Friday noon, hundreds of business and community leaders packed the Waterside Marriott to hear Mayor Paul Fraim provide his annual State of the City address, presented by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. The entire council was present as was nearly every other elected official from Norfolk (not the GA delelgation) and Norfolk Congressional representatives Bobby Scott and Thelma Drake.
Accompanied by a Power Point presentation, the Mayor proclaimed that “the state of the city is sound.”
When the history of the region is written for the first part of the century, 2007 will be viewed as a turning point for Norfolk and for Hampton Roads.
The creation of the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority and the construction of the approved Norfolk Light Rail line, together with the federally authorized eastward expansion plan of Craney Island, the opening of the APM Terminal in Portsmouth and development of the Heartland Corridor rail line, all reposition Norfolk, the port and the region with major infrastructure improvements in the way we move people and goods that will carry us well into the 21st century and make our economy more accessible to the entire globe.
When finally developed, this region and this historical port will become the envy of the Commonwealth and the nation.
The Mayor presented an upbeat picture of Norfolk, citing increases in population, retail sales and significant economic development in residential, commercial and hotel space. He reflected on the numerous awards that have been received by Norfolk, its schools and its citizens. Progress has been made in closing the achievement gap, homelessness, and the relationship between Norfolk and the other cities in the region. Evidence of this was the presence of Virginia Beach mayor Meyera Oberndorf and Portsmouth mayor James Holley.
A few other items of note:
- TCC will be moving a staff of nearly 200 into a new administration building, to be named for former Vice Mayor Joe Green.
- Town Point Park will be undergoing its first major renovation in 25 years
- 100% of the residents displaced by the Broad Creek project who indicated a desire to return have done so.
- Since 2005, the city has invest more than $13 million on the Greater Wards Corner Comprehensive plan, increased the police presence in the area and stepped up code enforcement
- February 2, 2009 will mark the 50th anniversary of the end to Massive Resistance in Norfolk and Council will appoint a citizen panel to begin the planning process to “appropriately recognize” this.
- The Norfolk Botanical Garden will celebrate its 70th anniversary this year with the dedication of a new garden honoring “the more than 220 African American women and men who cleared the land and planted the azaleas” that established it.
The city is not without its challenges, however. The projected budget shortfall was briefly mentioned as was the potential loss of Landmark. There is a need to reduce gun violence – three of four people murdered in Norfolk last year were shot to death. Crime in certain neighborhoods “is symptomatic of deeper issues” and Project Focus is the city’s program to address those issues.
The entire speech is available here. Kudos to Norfolk for getting this up on the website so quickly.
The Chamber will be presenting other State of the City events, with Chesapeake on 2/6, Portsmouth on 3/14, Virginia Beach on 3/27 and Suffolk on 4/24. Check out the events section of their website for details.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 