Norfolk gets personal in a plan to prettify the city

NORFOLK

For $100, your name will be enshrined in a brick.

For $5,000, they'll name a tree in your honor.

And for a cool half-million, they'll name a new amphitheater in your behalf.

All of it is an effort, announced Wednesday at the Half Moone cruise ship terminal, to raise $1 million toward the planned $11.5 million makeover of Town Point Park.

The downtown park, with sweeping views of the Elizabeth River and downtown Portsmouth, is home to about 95 events attracting nearly a half-million visitors annually. All of those visitors have taken their toll on the 26-year-old park, which has never been renovated.

The city will soon embark on a renovation that will include construction of a new amphitheater near the Otter Berth Pier, restrooms, sidewalks, pathways, fountains and lighting. The city is contributing $8.5 million and the Virginia Port Authority is giving $2 million.

Karen Scherberger, executive director of Festevents, the private group that organizes most of the events at Town Point Park, said the $1 million fundraising effort should be a breeze. A total of 12 naming items are available to sponsors, including park benches for $2,500, bricks in prominent locations for $250 to $2,500, and the park entrance for $250,000.

Mayor Paul Fraim said everyone is being asked to contribute, not just corporations, "because we want people to feel connected to Town Point Park, to feel ownership."

The park is closing for the renovation on Oct. 20, the day after the Virginia Wine Festival, and is scheduled to reopen next July 3 for Harborfest.

The changes will help the park compete with newer outdoor entertainment facilities in other cities, including amphitheaters in Virginia Beach and Portsmouth, Fraim said.

"Our goal here is to try and increase attendance," he said.

Town Point Park may be the most important piece of property in the city, Fraim said.

"This is where we came together to collectively to mourn" the bombing of the destroyer Cole and the Sept. 11 terror attacks, he said.

"This is where we gather as a city. We need to maintain it and preserve it for future generations."

Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com