Yesterday, Mayor Paul Fraim mentioned Wards Corner in his State of the City address. The Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center, a city recreation center used by all the citizens of Norfolk, continues to be used as an example of the City’s commitment to help revitalize Wards Corner. Below are the Mayor’s Wards Corner remarks in his State of the City Address:
The City Council continues to be concerned with Wards Corner, but everyone
should be encouraged by recent private and public activity and investment.
For example, S. L. Nusbaum has begun site work on the SouthWind Apartments
– a $15 million development in Denby Park on property formally occupied by a trailer
park – while along Newport Avenue Collins Enterprises begins construction this quarter
on an $80 million townhouse/condominium project.
The City’s Development Department is actively engaged with Wards Corner
property owners on plans to redevelop their properties, and we are confident of a positive
outcome.
Since 2005 the city has invested more than $13 million dollars on the Greater
Wards Corner Comprehensive Plan – for purchase of the Fitness and Wellness Center,
streetscape improvements, strategic property acquisitions, rehabilitation programming
and traffic control improvements.
Police presence has been increased in Denby Park and Monticello Village, and
code enforcement activities have been stepped up.
These are all signs of progress, but we know more needs to be done. The Council
is determined to revitalize this important part of the city.
Wards Corner Now - Wards Corner, Norfolk, Virginia 
That all sounds wonderful, my question is when will the Wards Corner Comprehensive Plan be fully funded?
Just HOW determined is Council AND just HOW actively engaged is the City Development Dept AND just HOW confident is our Mayor of a positive outcome. I just HOPE for some movement to prove the above!
My question is when.The crime is coming farther back into the neighborhood.The month of jan. my record that i am keeping.The 12th a man in my back yard which is fenced in 8:30 a. m.The 18th of jan dark purple Galant lic jtf5029 two men sitting on hood of car waiting for there drugs.Ran them off called disptatch.23rd of jan. black car parked middle of day in turn around which is no parking. 24th picked up condoms out of turnaround used of course. 28th of jan. 6p.m. 3 gun shots.These things usually happen in spring time.my records is showing more crime .We need help NOW.I have lived in my home 28 years and i am tired of dealing with low lifes.Plow down them apt. 300 little creek,fort worth and san antinio.I really do not care anymore where the poor people go.They just need to go period.There is 6 houses in the300 block of san antinio in last 5 years 4 has sold and one twice.What does that tell you.
Beverly, I just checked the City’s GIS Interactive Mapper to check for crime and code enforcement stats and the stats were so old they were useless. http://gis.norfolk.gov/ How do would we know if the City’s increased police presence and code enforcement are effective if we can not measure the results? The City has the technology in place, they need to input the data.
What increased police presence?
Beverly, The Mayor claimed there was increased Police presence. If there is not, I would challenge his statement with a letter or email to him and Council.
RE: The mayro’s address –1) What “street scape imnprovements?” The plantings left to die because the City would not/could not invest in repairing the sprinklers? 2)The Fitness & Wellness Center was an existing recreation center already; and while I am glad the structure was not left to rot, it is located in a quiet, established residential area. If the City had bought out the Martone property and put in a Fitness & Wellness Center in what used to be People’s Drug Store (which would then encourage restaurants and clothing shops to move into the WC business district) –now THAT would be something to crow about! 3) I am also very glad the trailer park was demolished to make way for a gated, affordable apartment complex to be built by Nusbaum. But we have Nusbaum to thank for that (yes, Nusbaum, thank you from the bottom of our heart-broken hearts!)–not the City. The City has given, and continues to give, $millions to private developers for downtown. No incenvite money earmarked for Wards Corner, though. Don Williams sent me a reply to the letter I submitted to council members and the mayor, and he cited the same examples of how the City has invested in WC. Come on, council members! The Wards Corner Comprehensive Plan has become a joke. Council: Do not be lulled into thinking the Fitness & Wellness center will quell our ire!
Well folks it gets even better.I was at council last night and we have another new person for project focus.BARBARA LEI.She came up to me after council wanting to talk.hum.guess ever two months we get another new person.I have a question.Are they trying to get us to get sick and tired and get fed up or give up?.I have just begun to fight.:)