Apartments being built where Norfolk trailer park once stood

By Debbie Messina
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 23, 2008

NORFOLK

Construction has started on a $15 million affordable-housing apartment complex in Denby Park, the first significant private investment in an area the city has targeted for redevelopment.

S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. is developing the 120-unit project where a trailer park with numerous code violations once stood behind Southern Shopping Center on Dallas Street off Little Creek Road.

SouthWind Apartments - featuring five apartment buildings, a clubhouse with a fitness center and swimming pool - will open in phases the first half of next year. The first tenants are expected to move there in January.

Rents for the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments are likely to range from $650 to $975, said Richard Counselman of Nusbaum Realty.

The apartments are being financed through a state program that helps provide affordable housing to tenants meeting income guidelines.

City efforts to redevelop the area have slowed because of a new state law that makes it more difficult to condemn blighted property.

The city had been permitted to condemn clusters of rundown properties that became magnets for crime. Now, crime statistics cannot be used to declare a structure blighted - the building must be in danger of collapse or endanger public health.

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.

Crime

Submitted by mrsgkr on Sat, 02/23/2008 at 11:04 pm.

I live just a stones throw away from this area. I have noticed an increase in illegal activities ever since the reconstruction of Ocean View. It hasn't gotten out of control, as of yet. The police have been patrolling more now than they have in the almost 20 years I have been here. This gives me mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's good to know that the police are patrolling our area. But, on the other hand, it makes me wonder what they know that we don't that is causing their increased patrols.

Complaining

Submitted by georges61555 on Sat, 02/23/2008 at 7:48 pm.

You complain becuawe there is little affordable housing and you compleain when there is. You aren't going to satisfy all the people all the time.

TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS

Submitted by Daniel Causey on Sat, 02/23/2008 at 6:40 pm.

This project is a good fit for this area of the city. It offers some level of affordable housing for those who are not in the upper income bracket. 650.00-975.00 per month is not a "low income" threshold by any means. Working class and lower middle class earners may take residence here. Whatever is said concerning this project, one thing is for sure, it's a drastic improvement over the housing that was there before.

Seems like they will be

Submitted by jimmyf on Sat, 02/23/2008 at 4:05 pm.

Seems like they will be trading one set of headaches for another...

At least there's a police station nearby......

"The apartments are being

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 02/23/2008 at 2:13 am.

"The apartments are being financed through a state program that helps provide affordable housing to tenants meeting income guidelines"

In other words,the surrounding areas can expect shootings,robberies,and drug dealers in the area. There isn't an apartment complex yet that hasn't experienced any of these things when apartments are subsidized by the govt.