NORFOLK, Va. — During a presentation at a Tuesday Work Session, Norfolk's city council learned the estimated cost of a massive flood resilience project ballooned from $2.6 billion to $6.1 billion.
The new number was part of an update on the Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) project from Deputy City Manager Doug Beaver and Col. Sonny Avichal, District Commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The city and Army Corps are partnering on the CSRM, which aims to better defend the low-lying city of Norfolk from flood waters brought on by coastal storms.
News 3 obtained Beaver's and Avichal's presentation, which also now lists a construction completion date of 2040, ahead of the session. It lists design changes, inflation and other issues as the reason for the cost increase.
In response to the increase, Councilman Tommy Smigiel said in a statement:
“Yes, the price has risen to the point that we can no longer afford the project as a city - not even the 35% match. The state and federal government need to step in and assist us. At this point, I would prefer for us to shift any money that has been budgeted to other priorities throughout the city."
According to the presentation, one funding revision being considered is seeking congressional approval to lower the non-federal cost share for the project from 35 percent to ten percent, meaning city contribution would then equal roughly ten percent of the total cost.
The news comes as Phase 1A of the CSRM is set to begin in the summer along the Elizabeth River between the Berkley and Campostella bridges. That portion of the project is expected to include a floodwall.
The rest of Phase 1 includes other areas of Downtown. Phase 2 focuses on neighborhoods around Pretty Lake, while Phases 3 and 4 center on the Lafayette River and Broad Creek, respectively.
There's also a Nonstructural part of the program that seeks to help 1,000 homeowners in flood-prone neighborhoods like Willoughby, Ingleside and Berkley better protect their homes through home-raising and basement filling. Most of a $25 million state grant will help fund those projects — starting with 62 properties in the Willoughby/Ocean View area, according to a CSRM spokesperson.
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