Driving Revitalization

The EDA and strategic partners together catalyze economic prosperity. New, robust development, rehabilitation efforts, entrepreneurial support and workforce development programs in the Southeast Community reinforce transformative change, making opportunity accessible for all. 

The EDA commenced construction on the rehabilitation of 2510 Jefferson Avenue in September, preserving another component of the historic Black business district on Jefferson Avenue. This project is supported by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)-managed Port Host Communities Revitalization Fund and Industrial Revitalization Fund grant programs, as well as Choice Neighborhood Initiative funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The façade of the nearly 100-year-old building will be retained and the property will be developed to create new community office and retail space. 

Speaking of upcoming changes, Newport News received $640,994 in funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to support the design of a seafood market and dock improvements in the Seafood Industrial Park. Work Program Architects is underway designing the seafood market which will create a new neighborhood attraction and support food-based entrepreneurship.

In parallel, design is underway for the adjacent dock improvements which will support commercial watermen who are part of the Virginia seafood industry. 

Additionally, the EDA secured $100,000 from the Virginia Business District Resurgence Grant to provide business support in the Southeast Community. This funding from Virginia DHCD will be used to reduce barriers in accessing the Façade Improvement Grant and e-Commerce Grant programs, and to implement a rent reimbursement program aimed at filling vacant storefronts. 

Also in the Southeast Community, Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NNRHA) is fully engaged in the redevelopment of Ridley Place. The public housing site’s original 259 units have been demolished and the site is being transformed with the construction of 155 new townhome and apartment units. Scheduled to be completed in 2024, the new development will feature a health and wellness trail connecting to King-Lincoln Park. The site is directly adjacent to the location of the new Early Childhood Development Center being developed in partnership with Peake Childhood Center, the City and Virginia Peninsula Community College, also to be completed in 2024.

2023 saw the opening of Fresenius Kidney Care, as well as the commencement of construction in the development of a new Humana Urgent Care at Brooks Crossing. These projects build upon prior investments by the EDA and development partner, Southeast Commerce Center Associates, to expand services available within the neighborhood, while also improving accessibility to needed healthcare facilities.

Neighborhood-level breakthroughs include a first-in-the-nation model of industry, municipal and higher education partnership — Brooks Crossing Innovation and Opportunity Center (BCIOC). The Center has proven to be a compelling hub for economic and workforce development activities in our Southeast Community – and its successes impact our entire region. 

In July 2023, BCIOC hosted Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Carren Merrick, as she recognized areas making exceptional strides to enhance workforce training and skills development. Secretary Merrick met with BCIOC partner representatives Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia Peninsula Community College, City of Newport News, Old Dominion University and other partners. Well-known as an extremely successful entrepreneur, Secretary Merrick enjoyed a tour of both the Opportunity and the Innovation sides of BCIOC. She learned about the workforce initiatives taking place at BCIOC and in the region, and also interacted with a group of middle school students who were participating in a field trip, learning how to use computer-aided design, 3D printing and laser engraving.

BCIOC welcomed dignitaries again in August when U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Congressman Bobby Scott toured the facility learning about its mission and about the consortium that supports it. Impressed with the collaborative efforts within the region, Secretary Su expressed her admiration for the workforce development initiatives taking place at the Center, and the partnerships that the City has established with community colleges, universities, employers and nonprofit organizations.

In February, Hampton University (HU) demonstrated its continued commitment to CNI’s success by holding an information session at BCIOC and announcing new programming, scholarships, workforce development programs and other opportunities for Newport News residents. Nearly 100 attendees learned how HU has set aside four online scholarships for Marshall-Ridley residents and free memberships for residents to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). OLLI offers non-credit courses to adults 50 years and older, providing opportunities to engage in lifelong learning and social enrichment programs such as computer training, dance, swimming and local, national and international travel. OLLI is interested in establishing a satellite at BCIOC and providing transportation support for campus-based programs.

The EDA teamed with Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC) and its Educational Foundation to create a workforce center in the Southeast Community. Multimillion-dollar funding from BlueForge Alliance, on behalf of the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base Directorate, enabled the project. The 15,000-square-foot workforce center will house trades training programs to assist local shipbuilding and ship repair industries, ultimately supporting the submarine industrial base. VPCC anticipates that the facility will serve up to 200 welding students, 120 marine electrical students and 60 structural fitting students annually.