The U.S. Navy and Newport News Shipbuilding announced Monday the construction of a new parking garage that will bring 2,000 new parking spaces to downtown Newport News and enhance the working experience for shipbuilders and sailors assigned to the shipyard.
The new parking structure, which will have 2,800 parking spaces, will be constructed on two Newport News Shipbuilding parking lots, between 37th and 39th streets, and Huntington Avenue and Warwick Boulevard. Contractor W.M. Jordan will build the garage with some pre-construction fabrication occurring offsite.
“Our sailors and shipbuilders are part of the backbone of our nation and our community,” said state Sen. Mamie Locke, one of the speakers at the news conference at Victory Arch. “They deserve a community that supports their dedication and hard work. This entire initiative will not only alleviate parking challenges but also contribute to the vibrancy of our community.”
Last year, following a wave of suicides among Hampton Roads-based sailors, the Navy began a massive effort to improve sailors’ quality of life, including providing more options for off-base housing. This followed a comprehensive investigation that concluded the Navy failed its own personnel on an individual and systemic level.
Inadequate access to parking at the shipyard was cited as an issue in the Navy report. Of more than 7,500 parking spaces needed just for Navy personnel, only about 3,400 were available within walking distance of the shipyard. The lack of parking for shipyard workers has sparked frustration among North End Huntington Heights residents, who have complained that sailors and shipyard workers were parking in their neighborhood.
“As a team, we needed to make improvements,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Casey Moton on Monday. “Specifically, inadequate nearby parking was cited as one of the foremost challenges and is often cited by our sailors as one of the best things that we can do to improve their quality of service. So as part of that to address our sailors’ concerns, the Navy team worked with our partners at HII to develop a plan to construct a new parking garage.”
Moton said the Navy awarded HII a $120 million contract to support the project. Construction is expected to commence this year and will take about two years to complete.
HII spokesperson Todd Corillo said that HII will own the garage and cover the operating costs.
NNS President Jennifer Boykin said the new parking was “a long time in coming” and would greatly benefit shipbuilders and sailors.
“Change is rarely immediate, and I remain committed to fighting for what is important to better serve our shipbuilders and our sailors’ needs,” she said
Newport New Mayor Phillip Jones said the parking garage is one of many planned investments in the downtown area, adding that it will also see an influx of apartments and retail space at the intersection of 28th Street and Washington Ave.
Locke said the state recently committed a $40 million treasury loan to support construction of Navy housing downtown. The budget passed by the General Assembly says the loan has these conditions: the Navy has committed sufficient resources to fund the project, the city has provided matching funds and the 75% of non-state funds secured for the project have been expended. State and local officials previously stated the Navy could contribute up to $400 million to house sailors and revitalize downtown.
Moton said the Navy is “examining what the options look like” for expanding housing but had no details at this time.
Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com
