Leadership of all levels in Norfolk gathered downtown at the Waterside District to sign the Public Partnership Agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers for a decadelong project to build flood infrastructure in the city.
The agreement formalizes the partnership, but entities have been working together for years to bring the project to life. Over the next 10 years, the city will gain structures such as floodwalls and levees to alleviate some of the risks caused by climate change. Other phases include non-structural changes, such as basement fillings and raising foundations.
“As a coastal city, Norfolk’s greatest advantage is its access to water,” Mayor Kenny Alexander said. “Our waterways have always been one of the most critical assets as they drive our economy and enhance qualities of life. We are the international hub of the region. We’re home to the world’s largest naval base and the fastest growing port on the East Coast. Few urban cities offer access to 144 miles of shoreline. Water is Norfolk’s identity.”
Sen. Mark Warner, who joked that the event started late because Sen. Tim Kaine was stuck in traffic at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, said talks about the project go back nearly two decades. He commended city leaders’ tenacity when it came to pushing for more federal funding for the project. Nearly $400 million in federal funding is reserved for Norfolk to increase community resilience to flooding.
“Almost a year ago, we brought (Shalanda Young, director of the United States Office of Management and Budget) down here,” Warner said. “We put her on a boat, and we did the longest tour of Norfolk Harbor ever made. And I think we finally said, ‘We will let her off the boat when she makes sure we got $400 million.'”
Last month, the council unanimously approved three resolutions related to the $2.6 billion floodwall plan.
The first approved the project partnership agreement between the city and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which lays out the phases of the Coastal Storm Risk Management Project and the city and federal government’s financial obligations. The second resolution responded to residents’ concerns about southside neighborhoods being excluded from structural flood protections, and it commits to a reassessment of the design and construction for southside protections. The third resolution addressed remaining cost concerns.
Of the $2.6 billion, the city is obligated to cover 35%, or $931 million. The city committed to obtaining an agreement from the state to fund half of the city’s share of the project. Leaders on Monday said partners are working together to address concerns.
“As we design our projects, we seek to maximize the benefits by protecting the most high-value properties in any particular community. We’re not going to throw that out, but we’ve got to leave room for ourselves to consider social, environmental and equitable benefits that need to be part of these features. And we’re in the middle of that right now,” Michael Connor, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works, said.
In addition to cost, Kaine said future workforce issues for the project must be addressed, as well. Though shovels won’t be in the ground for some time, new strategies must be created to have crews to build the infrastructure.
“In order to harvest the value of this investment, this historic investment that we have made, we have to be creative and innovative and forward-looking in the numerous strategies that we’ll have to cobble together to help meet our nation’s workforce needs,” Kaine said.
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com
