Revitalization Grant Application Approved

Last night, City Council authorized the Newport News Economic Development Authority (EDA) to apply for a grant to assist with the rehabilitation of 2510 Jefferson Avenue. The grant, through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Industrial Revitalization Fund, is for up to $600,000 and requires an equal match, which will come from the $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Grant the city was awarded in May 2019. The project to rehabilitate 2510 Jefferson Avenue, which is owned by the EDA and is in the Marshall-Ridley Choice Neighborhood, will serve to address a community-identified need for locally owned and operated commercial businesses in the community, as well as creating additional locations for small business operations. Once rehabilitated, the tentative plan for the building would be to support retail businesses on the first floor and office users on the second floor. Virginia Port Authority Grant AppropriatedThe City of Newport News has been awarded $563,129 by the Virginia Port Authority Aid to Local Ports Annual Grant Program for improvements at the Seafood Industrial Park. This highly competitive grant program offers $1,000,000 annually for capital improvements to publicly owned marine facilities that support commercial port activities in Virginia. This grant award allows for renovation and improvements to the west bulkhead and unloading facility located in the inner harbor of the Seafood Industrial Park, which will result in increased mooring capacity and revenue collected for its use. The grant represents 75% of project’s funding, with a 25% City match being funded from the approved Fiscal Year 2022 Operating Budget local grant match monies. On-demand viewing of last night’s entire City Council meeting is available at www.nnva.gov/nntv. Next Regular Meeting is 7 p.m., Tuesday, August 10. Council meetings are shown live on NNTV (Cox 48/Verizon 19) and streamed online at www.nnva.gov/nntv and on NNTV’s Facebook page. View full meeting agendas, watch past meetings and more on the city’s Public Meetings Portal.