Fall 2023 - Project Update
After years of planning, analysis, and public engagement, the proposed Tide extension is positioned to support the City of Norfolk’s plans for redevelopment of the Military Circle Mall site (Redevelopment Site). Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) and the City of Norfolk (the City) are working together to maximize the mutual benefits of an end-of-line station at the Redevelopment Site.
When these plans for redevelopment served by high-capacity transit are determined, the Tide extension will move forward to conclude the environmental analysis and move towards the next phase of the federal project development process.
Military Mall Redevelopment Site
Extending the Tide is a recommendation of the Naval Station Norfolk Transit Corridor Project, a study of high-capacity transit from the Tide to Naval Station Norfolk (NSN). The project is moving forward in two phases. Phase I is the Tide extension from Newtown Road Station to the Redevelopment Site and Phase II is a high-capacity transit connection between the Redevelopment Site and NSN.
Redevelopment of the former Military Circle Mall is one of the City’s top priorities. The site is located on Norfolk’s high ground, meaning it is less prone to flooding and storm surges. The City has three adopted plans – its comprehensive plan (plaNorfolk2030), its climate action plan (Vision2100), and the Military Circle/Military Highway Urban Development Area Plan- that position the Redevelopment Site as the future of high-density redevelopment.
The City initiated a request for proposals (RFP) process that attracted three development teams for redevelopment of the site. The leading proposal incorporated a high-density, mixed-use neighborhood around an arena. The arena is no longer being considered for the site, but the City continues to coordinate with potential developers to envision the future of this important activity center.
The Tide Extension
After redevelopment, the Military Circle Mall area would be a mixed-use neighborhood, having places to live, work, shop, and recreate. This mix of uses would likely provide for most of the daily needs of the residents in the area and attract people from nearby neighborhoods, other parts of the city, and even people outside of Norfolk.
With the redevelopment of the Military Circle area, the Tide will get an east end anchor that connects to a diverse, mixed-use development. To accommodate a growing population and to avoid increased congestion, the Tide is being incorporated into the Military Circle Mall Redevelopment plans.
Once constructed, the Tide extension would connect this new activity center to one of the region’s largest economic centers, Downtown Norfolk. Ultimately, the Redevelopment Site would connect to NSN via high- capacity transit, pending the completion of Phase II of the project. Residents, workers, and visitors in this redevelopment would enjoy one-seat rides to major activity centers in the city.
HRT and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) initiated the Environmental Assessment (EA) process in Fall 2022. This process is required for projects to be eligible for federal funding. Typically, the EA process lasts twelve months from its initiation, but FTA has paused the schedule to allow HRT and the City to further coordinate on redevelopment of the site. Once the City is more certain of how the redevelopment will take shape, the EA process will resume.
Next Steps
HRT and the project team will continue to collaborate with City partners and community stakeholders to promote and advance the project over the coming months while the EA is paused. During this time, the City is expected to continue working with potential developers to create a plan for the Redevelopment Site. Once this plan takes shape, the EA process will resume for the Tide extension. If no significant environmental concerns are identified, the FTA will issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
The next phase of project development will be to develop 30% engineering design plans and to refine the financial plan and funding partnerships for construction of the project and entering the competitive federal and state funding process. If HRT is awarded a Capital Investment Grant (CIG), HRT and the City will advance the Tide Extension to the construction phase. Assuming all these activities are completed successfully, HRT expects service to begin in 2031.
For more information, contact Sherri Dawson, Project Manager.
Sdawson@hrtransit.org or (757) 222-6000 Ext. 6158