SUFFOLK, Va. — After years of sitting vacant, one of Suffolk’s historic African American landmarks is moving into its next chapter.
The Phoenix Bank of Nansemond building dates back to 1921, built to serve Suffolk’s African American community at a time when Black residents faced barriers to traditional banking.
“African American businessmen and farmers could not ... do banking at the white banks,” Suffolk Deputy City Manager Gerry Jones said. “They couldn't get loans. They couldn't do banking there, so they created their own bank.”
Over the years, the building took on other uses, including as a Chinese restaurant before the City of Suffolk purchased it in 2001.
More than a century later, Phoenix Bank is still standing, and the city is working to give the historic building new life.
“Phoenix Bank's original purpose was to serve the community,” Jones said. “Its new purpose will be to serve the community in a different way.”
Jones said City Council has put $1.9 million toward the design and renovation of the bank, with plans to eventually turn it into community meeting space.
“We want to find a use for it that benefits the community, but also preserves that building and preserves its history, to be passed on to the next generation,” Jones said.
The first phase of the project is now complete, according to Jones. That work included stabilizing the building, repairing its brickwork and rebuilding its original storefront.
Crews are now turning their attention to the area around the bank, with plans for a new plaza that will include a sitting area, historic marker and parking.
“It's basically improvements along that whole block with sidewalks, and we're creating a plaza on the lot that's just east of the Phoenix Bank to be a plaza, a sitting plaza,” Jones said.
The plaza is just one part of the city's plans for the historic property. Jones said the city also plans to seek public input on how the space inside Phoenix Bank should be laid out to meet the community's needs.
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