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| The Union Mission building, at Boush Street and Brooke Avenue in downtown Norfolk.
(the virginian-pilot file photo) |
By Debbie Messina
The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK - A piece of Norfolk's history - actually, an 81,000-square-foot chunk - is now up for sale.
The Union Mission is seeking buyers for the massive, century-old brick Beaux Arts -style building downtown that houses its homeless shelter. The nonprofit agency needs to sell the property in order to move early next year to a new campus on Virginia Beach Boulevard near the Norfolk Industrial Park.
No asking price has been set.
"It's hard to put a price on this property," said Harvey Lindsay of Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate, which is handling the sale for free. "It depends on what a developer thinks he can do with it."
He said much of the interior of the structure would have to be gutted. The building and location would be best suited for residential development with some first-floor retail, he added.
"We're bound and determined to find the right developer to buy and restore it," Lindsay said. "I don't want to think about anybody tearing this building down. It's too fine a building to tear down."
The building, at the corner of Boush Street and Brooke Avenue, tops the Norfolk Preservation Alliance's list of 11 Most Endangered Historical Places.
It was built from 1907 to 1909 by John D. Rockefeller for the Navy YMCA. The once-grand gathering place, with its marble floors and ornate chandeliers, was the site of many Norfolk social events.
Over the years, it has fallen into disrepair. The Union Mission bought it in 1972.
As Norfolk's downtown revitalization grew, the city pressured the mission to relocate. Mission officials also wanted to move because of crowded conditions - 30 to 70 men sleep on the lobby floor at night.
After some unsuccessful attempts at finding a suitable location, the mission purchased a 24-acre parcel from Virginia Natural Gas about five miles from downtown.
The mission plans to spend $28 million to $30 million redeveloping that site, renovating buildings and constructing new ones for shelter facilities for men, women and families, as well as a day center, a training center and a store.
Many programs will be in temporary quarters on the site until the new main building is completed in two to three years, said Linda B. Vaughan, the mission's associate director.
The mission will operate a small intake center at a former firehouse on Virginia Beach Boulevard near Granby Street, where homeless people will be picked up and taken to the new shelter.
A $12 million fund raising campaign is under way. The remainder of the project will be funded by the sale of the downtown building and some other properties, Vaughan said.
The agency doesn't accept government money, relying on gifts from churches, businesses and individuals. It has an annual operating budget of about $4 million.
"It's been sweet providence that this is all working out," said the mission's executive director, the Rev. Ted Bashford. "God had his hand in this."
• Reach Debbie Messina at (757) 446-2588 or debbie.messina@ pilotonline.com.
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Good to see?
I am glad they are moving to another location and not folding. It's nice to know that someone has a place to go if they need to. How blessed we are to be spared of their problems. Glad to see. God bless you guys for reaching out and helping others. Imagine if we all did that. But lets not let someone elses problems cast a shadow over our image. Image is everything .
God bless the mission for reaching out. Hope my heart is transformed to be outreaching like theirs one day.
How about NRHA
What about selling it to the NRHA so they can, in turn, resell it to an out of towner so they can tear it down and build another hotel or parking garage?
More Great news for Norfolk!
The acqusition of this beautiful, historic building for private/public use is simply great! The Victorian architecture this building possess is a marvel I must say. Kudos to all Downtown Dwellers! In my opinion, there is not a residential building in Tidewater that can compare to the sheer beauty of this architectural structure. You sure wont see anything like it in Virginia Beach, with all the vinyl siding cookie cutter homes, strip malls, and big box stores. For all those who wish to see this beautiful building we are talking about please visit 130 Brooke Ave. Norolk, Va. 23510 It's a treat for all to see.
Social Responsibility
Since we know the purchaser will make a fortune from redeveloping this property, there should be a condition that the developer assist in the relocation, design and construction of the new Union Mission Site across town.
Condos!
They can turn it into a condo building, sell the rooms at $300K each to the homeless using zero down option payment ARM loans with really really nice teaser rates ($0). Once the real payments start arriving, all of the homeless will default and whoever bought the loans will get stuck! If they pay the first year for the "buyers" then they can make sure they aren't forced to buy back the non-performing loans. Oh wait, this was done in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 already... hmmm I think they missed the peak in 2006, and it's all downhill from here. In 2004 and 2005 it was, "it's different here. Prices will never go down." Now in 2007 on Craigslist it's "Priced $30K below Virginia Beach city assessment."
Please - No More Condos Downtown
Mixed use complex
What a great opportunity to finally bring a decent, street oriented development to that end of Bousch Street (the alley of blank walls). Take down the ugly parking structure across the street and offer it as one developable parcel and the big time developers will come and build something that 1) respects the integrity of the the architecture, 2) opens a plaze that allows one to see the glory of the building and 3) helps pay for the restoration with a 30 story mixed use project. The garage site is expendible and is one of but a few waterview sites left downtown. But above all, please give the street level some presence that allows people to mingle and shop. Bousch Street is dead and void of pedestrian traffic. The new residential developments along Bousch St. have done nothing to extend the shopping experience downtown and above all, allow views of yet more covered parking. Shame that Design Review did not take a stronger stance with those properties.
Good to see!
After all the talk about them moving to the new area, this is a welcome view. I am sure that someone from Downtown will make terrific use of the space in that building. And there will be less issues in downtown once the Mission moves.