NORFOLK, Va. - Walking through Norfolk Wednesday night, you’d find good food, good tunes and good vibes.
Many came out to a block party at the Mighty Dream Forum, hosted by award-winning musician and Hampton Roads native, Pharrell Williams.
“I’m just here to set an example for what is possible. and what we can do,” Pharrell said.
For Desiree Backus, the forum is informative, empowering, and emotional.
“It’s just nice to see that people actually care about the community, and care about the people who are trying to better the community,” Backus said.
The same goes for Nick and Patrice Morant, who came down from Yorktown for the event.
“We love Pharrell [and] we love what he’s doing with the local businesses,” Nick Morant said. “It’s awesome, and it gives everyone the opportunity to come together, collaborate, socialize.”
Chantel Powell made the trip to Norfolk from Atlanta. She said her business, Play Pits, won thousands of dollars in a pitch competition at the forum.
“I just experienced a huge fire in Atlanta, Georgia, where I lost my warehouse and everything in it,” Powell told News 3. “To be able to gain some capital from this event, and the work that Pharrell is doing, means so much to a small business, like myself.”
During the forum, Pharrell made the bombshell announcement of the return of the festival, Something in the Water, to Virginia Beach on April 28-30, 2023.
“It was for our region, to bring our region together,” Pharrell said.
This week, Dr. Chip Filer, Norfolk’s City Manager, confirmed in a statement to News 3 that the city and Wellness Circle LLC, a group linked to Pharrell, are negotiating deal terms of redeveloping the site of Military Circle Mall.
Dr. Filer said this would include bringing an arena, affordable housing and more to the site.
According to a May 2021 report, the total project investment would be approximately $1.1 billion.
The Morants and others are excited for new opportunities.
“I think it just means that he understands humanity, he understands business, and he’s mastered all of it, so why not come back and master home, and bring something good for us,” Patrice Morant said.
They’re also looking forward to getting their Something in the Water passes later this week.
“It’s a different vibe when it’s at the beach, so I’m so glad he brought it back home.
Tickets will go on sale on Nov. 5.
READ: SOMETHING IN THE WATER coming back to Virginia Beach in 2023
Regarding negotiations about the Military Circle Mall site, a spokesperson for the City of Norfolk told News 3 that would be formalizing the terms of the deal.
The spokesperson added that the city would like to move forward quickly once terms are in place and agreeable by all parties.
Beyond the initial agreement being finalized, the spokesperson said what's also next would be other studies, including an economic impact study and traffic analysis.
News 3 was also told by Norfolk city officials that Military Circle Mall is slated to close January 31 and will be demolished sometime early next year.
