PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Portsmouth City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to rename a portion of a street "Missy Elliott Boulevard."
The name change will honor and recognize the Portsmouth native music superstar, as well as enhance the City's recently-rezoned Entertainment District.
When News 3's Blaine Stewart took to twitter to announce the approval Missy Elliot herself had this to say:
I am forever GRATEFUL🙏🏾 P-TOWN🙌🏾 VA #757 LOVE💜
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) August 10, 2022
The street, currently named McLean Street, serves the Victory Crossing Shopping Center, Tidewater Community College, and the future Portsmouth Rivers Casino. According to the ordinance, none of these future or current developments will require an address name change with the proposed street renaming.
Melissa Arnette Elliot was born on July 1, 1971, at the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center. Missy Elliott grew up in the Hodges Ferry community and went on to graduate from Woodrow Wilson High School (now Manor High School) in 1990.
Since graduation, Missy Elliot has become a Grammy award-winning rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. Some of her family members reside in the Churchland area and other parts of Hampton Roads.
