PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth is narrowing down its options for transforming the Crawford Bay waterfront site into what city officials hope will become a second downtown.
Economic Development Director Brian Donohue said three developers are competing for the project: Cape Fear Development, Gold Key PHR and Hines.
"New housing, ground floor commercial retail, so shopping, dining, entertainment uses, but also potential for a new hotel and of course public amenities," Donohue said.
Donohue said Norfolk's Waterside, located directly across the water, serves as one example of the vibrancy the city wants to bring to Crawford Bay.
Before any of that can happen, the city must decide which proposal best fits its vision.
"That will be a detailed process and will be somewhat time consuming," Donohue said.
According to Economic Development's published timeline, developer selection should happen in November, with a presentation to City Council happening in December.
That decision will also give the city a better idea of what the project could cost.
"We think that if we're successful in identifying a development partner that we could be under construction here in the next 2 to 3 years and this site will begin transforming, and it'll be quite a difference from where we are today," Donohue said.
The six-acre site has more than 500 feet of Elizabeth River frontage and remains largely undeveloped, though residents continue to use it for walking, biking and enjoying the water.
Barry Holderfield, a Portsmouth neighbor who has lived in the area for 50 years, rides his bike to Crawford Bay about 5 times a week. He said he would like to see more gathering spaces at the site.
"I love being around the water, you know, and watching the boats go by and so forth," Holderfield said.
He also shared his vision for what could be built there.
"I'd like to see maybe a nice seafood restaurant. I know you got the fish and chips down here into the pier, but maybe a nice outside dining restaurant ... I think that would be a pretty good idea for some revenue coming in from Portsmouth," Holderfield said.
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