PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Three organizations gave city leaders an unsolicited proposal to build a new city hall, with renderings being released last Monday.
Currently, Portsmouth City Hall sits at the corner of Columbia and Crawford Street, next to the city jail.
The proposal, backed by Ripley Heatwole, MEB, and Clark Nexsen, aims to build a new city hall building, an accompanying parking garage, and a plaza between King and County Street behind the Portsmouth Public Library. Generating tax revenue, boosting city efficiency, and incentivizing tourism at Portsmouth's waterfront are the main goals of this proposal.
This proposal was permitted through the Public-Private Education and Infrastructure Act (PPEA). This law allows for private firms to work with public bodies to construct facilities, leaving the door open for unsolicited proposals.
These renderings were released as part of the conceptual proposal phase, meaning they are not part of a final design plan, nor has a decision been made to move forward with this plan. The estimated cost for this project is around $86 million.
The Portsmouth City Council wants to hear feedback on this proposal. Residents are welcome to participate in a public hearing on March 10.
