NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The City of Newport News is willing to take another look at a proposed affordable housing apartment development backed by retired NBA player and Hampton Roads native Allen Iverson.
This comes after the Newport News City Council originally voted it down in a February city council meeting.
The proposed 120-unit apartment development would be on Old Fort Eustis Blvd.
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones says the city would like to see community input and community engagement before the planning commission and city council vote on it again.
"City Council felt like more needed to be done as far as transparency with the community. We relied on the comprehensive plan but we didn’t do our part as far as community engagement goes," Alvin Keels Jr., the president of A4 Development Group and the developer for the project said.
Keels is a former sports agent and says he and Iverson have known each other for over 20 years.
"This is a passion project for me and Allen," Keels said.
"This project is not ready for city council to vote on it so we’re going to send it back to the planning commission. We look forward to seeing this project once it gets to the planning commission and encouraging all citizens to make their voice heard," Jones said.
Keels says his team plans to have at least two community meetings with the first one scheduled in April to get feedback from the community.
"Engage with the community and see what they would like to see happen and also share with the community how it’s going to be a benefit," Keels said.
In a February city council meeting, some residents liked the idea of having a new housing option on Old Fort Eutis Boulevard and some are concerned about the traffic the apartment complex could bring.
There is a subdivision next to where the proposed apartment complex would be.
"There's going to be a traffic jam in this neighborhood because there’s only a single entrance. My wife and I brought our house in 2020," one resident said during the city council meeting.
"Worsening an already dangerous traffic. The intersection at Fort Eustis and Jefferson Avenue," another resident said during the city council meeting.
Keels says a traffic study was done and says his group is open to putting up a traffic light.
"Right now, we’re in discussions about adding a stop light at the intersection of Old Fort Eustis and Fort Eustis Road," Keels said.
Mayor Jones says the city expects the Keels to re-present to the planning commission.
"I would anticipate this coming back before the planning commission and city council anywhere between four to six months," Jones said.
