Fitness center, library planned for former Military Circle Mall in Norfolk

Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander last week updated his city on plans to redevelop MacArthur Center mall and the former Military Circle Mall site.

During his State of the City address on Friday, Alexander announced that Norfolk is planning a “state-of-the-art” fitness and wellness center and library for the east side of the city at the former Military Circle mall site.

“The new facility will feature a cutting-edge library that incorporates the latest technologies, innovative design and services, focused on user needs to support learning, research and community involvement,” Alexander said.

He said the facility will serve an anchor for a planned mixed-use development at the site of the former mall. Norfolk has partnered with Nashville, Tennessee-based Lose Design, which has an office in Fairfax, to begin planning for this development, the mayor added.

City spokesperson Kelly Straub said in an email that the scope of Lose Design’s work focuses on a feasibility analysis that identifies the essential programming needs for the community, which will lead to a conceptual design.

Demolition at the site could potentially begin late this year, Straub said, and the schedule for full design and construction will be finalized as part of the planning effort.

The city bought the 54-year-old, long-declining Military Circle Mall building and the surrounding 73 acres in 2020 for $11 million.

Sean Washington, Norfolk’s economic development director, previously told Virginia Business that redevelopment plans would center on a tournament-caliber ice rink complex, plus residential, retail and hotel space. Asked if those elements are still being planned for development at the site, Straub replied that the fitness, wellness and library facility will be “a component” of the overall mixed-use development and that all other asset classes are still being evaluated.

Straub noted the redevelopment plans announced by the mayor are an early concept and that the city will solicit input from the community. Stakeholder input will begin immediately and will include focus groups and community meetings.

MacArthur Center finds a developer

Also on Friday, Alexander announced Hg80 Real Estate as the master developer for plans to redevelop MacArthur Center mall in downtown Norfolk. He said the company has more than two decades of experience transforming retail and mixed-use spaces, such as Bethesda Row in Bethesda, Maryland, and Pike and Rose in North Bethesda, Maryland. Alexander said Hg80 brings “the expertise and innovation” needed to unlock the MacArthur site’s full potential.

Norfolk purchased the 23-acre struggling MacArthur Center mall for $18 million in 2023, including consulting and legal fees. At the time, Alexander said that buying the mall would enable the city to “play an active and strategic role” in the property’s future.

In 2024, Norfolk hired architectural consulting firm Gensler to conduct a study on the mall and what action the city should take with it. During his 2024 State of the City address, Alexander said the MacArthur Center is expected to be replaced by a major mixed-use development, which could be called “The Anchorage,” featuring a 400-room, military-themed hotel and 518,000 square feet of high-rise residential space.

Last year, Alexander said the development would have a 518,000-square-foot high-rise residential tower — with possibly 400 to 600 units — with rental and ownership options, plus 47,000 square feet of “luxury amenities” and active ground-floor leases. He said there would also be a 2-acre pedestrian-oriented promenade with more than 170,000 square feet of retail space. The plan is for the new development to completely replace the existing mall, except for the parking garages.

Straub said in a Tuesday email all of the proposed uses announced last year are “being formally evaluated.”

“Part of the scope of work with Hg80 is evaluating the current marketability and feasibility of the project as announced last year,” she said.