NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The former Greenies restaurant site in Ocean View is almost ready for redevelopment nearly five years after the City of Norfolk bought the property.
On Tuesday, Assistant City Engineer Chuck Joyner and a Beatrice Nzeyimana from Norfolk-based VIA design shared the proposed final design and expected construction timeline for phase 1 of the project at Norfolk’s informal council session, which will expand the existing Ocean View Beach Park.
The updated design looks a little different than the first renderings for the site at 196 W. Ocean View Avenue shared by the city in 2021, created after two years of public input.
The highlights of the additions include more green space and parking options, a performance venue/stage that’s smaller than the one currently at Ocean View Beach Park, wheelchair ramp access and EV charging. Features such as a food truck parking area were in already in initial renderings.
Joyner says they’re looking to submit a site plan for review this fall and advertise the project in spring 2024, with a expected completion date of 2025.
“We’re going to try to beat those milestones the best we can.
Joyner says $1 million was set aside in the fiscal year 2024 budget for the project and an additional $1 million is proposed for fiscal year 2025.
Plans for a phase 2 for the project are still in the works, and include the undergrounding of overhead cable and electrical cables in the area around 1st View Street. Joyner says the estimated cost for undergrounding and intersection upgrade would be about $3.3 million.
Previous proposals for phase 2 have called for a new restaurant at the site, but it’s unclear if that will still happen. Though the city says it still remains an option.
