Newport News targets 12 sites for development

Newport News city leaders on Thursday unveiled a list of 12 sites they want to see developed or redeveloped, floating concepts such as a data center near Fort Eustis, a relocated City Hall and new downtown housing and retail.

Officials discussed the properties during the Newport News Economic Development Growth & Expansion (EDGE) summit at City Center, with city staff pitching the sites to an audience that included regional developers. Within the following year, the city plans to seek development proposals for many of the targeted parcels.

“The main goal is to develop our economy, to broaden it, and to encourage developers to come and invest into this great city,” said Mayor Phillip Jones. “So bottom line, up front, at the end of this weekend, I want individuals to have matched developers with projects and generate either an MOU or a letter of interest. This is how we are able to lower taxes and diversify our economy.”

Jones said the largest of the proposed development sites is Air Commerce Park, 330 acres of undeveloped land on the property of the Newport News Williamsburg Airport. The Peninsula Airport Commission, the governing body that oversees the airport, owns the commerce park.

Newport News Assistant Director of Development Derek Perry stated that the property is zoned for light industrial use. The city and airport have previously discussed hopes to use the land for purposes other than commercial air services, such as aviation manufacturing or advanced air mobility.

In the city’s northern and less dense region is the Carleton Advanced Manufacturing site — a 145-acre build-to-suit site at 165 and 185 Yorktown Road owned by the city economic development authority. The city hopes the land, which features CSX rail access, could be used for industrial purposes. The site can accommodate an 800,000-square-foot production facility as well as a 60,000-square-foot office or training building, Perry said.

Nearby and also owned by the city EDA is a 19-plus-acre property on Dozier Road that lies near Fort Eustis and Yorktown Naval Weapons Station. Perry said the city is trying to mitigate encroachment around Fort Eustis and that the property, zoned for heavy industrial use, could be utilized for a data center or a power generator.

“It’s near the base and away from residents,” said Jones, adding that a data center could generate substantial local tax revenue. “It’s almost like the perfect combination to put a medium-sized data center there, which will help bring down our taxes.”

Over the years, the city has had various preliminary discussions about relocating its city hall building from downtown, in the southern part of the city, to a more centralized location. With that in mind, the city is also inviting developers to pitch potential ideas on how to repurpose the existing 10-story, 133,333-square-foot city hall, which was built in 1972. Jones said that regardless of what happens to the municipal headquarters, he will keep the mayor’s office downtown.

The other properties discussed for development or redevelopment include:

• A 23-acre site on Oriana Road in the Denbigh community, primed for mixed-use residential and commercial development, according to the city;
• A 7.74-acre site at 13771 and 13785 Warwick Blvd. that will be anchored by a new Grissom Library;
• A 38-acre expansion area for City Center at Oyster Point, a rapidly growing business district in the city that offers a mix of dining, housing and commercial spaces;
• Seven acres at the Warwick Village Shopping Center on Warwick Boulevard;
• A 9,800-square-foot former Greek Church in downtown, built in 1949;
• The West Avenue Library at 2907 West Ave., in downtown Newport News;
• A 5.3-acre site at 2601 and 2701 Washington Ave., blocks from Newport News Shipbuilding, where the city hopes to get proposals that address housing demand, while also introducing retail, hotel, dining and entertainment options;
• A 27.6-acre waterfront property at 1300 Marshall Ave., in the city’s Southeast community.

The summit aimed to give developers and experts the opportunity to provide ideas and weigh in on how these 12 properties can best complement what’s already in the city, help make the city as vibrant as possible and assist the city in establishing realistic project goals, Newport News Director of Development Florence Kingston said.

City Manager Alan Archer informed developers that the city is not only open for business but also ready to partner with them to bring projects to fruition.

“These sites are catalysts for growth [and] opportunities to attract investment and platforms for innovation,” Archer said. “When these sites are developed, the impact will ripple outward, creating jobs, strengthening neighborhoods and empowering families to build wealth right here in Newport News.”