$450M Navy housing project in Newport News slated to begin this summer

Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones announced Monday that construction is set to start on a $450 million downtown development featuring two apartment towers targeted for sailors and 10,000 square feet of retail space this summer.

Jones announced the update during the State of the City address held at Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Center for the Arts. He said the U.S. Navy and its partner Hunt Military Communities plan to break ground on the project within the next quarter.

The project includes 750 two-bedroom apartments for sailors and will replace several existing structures, including the Huntington Hall site owned by Newport News Shipbuilding, and the city-owned Julius Conn Gym. The units are designed to house roughly 1,500 sailors, with each apartment shared by two residents.

The 930,000-square-foot project, to be built in two phases, will be located between Huntington Avenue and Warwick Boulevard, and on 32nd and 29th streets. The project’s first phase involves a 555-unit apartment complex featuring two 17-story towers. The phase also includes the construction of 6,090 square feet of retail space and a four-story garage with 1,050 spaces.

The second phase will include the remaining 195 apartments, plus 4,000 additional square feet of retail and a 30,000-square-foot building for Navy programming.

Newport News Director of Development Florence Kingston previously said at a February Economic Development Authority meeting that completion of the parking garage is anticipated by summer 2028, followed by the completion of Phase I, which includes the residential towers, by summer 2029. The final phase, involving development at the current location of Huntington Hall, is expected to be completed by summer 2031.

Jones has said the Navy is investing between $350 million and $400 million in the project. Newport News has received a $40 million treasury loan from the state to help finance the project.

“As someone who served in the Marine Corps the past decade, I’m most excited about getting those Navy sailors off the ships and into downtown,” Jones told the media after his speech.

Hunt Military Communities did not immediately return requests for further comment.

Other announcements

Jones also highlighted efforts to drive activity and investment in downtown beyond housing, pointing to a new large-scale event planned for Memorial Day weekend.

“This year, on Memorial Day weekend, Newport News will host Noodle: The Thinkers Convention,” Jones said. “This first-of-its-kind event for Hampton Roads — not in the southside, but here in Newport News, will bring global talent in tech, entertainment, new media, business and science to our city.”

The convention will take place at Victory Landing Park and the Yard District and will feature a mix of speakers, performances and programming focused on technology, business and the arts. A March announcement revealed a lineup that includes Chance the Rapper, “Shark Tank” investor and entrepreneur Daymond John, and musicians Aloe Blacc and CeeLo Green, along with scientists and business leaders.

Jones first suggested launching the event in January 2025. In December 2025, the city approved a roughly $3 million grant to support the launch of the event, which is aimed at boosting tourism, drawing visitors downtown and supporting local businesses.

“This is more than an event,” Jones said. “It’s a statement that Newport News is ready to lead, to convene and to bring big ideas into one place. Noodle is more than just music and speakers, it’s about creating a space people can learn, connect, create and imagine.”

While Jones did not give revenue projections for the event, he said he is “confident” that the city will generate a positive return on investment.

Jones also pointed to additional redevelopment efforts moving forward.

He said the city is advancing requests for proposals for the adaptive reuse of two downtown properties: the former West Avenue Library and a former Greek Orthodox church near Victory Arch.

Both sites were among a group of properties highlighted during the 2025 EDGE summit, where city officials pitched redevelopment opportunities to developers as part of a broader effort to attract private investment.

The West Avenue Library, built in 1929 and vacant since 2013, is located in the downtown core near Newport News Shipbuilding and is eligible for historic rehabilitation tax credits.

The former Greek Orthodox church, constructed in 1949 and vacant for decades, sits near Victory Landing Park and is being marketed as a potential restaurant, event or entertainment venue as part of ongoing waterfront and Yard District improvements.

Proposals for both projects are due by Friday at 5 p.m.

Jones told the media it’s important for the city to repurpose abandoned buildings into new uses.

“I’m excited about the Orthodox Church,” he said. “It could be a food hall. It could be a concert hall. There’s so many opportunities, but we need public-private partnership.”

In addition to economic development initiatives, Jones also outlined a major policy proposal affecting the city’s workforce.

He said he plans to bring forward a vote before July to authorize collective bargaining for city employees, an initiative under discussion statewide.

“We will not wait for state mandates,” Jones said. “We will not wait for Richmond to tell us the time. We’ll make a choice here as a council here in Newport News, because our cities deserve not just to be heard, but to help shape the future of this city.”

The proposal follows the creation of a city task force in 2024 to study the issue and make recommendations to City Council.

Virginia law has allowed localities to authorize collective bargaining for public employees since 2021. Jones said he is confident he has the votes to pass the matter this summer. According to Jones, the city has a workforce of more than 3,700 people.