Military Circle plans shift in new direction

The fate of Norfolk’s closed Military Circle Mall has yet to be determined, but city officials are considering how the property could leverage sports tourism and offer retail and housing options.

The city bought the 54-year-old, long-declining mall building and the surrounding 73 acres in 2020 for $11 million. As Norfolk seeks to repurpose the building and property, the city has commissioned a $200,000 study from Washington-based consulting firm Gensler to determine if a mixed-use family sports complex with retail, lodging and residential components would be the best fit, says Sean Washington, Norfolk’s economic development director.

“We want to bring in outside money and these families, when they travel for their competitions, they spend money in restaurants and hotels,” Washington says.

The proposed development’s mixed-use portion, including housing, would provide an economic anchor, he says: “With the current housing shortage, we want to help people to get affordable home ownership. This study will determine if this is the direction we want to go in.”

The study is essentially a reboot for the city’s Military Circle plans, following a prolonged competitive bidding process that saw proposals submitted from three groups of developers, including a team led by music and fashion icon Pharrell Williams, who proposed a development to be known as Wellness Loop that would have included a 15,000-seat arena, 1,100 housing units, office space and a hotel. Despite negotiating with Williams’ team, the city never officially approved that proposal, and in February, the city Economic Development Authority issued a new request for proposals for redeveloping Military Circle Mall.

With Sentara Health occupying the mall’s former JCPenney store, the new development will have a health and wellness emphasis, Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander says, and the sports complex will not just be for tourism, but also for the community. “Everyone keeps telling me to put in pickleball courts,” Washington says.

Another question is what type of housing is needed, Alexander says, adding that the city needs to determine if its schools can handle additional children or if the housing should be for seniors.

The study also will address whether the mall and surrounding outparcels can be repurposed instead of being demolished, as was originally planned.

“The question is how to use the box stores and readapt them,” Washington says. “Nothing is off the table.”