Norfolk's waterfront look completely different and much more modern.
MacArthur Center: A New Beginning
In the mid-1990s, with the waterfront doing well, Norfolk leaders looked back at Granby Street. They wanted to bring major shopping back downtown. They had an idea to build a large, upscale shopping mall. This mall would be on land cleared during the urban renewal efforts.
Norfolk officials worked hard to get a popular department store called Nordstrom to open a store there. In 1997, they announced that Nordstrom would indeed open in a new downtown mall. This mall was named MacArthur Center, honoring a famous World War II General. The city invested nearly $100 million to build parking garages and improve the area around the mall.
Construction of MacArthur Center began in 1996, and it opened in March 1999. It was a big hit! MacArthur Center is a three-story enclosed mall. It has Dillard's and Nordstrom as its main department stores. Regal Cinemas also has an 18-screen movie theater on the third floor.
MacArthur Center brought many new and upscale stores to the Hampton Roads area. This made other shopping malls in the region, like Lynnhaven Mall, improve their stores to compete.
MacArthur Center's Positive Impact
It's interesting to note that the type of place that hurt Granby Street before – a climate-controlled mall – actually helped save it. While MacArthur Center was being built, Norfolk also spent money to improve the rest of downtown. Sidewalks were rebuilt, new lights were added, and streets were repaved.
With thousands of new shoppers coming to MacArthur Center, property owners downtown invested in their buildings. They prepared them for new shops and homes. Tidewater Community College opened its Norfolk campus on Granby Street. Its library is in the beautifully restored former Smith & Welton department store.
The empty storefronts on Granby Street are now filled with trendy restaurants and bars. The street, once quiet, is now a lively place for nightlife. More people are also choosing to live downtown. Old commercial buildings are being turned into apartments and new homes are being built. For example, the Norfolk Rotunda Building, once a bank, now has 66 luxury condominiums.
Since MacArthur Center opened, three new office towers have been built. These include 150 West Main Street (completed in 2002), the Dominion Enterprises Building (completed in 2007), and the Wells Fargo Center (completed in 2010). These new buildings have added to Norfolk's growing skyline.
Downtown's Success Spreads
Norfolk's efforts to bring its downtown back to life have received praise across the country. Magazines like Planning Magazine have highlighted the huge increase in people living downtown. Money magazine even named Norfolk the best city to live in the South in 2005.
The success of downtown has also helped the city's finances. This means Norfolk can now focus on improving other neighborhoods. The Ghent district, located near downtown, is a popular urban community. It has many different types of people living there. Other areas of Norfolk are also being revitalized. These include Fairmount Park Neighborhood, Ocean View, and East Beach, both located on the Chesapeake Bay.
