PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth is hoping to bring new life to an area of the city described as underdeveloped by creating an Innovation District to attract new businesses.
With some open fields and old buildings, the area, to the west of Olde Towne, along High Street, doesn't have too much around it currently.
The city is hoping businesses will move to the area, perhaps centered around resiliency like flooding.
"It's an area of the city that has been pretty underdeveloped and underutilized. It hasn't been really well branded, so it doesn't have much of an identity," said Brian Swets from the city's planning department during a meeting last year with the Economic Development Authority.
Next week, residents can weigh in on the district during a discussion at the Social Services Building from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 21.
The city is working with a consulting firm for the district.
"We view this as a place where we want to attract jobs, not as a place to compete with or extend downtown. We view these as two separate places. We're trying to do two separate things," said Swets.
Residents, like Graham Hatch, say they see the need for some uplift.
"There's a lot of potential. It's really beautiful, but it's still pretty quiet. It could probably have some more livelihood in the center of town," said Hatch.
