MOST CITY LAND ACQUIRED WAS IN DOWNTOWN
City Councilwoman Theresa Whibley represents the city’s affluent west side, including much of downtown, but you can’t say she’s not interested in other parts of the city.
Commenting on the city’s land acquisition revolving fund, from which the city has spent nearly $13 million in recent years acquiring 13 properties, Whibley said:
“It disturbed me that all of the acquisitions are in the downtown area. None of them are in Ocean View or Wards Corner. It’s frustrating that we can’t do more at Wards Corner.”
From the former St. Mary’s Infant Home to the Red Carpet Inn side on Tidewater Drive, 12 of the 13 properties were indeed in or near downtown. Another was a tire store on Hampton Boulevard near Old Dominion University.
Purchases from the revolving fund are paid for by land sales, such as the recently authorized sale of $2.9 million of city land around a Norfolk reservoir in Virginia Beach to the Beach. Once the check from the Beach clears, the fund will have a balance of $4.8 million.
City officials said they have no current plans to buy more land in Wards Corner or anywhere else.
City has no plans to buy land in Wards Corner
The following was in the Sunday, May 17, 2009 edition of the Compass (Virginian-Pilot):
Wards Corner Now - Wards Corner, Norfolk, Virginia 
Glad to hear Dr. Whibley speaking up for Wards Corner! What about the rest of the Council? Do you not see the potential of this corridor? The only way Wards Corner will prosper is to invest in revitalizing the area. There are several apartment buildings for sale in the area, what do you think, maybe move Crossroads Elementary over to the area? Would solve a lot of problems. Give it some thought. Again, thanks to Dr. Whibley!
RJ Luce
President, Oakdale Farms / Denby Park Civic League
They just won’t be happy until the wards corner area looks like something out of a post apocalyptic horror film…