The 18-acre property in Newport News’ Southeast Community was once an aging public housing complex named Ridley Place. It’s gone now — closed in 2020 and demolished earlier this year.
And the city’s ongoing push to revitalize the underdeveloped community hit a significant milestone this week. Newport News broke ground Tuesday on a project to bring new homes and commercial developments to the site off Jefferson Avenue.
It’s part of what the city calls the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative. This is its second phase. Mayor McKinley Price said the property will “soon become a vibrant hub of activity.”
“Now, it might be hard to picture now as you look out and see cement, rocks and grass, but this site will soon become a place where individuals and families learn, grow and flourish,” he said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “We are truly creating change that will impact our city for generations.”
The design plans include a three-story apartment building with 41 units on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and 16th Street. The building will have space for retail activity on the ground floor.
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