WATER continued from page 5 2) Mitigate: Actions include stormwater infrastructure improvements; shoreline protection & stabilization; property acquisition in areas subject to severe repetitive flooding, use of FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to elevate homes, take steps to reduce premiums for property owners, participate in community rating system. 3) Prepare: continuously update emergency plans using best practices from other storms, train volunteers to assist public safety during a storm and educate neighbors on preparedness actions, floodproof essential city services (generators, elevation), purchase equipment – such as special boats and trucks – for use in flood rescue. Create transportation alternatives with evacuation strategies. 4) Communicate: Increase public awareness of flooding and the actions they can take to successfully prepare for, survive, and recover from severe flooding. The city has developed a nationally recognized web-based mapping system to collect and dis-
play the location of tidal and wind damage (flooding, downed trees, out-of-service traffic lights, etc.). Using this technology, the city can better coordinate response, meet federal reporting requirements, and give residents (using the web or calling the city’s information line) details on flooded streets and other storm damage. A one-stop Flooding Awareness website (www.norfolk.gov/flooding) was created with the help of a Flooding Awareness Citizen Focus Group, which continues to guide city outreach efforts. For more information on how you can join this conversation on flooding please contact Fleta Jackson at 757-823-4007 or via e-mail at fleta.jackson@norfolk.gov For information on the Recreation, Master Plan, go to www.norfolk.gov RPOS
ABOVE TOP, Morgan catches air at East Beach. LEFT, Wetlands, such as these near the zoo, are important protectors of our waters.
Development continued from page 7 Granby Street. Housed in a city building, raw conceptto-startup entrepreneurism is at its boldest within The Hatch Accelerator at 111 Granby Street. There you’ll find some of our country’s best and brightest “hatching” new companies from this tech incubator. Receiving national and international awards and recognition, companies like Grow Interactive, xTuple, and others are taking Downtown by storm, and changing the face and shape of Granby Street. Several of the new companies have moved to bigger space and the next Hatch occupants start incubating in January, 2013. ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT: In the past year, the Development Department has assisted companies to achieve the following:
RIGHT: new Court House BELOW: SLover Library
Expansion and Retention of Existing companies: $40,490,000 in Investment, 400 new jobs: New companies to Norfolk: $50 million investment, 300 new jobs; Retail: $41 million, 570 jobs; Reinvest/ redevelop: approximately $300 million; Residential development: $170 million, over 1,050 new units. To learn more about these exciting new initiatives, training and help with qualifying for bids, potential contract and other business assistance, visit www.norfolkdevelopment.com (757) 664-4338.
IN THE PIPELINE: Continuing to become a real city that is a great place to live, work & play
Across Norfolk, buildings are taking shape that will enhance and in some cases transform neighborhoods, and bring vitality, iconic meeting places and new opportunities to Norfolk and the region. In some cases, the cost is substantial and funded by the city. To replace three aging courthouses, the city is constructing a state-of-theart consolidated courthouse at the corner of St. Pauls and City Hall. This $123.3 million energy-efficient building will meet the current and future needs of three separate courts, and also fulfill the state requirement that localities fund court facilities. Public art and landscaping is included to transform the civic/courthouse plaza into a signature public space. In other cases, iconic buildings are coming to fruition now thanks to a jump start in private funding. Two such projects are the $64 million Samuel L. Slover Memorial Library
on Main Street (details in A Day in the Life of NPL), and the Salvation Army Corps Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center at the corner of Princess Anne and Ballentine in Broad Creek. The Kroc Center is being constructed and will be operated by the Salvation Army. The center will include a themed aquatics area, elevated track and fitness area, performing arts, worship and meeting areas. The city purchased and demolished property to clear the site and a fund-raising campaign is raising the required match toward operating funds. In Campostella, the long-awaited $7.9 million Southside Aquatics Center will open in spring 2013. This facility will serve as an economic and leisure asset to the community, and also support one of City Council’s long-standing goals to have every Norfolk child become a proficient swimmer. Also the renovated Therapeutic Recreation Center and the new Ingleside Gymnasium are opening in FY 2013. The Chrysler Museum of Art has closed for 14 months to expand and enhance its educational and exhibit offerings. The MacArthur Memorial Continued on page 25
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Celebrate Norfolk Magazine • Norfolk.gov • 19