NORFOLK, Va. — The renaissance of Norfolk's East Ocean View neighborhood has, in recent years, seen new homes and businesses replace neglected structures. Now, the city is working to figure out what's next.
Last month, the popular East Beach Farmers Market spent its last Saturday morning at its longtime home nestled on a triangle-shaped grassy lot between Shore Drive and the East Beach community.
Its new location, about a mile away at Bay Oaks Park, offers scenic winding paths, shade under trees and permanent bathrooms.
"They got kicked off of the property, (but) we were able to keep them in Ocean View," said Tommy Smigiel, who represents the area on the Norfolk City Council.
It's just the latest change in a neighborhood many characterize as on the rise, following what Smigiel describes as past mistakes.
"The city planners made a huge mistake on planning Ocean View and they let it overdevelop with apartments that were primarily targeting military folks. Then, over time, those apartments turned into not your best landlords, and it turned into areas of crime and even poverty," he told News 3. "I think what has happened is just realization that you've got seven-and-a-half miles of beach here that families and people want to enjoy."
Watch Previous coverage: East Beach Farmers Market changes locations in Norfolk
That demand has led to the tearing down of old homes and apartments in favor of new single-family homes and tall townhomes.
New businesses have also moved in, including Cova Brewing Company, which opened at a former garage at the corner of Shore Drive and Pretty Lake Avenue in 2020.
“A lot of people ride their bikes and walk over here, ride their golf carts," said Ahna Robbio, a shift lead at the brewery, adding that usually one in four customers say it's their first visit. "We make it part of our routine to ask people if they’ve ever been here before.”
The business won't have to look far for its next batch of new customers. Single-family homes are nearly finished in the East Beach neighborhood across Shore Drive.
Down Pretty Lake Avenue, the second phase of a large waterside senior housing development, Acclaim at East Beach, is expected to be finished in June of 2024. Developer Bonaventure tells News 3 the first of 80 units will be available.
But while construction continues at properties already in development, vacant lots have been marked for additional builds.
Smigiel says East Ocean View stretches to the intersection of Shore Drive and Little Creek Road and says there are multiple plans to build apartments in that area, including a development called Salt OV.
"Most of our apartment buildings right now are suffering with the financial market and getting financing," he said.
Another vacant lot attracting a lot of eyes is the now-former home of the East Beach Farmers Market.
According to city records, it's owned by the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA), but the city says there's a development agreement with Frye Properties, the developer behind the East Beach neighborhood.
Sean Washington, Acting Director of Economic Development for Norfolk, says the future of the property is still being worked out.
“They’re still trying to figure out what they think the highest and best use will be," he told News 3. "We think it’s not just going to be just residential product. It’s going to be something that compliments the surrounding residential product that’s already there."
Smigiel hopes green space will be part of the plan.
He asks, "Is there an opportunity where we can create some more open space and view corridors to allow us to kind of know that there's a beach still there?"
Another question is...where are all these new residents going to eat?
Lola's Beach Cantina opened in 2022 as part of a large housing development called The Tern at East Beach. Across Shore Drive, a sign for another restaurant Shutters on the Bay currently adorns a fenced off lot next to beach access on East Beach Drive.
That property has remained unchanged for the last year, but Washington says he believes the property's owners still plan to build the restaurant.
“They’ve slowed down because of marketing conditions, so we haven’t been able to firm up a timeline for that project yet," he said.
But there are plans for other restaurants in the area. Meanwhile, Washington says, the city is looking at other opportunities for the East Ocean View community.
“There’s still a thought about what is a potential kind of hotel product out there as well. You hear it all the time. You have a lot of families that are coming to visit over the course of the year," Washington told News 3. "Where do they stay?”
Smigiel believes a new hotel could be an option for people visiting for weddings, or events, like last week's Ocean View "Storm The Bay" 5k and 10k races, but he adds that the hotel would have to have a component that benefits the people who already live in the area.
“I think it would be pretty cool if a hotel came in and we had a rooftop restaurant," said Smigiel.
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News 3 is told a location hasn't been discussed, but Smigiel is quick to point out that all this talk of development isn't going to please everyone.
For example, he says some have resisted "Acclaim" and other under-construction developments now blocking the view of Little Creek, a zoning decision he says predated his time on council.
But for many living in East Ocean View, the character of the community is on the line, as more people look to live the beach life.
"We do not want to become the (Virginia Beach) Oceanfront. That is not the goal here," said Smigiel. "We have to figure out ways, though, to continue supporting people that are coming to the beach.”
And, as the East Beach Farmers Market settles into its new home, city leaders must also find the right fit for everything else as old becomes new in a neighborhood on the rise.
