City of Norfolk history

Norfolk, Va., Norfolk Virginian job print, 1877.

The 1880 population had grown to 21,966 residents.

In 1907, the Jamestown Exposition, held to celebrate the 300-year history of that nearby city, led to Norfolk's building several downtown hotels and office buildings.

Norfolk's tremendous military growth began during World War I. In 1917, the land that was the site of the Jamestown Exposition became the United States Naval Operating Base and Training Station, which was later renamed Naval Station Norfolk.

In 1922 Norfolk helped establish solid economic ground for itself by building a $5 million grain elevator and terminal.

It was opened to traffic in 1952 and is 4 miles (6.4 km) long.

St Paul’s Boulevard is a dividing line between Downtown (on the west side) and Tidewater Gardens (on the east side). Tidewater Gardens was developed in 1955 on top of a filled Newton Creek and more than half of Tidewater Gardens and Calvert Square are in the 100-year flood plain.

Virginia's third medical college, the Eastern Virginia Medical School, was built in Norfolk in 1973.

In June 2000 the city was home to OpSail 2000, the largest tall ship and maritime event in history.

2005: The City, residents, and businesses began discussions and developed plans to transform the area into a mixed income, mixed use neighborhood with pedestrian friendly development.

Today, Norfolk continues its long tradition of self-renewal with ambitious building projects in the downtown area strategically planned to continue through 2010, new residential developments along the water, and revitalization efforts within the abundance of varied historical neighborhoods.

2014: The City and NRHA created a vision for the area as identified in the Choice Neighborhood Initiative Transformation Plan (Planning Grant).

2016: To implement the recommendations of Norfolk’s Plan to Reduce Poverty the City began discussions with Purpose Built Communities, a nonprofit consulting group, that promotes a comprehensive model that links housing, education, workforce development, transportation and health services.