NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Norfolk’s MacArthur Center mall could be transformed into a mixed-use community anchored by a military-themed 400-room hotel.
Mayor Kenny Alexander announced the proposal Friday during his State of the City address, saying it would be the “Mid-Atlantic’s most state-of-the-art mixed use destination.”
The indoor/outdoor proposal is set to feature high-rise apartments and condos and a 2.5-acre pedestrian promenade. Plans also call for about 172,000-square-feet of “destination” (MacArthur’s former bread and butter) and “community-serving” retail.
Though there are still few details about the project at this time. Alexander didn’t share information about the potential costs and developer for the project, or a timeframe for the potential development.
The city just allocated $18 million to purchase the mall, the youngest of five remaining traditional malls left in Hampton Roads, out of foreclosure in 2023. It’s still operating, but it is now more than 50% vacant.
“All the stores are gone. Nordstrom is gone. Pretty much everything that I was looking forward to going there is closed,” said musician Blair Bryant.
Bryant, who is visiting from Kansas City, regularly plays in downtown Norfolk and knows MacArthur Center well.
“To see this mall I used to visit all the time now is going downhill it’s really sad,” Bryant said.
Oksana Lutsyshyn is from Ukraine and moved to the Mermaid City with her husband in 1997. She remembers the day MacArthur Center opened in 1999 and how it was the place to be.
“MacArthur Mall brought some life to downtown,” Lutsyshyn explained.
She’s thrilled by the city’s new plans for the space.
“I’m excited about the promenade,” Lutsyshyn said.
In December 2023, the city hired an architect to come up with potential ideas for the space. The options included a boutique hotel, multi-family housing, retail and grocery stores, restaurants, a 2,000-seat entertainment venue and an urban park.
In addition to the plan for MacArthur Center, here are a few of the many other announcements and initiatives Alexander mentioned a number of other things:
- Serious crime, homicides and stolen vehicles all down in 2023
- Port of Norfolk is the only U.S. port to operate on 100% clean energy
- Norfolk Innovation Corridor has created, or will create, 400 new jobs
- $2.6 billion project to address neighborhood flooding has already completed phase 1
- Trade career programs in aircraft maintenance and shipbuilding thanks to public private partnerships
- Scope Arena to get expanded seating in upper and lower levels, VIP space, expanded concourses
- Chrysler Hall will get better stage, lighting and production features
- Former Greyhound bus station will become Houndstooth residential housing complex with 220 units
- Mayor calls for special task force to address Norfolk’s homelessness problem