PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A community safety nonprofit broke ground Monday on a nearly $3 million recreation and community center in Portsmouth’s Southside neighborhood. Big H.O.M.I.E.S. Community Outreach, which focuses on youth engagement and violence prevention, finalized building plans for the 11,000-square-foot facility on Lincoln Street.
Founder Eugene Swinson said the project has been a long process, with work starting in November 2022.
“It was a long process. To actually be a couple months away from completion, I think it’s six months for completion. In like two weeks, they’ll actually start construction. You’ll see a lot of heavy equipment out here. So, to me, to come full circle, I was definitely happy, happy with the turnout,” Swinson said.
The center will offer sports, health and wellness programs, workforce training, a food pantry, and more. Swinson said Hoy Construction has been approved to build the facility.
“We’re surrounded by areas that have a little crime and gun violence. So, these negative influences that impact the kids, impact the kids behavior. So, this will, this space will serve not only as a safe space, but a space where they’ll do programs and be able to play basketball,” Swinson said.
The project faced previous delays due to soil contamination at the site. Swinson said the issue has been resolved, clearing the way for development.
“You have Newtown right here, Prentis right here, and Brighton right here — all spots that pretty much need some type of safe space,” Swinson said. “So it took so long because it was a Superfund site, but I stuck with it because I felt like it’ll be a central location to service pretty much all five or six of these neighborhoods that surround it.”
Portsmouth neighbor Joseph Gomez told me he is excited about how the new center will leave a positive impact on the next generation.
“Everybody has the same type of aspiration and dreams for the youth. You know, everybody knows how big the youth are, and that’s our future. So, let’s make them as great as we can make them and sharpen the tools they already have, instead of trying to change them to be something we want them to be,” Gomez said.
Big H.O.M.I.E.S. announced last year that it was expanding its programming on the Southside. Swinson said he hopes construction is complete and the center officially opens around the time the school year starts in the fall.
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