South Norfolk, Virginia facts for kids
South Norfolk was once its own special city in eastern Virginia, United States. It's located in a big area called Hampton Roads, which is known for its large harbor. Today, South Norfolk is a part of the city of Chesapeake. All the cities in the Hampton Roads area are connected by a big road system called the Hampton Roads Beltway.
South Norfolk's Story: A Look Back
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 7,724 | — | |
| 1930 | 7,857 | 1.7% | |
| 1940 | 8,038 | 2.3% | |
| 1950 | 10,434 | 29.8% | |
| 1960 | 22,035 | 111.2% | |
| 1920-1960 Population as the City of South Norfolk | |||
South Norfolk is just a few miles south of the bigger city of Norfolk. It sits along the Southern Branch Elizabeth River. In 1919, South Norfolk became an official "incorporated town" within Norfolk County. This meant it had its own local government. Just three years later, it became an "independent city." This meant it was completely separate from the county.
In the early 1920s, people could ride streetcars all the way from Ocean View in Norfolk to South Norfolk. There was also a ferry boat. It would dock at the end of Indian River Road and carry people across the Southern Branch Elizabeth River to Portsmouth.
After World War II, the city of Norfolk grew very quickly. It started to expand into nearby communities. In 1963, something big happened. The people of South Norfolk and Norfolk County voted to join together. The Virginia General Assembly, which is like Virginia's state parliament, approved this idea. They decided to create a brand new independent city called Chesapeake. The new name was also chosen by the voters.
Bringing New Life to South Norfolk
The city of Chesapeake has worked to make the South Norfolk area better. One of the first big projects was called "The Gateway at South Norfolk." This project was part of a plan to bring new life to the area.
When it was planned, The Gateway at South Norfolk was going to cover about 6 acres (24,000 m2). The idea was to build 133 apartments and lofts. It also planned to have 54,000 square feet (5,000 m2) of shops and offices. The company building it also said they would offer affordable homes. These homes would be row-style houses on B Street. About 15 of these homes were planned.
Construction for this project started in 2010. It was supposed to finish in 2014. However, only one public library and one apartment building were completed. This was much less than the 133 homes and other spaces that were promised.
