Downtown Reimagined

Building on the success of last year’s design charrette for the Downtown Newport News Superblock area, at this year’s State of the City event, Mayor Price unveiled the new urban design vision for Downtown Newport News. The vision seeks to take advantage of the unique character of the City’s Downtown, along with the area’s direct waterfront access. It includes a reimagined 28th Street garden bridge, a multimodal bridge that is a public park and community asset. It connects the Southeast Community and Lower Jefferson Avenue with Downtown. The intersection of Washington Avenue and 28th Street becomes the main crossroads, or the heart of Downtown, flanked by the mixed-use urban village on the Superblock and a new bicycle hub. One block away, a new Public Market building and public space is envisioned that would create a vibrancy and buzz for those living, working and visiting Downtown. 28th Street will terminate under a new triumphal entry arch to the James River Strand, creating a waterfront with a public pier attraction that will provide an outdoor space for the arts, public celebrations, water-based recreation and a loading dock for a ferry service that will run from Newport News to the Southside. In all of these efforts, the Authority is expected to play a major role in property ownership, facility management and as project partner.