NORFOLK, Va. — The design and planning for Phase 1A of Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project is nearing completion, according to a presentation given to the Norfolk City Council on Tuesday night.
The multi-billion-dollar initiative aims to enhance resiliency against coastal storm and flood damage across the city of Norfolk, unfolding over several phases.
Phase 1 focuses on an alignment extending from West Ghent to the Harbor Park area, including the replacement of the existing floodwall, according to the planning website.
Phase 1 is further broken into several subsections. Phase 1A focuses on the area from the Berkley Bridge to the Chesterfield Heights neighborhood. Phase 1B includes Town Point Park and Waterside.
Phase 1C incorporates the Ghent, Hague, and Freemason neighborhoods.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other project leaders presented to the Norfolk City Council on Tuesday night, providing an update on the entire project. They said design and planning for Phase 1A have been completed, while community engagement and feedback for Phases 1B and 1C are ongoing.
The current alignment proposes a floodwall in Freemason, which, as News 3 previously reported, has been met with opposition from some neighbors.
Councilmember Courtney Doyle expressed her dissent at Tuesday's council meeting.
"I don't support the city funding that alignment that is currently proposed through Freemason and I want to see, hopefully, that showstopper comes sooner rather than later, so that we can pivot quickly to go to the alternative, which is over the water," she said.
But planners with the U.S. Corps of Engineers aim to secure a 30% design contract by this fall, subject to modifications based on engineering updates. Their evaluation will include factors such as real estate, environmental and cultural resources impacts, utility impacts, subsurface conditions, modeling and survey results, constructability, operability, and other relevant factors.
