For Hampton’s former deaf and blind school site, a $1.5M investment in community and residents share their vision
The Hampton government plans to invest $1.5 million into the community surrounding the site of the former Virginia School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled, and residents are weighing in on what they’d like to see.
When Hampton City Council voted in 2022 to allow NorthPoint Development, a Kansas City, Missouri-based developer, to transform the school’s 63-acre site into industrial warehouses, many neighboring residents and school alumni were livid.
Opponents of the project feared the warehouses located between Shell and Aberdeen roads would bring traffic, noise and pollution. They also felt the industrial use did not appropriately honor the legacy of the school, which had been around for nearly 100 years before closing in 2008. Several said they preferred the land to be used for residential purposes or educational facilities, and many accused the council of ignoring the voices of a predominantly Black community.
The city now hopes to offset some of the impact on the residents and find meaningful ways to invest in a community that has long felt neglected.
“We know there’s a feeling of distrust, and we are trying to rebuild that,” said Goncalo Borges, who works for Hampton’s community development department.
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Ideas for the former school site
The Hampton Economic Development Authority sold much of its portion of the former school site, but the city kept about 10 acres of the property.
Since November, the city solicited community input on future uses of the 10-acre property and ways to honor the school’s legacy. The city set aside $1.5 million from the land sale proceeds to fund community investments in the surrounding Greater Wythe neighborhood.
Dozens of people attended an April 13 community outreach event, during which they went on a tour of the 10-acre property.
Community members suggested a variety of ideas for the site, including a park with a playground, walking trails, a community garden, tree preservation, food access, a nursing home for people who are deaf, a community center, or a clubhouse. Many emphasized they want to ensure the redevelopment is accessible to those who are deaf, blind or disabled.
Aaron Weaver, who lives on Catalpa Avenue near the site, said he would like to see a place where food can be grown, residents would be allowed to regularly collect fruits and vegetables, and children could have educational opportunities around sustainable foods.
Dorothy West, an alumnus of the school, wants to see a dedication to those who played an integral role in supporting the school. She lost her hearing when she was 9 and came to the school when she was 12. She graduated in 1964.
“This is a place that we all enjoy,” West said. “It brings a lot of memories.”
She wants the city to invest in a preschool for disabled children and a place for senior citizens to live. She also would like to see an entertainment area and a fitness center.
Many like West, who didn’t want the school to close, also voiced disappointment over how the school’s closure and demolition were handled.
“We weren’t part of the decision to tear down all of the buildings, our homes, our dorms, the cafeteria, the gym,” West said. “They didn’t ask us anything.”
Other suggestions included infrastructure investments in the nearby neighborhood — including stormwater improvements, pedestrian safety and improved lighting. Weaver suggested the city could provide housing repairs for those in the Greater Wythe community who can’t afford them.
Donna Gilchrist, who lives on Childs Avenue, was disappointed about the former school closing and has mixed feelings on the NorthPoint project.
“I’m not going to stand out there and protest it, but I’m also not totally for it either,” Gilchrist said.
She would like the city to invest in filling in ditches on her street for safety and in a park and a walking trail.
“I would love to not have to drive all the way to Fort Monroe to have a nice, safe walking area,” she said.
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Rebuilding trust
Cashayla Rodgers, who is with the city’s community development staff, hopes the outreach process to former alumni of the school and the Greater Wythe community can be healing.
“They feel a great sense of loss, losing their school,” Rodgers said. “And I found that I was helping to design a process that really reflected and acknowledged the harm that has happened, but also gave them an opportunity to build trust with us and then imagine what could exist moving forward.”
Rodgers said students of the school lived in dormitories and learned life skills, like how to work with their hands, how to cross the street safely, things that many take for granted. She said the school fostered a spirit of community.
“I have learned the Black people that live in this community are very communal,” she said. “And I think that those values need to be reflected in the future development of the site.”
Gabe Diaz, the city’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion, said many of the community suggestions revolve around addressing food insecurity. He said the city has been intentional in reaching out to alumni for ways to honor the school because “they have the stories, they have the memories, they have the photos,” and the former school site was their community.
Hampton Housing and Neighborhood Services Manager Jonathan McBride said about 13,000 people live in the community surrounding the school, but added that the community investments could benefit even more residents if the 10-acre site becomes “a destination” for the city.
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Next steps
In the next few months, city staff will work with the community to determine their priorities and refine the ideas into actionable solutions. McBride said the city hopes to have some clear direction from the community on how to proceed by August. He said around then the city will determine whether to get an architect on board.
According to the city’s website, a summary of community insights, along with final recommendations, will be presented to the City Council for approval. While the city will try to make the most of the $1.5 million, McBride said the city could seek grants for additional money if it decides to proceed with a project that requires more investment.
NorthPoint broke ground at the former school site in November to create the Phenix Commerce Center, which will include a 540,470-square-foot warehouse, called Building 1, and an approximately 300,000-square-foot warehouse (Building 2). Natasha Rickel, a spokesperson with NorthPoint, said that for Building 2, roofing installation is scheduled to begin in May, with it mostly completed by mid-September.
Rickel said for Building 1, the erection of wall panels is expected by mid-July and the building should be mostly completed by early January 2025. Both warehouses are speculative developments, so they are being constructed without a specific tenant in mind. Colliers is the brokerage firm for the site and is actively marketing the future space. The project is expected to create 250 permanent jobs and bring $800,000 in annual revenue to the city
NorthPoint has allocated space for a state-of-the-art Workforce Training Center within Building 1. According to the city, Hampton residents will be given first shot at warehouse jobs and enrollment in the workforce training center.
Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com
