From The Virginian-Pilot:
The city of Norfolk has secured its first federal grant to help offset the cost of building a 20-plus acre park in the St. Paul’s neighborhood that will double as a flooding mitigation tool.
The park space, called the Blue/Greenway because of its water and grass features, will include walking trails, picnic areas, and wetland meadows. It is being built as part of the larger redevelopment of the Tidewater Gardens public housing project and will span from the south side of East Brambleton Avenue along Tidewater Drive as it bends back to City Hall Avenue. Slated for completion in winter 2026, will also be adjacent to Kindred — the name for the new housing development to replace Tidewater Gardens, according to city documents.
“So to have 22 acres of greenspace in a downtown urban community that has suffered many years without adequate parks or greenspace is going to be a great amenity to this neighborhood and this city,” said Susan Perry, director of the Norfolk Department of Housing and Community Development.
The $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service is the first the city has secured for the project, according to Perry. The city has applied for $35 million in grants, with up to a $25 million match.
Read The Virginian-Pilot's article "Large park part of Norfolk’s St. Paul’s redevelopment receives federal funding."