Joan Griffey, Wards Corner resident, wrote the following email to Mayor Fraim:
Dear Mayor Fraim
You were elected the Mayor of our City of Norfolk. Recently, you stated that “the growth downtown hasn’t occurred by accident. It occurred because we had a vision.” Wards Corner is a wonderful, but neglected, part of our city. Do you have a vision for us?? We are open to a comfortable place for pedestrians to be, to a series of plans for local development, to retail shops and housing and restuarants. Is there a vision to extend downtown priorities to our section of the City? We would love to shed our image as a “deadzone”. As the City visions an user friendly downtown area for light rail travelers, it should also envision making Wards Corner user friendly for I64 /HRBT gridlock travelers. I refer to Harry Minium’s article on Nov. 23 “PLAN FOR 2020 RESHAPES CITY” in the VA PILOT. We have 4 Council members as representatives of our Partnershiop area. Surely, working with them, a vision could be formed and shaped and acted upon. We are waiting ……and waiting. Thank you for making it a front burner issue in 2009.
Wards Corner Now - Wards Corner, Norfolk, Virginia 
I thank Joan for her letter to Mayor Fraim. It seems all projects, regardless of where they are, take precedent over the Comprehensive Plan for Wards Corner, which was drawn up long before many of the projects now under construction elsewhere in the City. We members of the Wards Corner community would like to know why!
Joan I too applaud you on your straight forward message to the Mayor. It has always amazed me how we in Wards Corner have four votes on City Council and yet still accomplish so little. Time and money are wasted on projects that bring about little or no change while they claim their hands are tied due to eminent domain law changes as they go around purchasing property in other areas of the city. It is very clear that change only happens when and where the city wants it to occur. Until we can make it clear to them that we will not longer except this as the normal way business will be done, and unite with one voice and stand together without intimidation , I’m afraid they will continue to play their game here. I believe we have united and now we have to get them to understand that the time has come : we are serious , our leadership here speaks as one, and the time to start moving ahead is now!