NORFOLK, Va. — Six years after construction began at the former Tidewater Gardens neighborhood, the city of Norfolk is working to finalize a plan to redevelop the other two neighborhoods in the St. Paul's area.
As of the beginning of March, the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority says 701 units have been built on and around the former Tidewater Gardens — now known as "Kindred" — with more to come.
“Another 191 units currently under construction at the site and then, another 191 units that will be constructed hopefully later this year," said Steve Morales, Chief Development Officer for NRHA.
At the end of January, Morales and Susan Perry, Norfolk's Director of Housing and Community Development, presented an update to Norfolk's City Council during a retreat about the St. Paul's redevelopment project.
St. Paul's Transformation Update - January 30, 2026
The project seeks to tear down low-income housing in three neighborhoods near Downtown: Tidewater Gardens, Young Terrace and Calvert Square. Built in the 1950s, the communities have been historically associated with poverty and crime.
With the redevelopment, residents that are displaced are allowed to return once mixed-income housing is built.
“We’ve had more than 103 residents return on site and they retain their right to return for up to five years,” Perry told News 3 in a recent interview.
Morales adds that not only is NRHA helping get residents into the new spaces, they're committed to helping them throughout the entire transition. He and Perry say it'll be the same as the city looks to redevelop Young Terrace and Calvert Square in the coming years.
Morales says the Master Plan for that part of the St. Paul's project is still being finalized.
“We probably have four to six months to go," he tells News 3.
Throughout the last year, the city held listening sessions for residents who will be affected and discussions are still happening in other forums.
“That is really what is driving this...is always putting the families and the people first," said Perry.
One of those people is Annise Samuel.
She's lived in Calvert Square for three years and is now President of the neighborhood's Tenant Management Council. She says she's trying to get more people to voice their hopes and concerns as the redevelopment plan is ironed out in the coming months.
“A dog park is a big to-do to me and then for the other residents, I would love to see a grocery store because we have a lot of elderly out here," Samuel told News 3 of her hopes.
But the planners of the project insist construction is still far away.
According to the presentation to City Council in January, a target date is Fall of 2027.
Perry also says the city has to work to secure funding. The Tidewater Gardens project used $100 million in grants.
Residents can still weigh in on the project in neighborhood meetings and also have their voice heard on NRHA's Fiscal Year 2027 Draft Plan. Copies of the plan can be found in property management offices of public housing neighborhoods. Residents can also call the Annual Plan Public Comment Hotline at 757-314-1320 or email nhoneyblue@nrha.us.
