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Planning commission backs new Maury High School campus and community natatorium
Summary
The Norfolk Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of plans for a new Maury High School campus, including a shared-use natatorium and expanded parking, after a staff and applicant presentation emphasizing sustainability and community access.
The Norfolk Planning Commission recommended approval of the Maury High School redevelopment project, including a new school building, athletic campus and a shared-use natatorium, after a presentation from the applicant's design team.
The project, presented by Mel Price of WPA on behalf of Norfolk Public Schools and the City of Norfolk, calls for a four-story high school sited close to Twentieth Street, expanded playing fields, tennis courts, raised pedestrian crosswalks with pedestrian-activated lights and a natatorium at the corner of Nineteenth and Llewellyn streets designed for shared use by Norfolk Public Schools and city recreation leagues.
Why it matters: The plan replaces a non‑historic portion of the existing Maury campus and adds facilities the school system and the city intend for both students and neighborhood use. The applicant highlighted sustainability measures intended to make the building “a high performing building,” and a schedule that aims to open the campus in fall 2028.
Design and sustainability details presented to the commission included geothermal infrastructure, a roof designed to accept future photovoltaics, bird‑safe glazing options, LED lighting, reduced water‑use plumbing fixtures and strategies to meet the city’s resilience standards. Price said the high school will be LEED certified and that site planning incorporates stormwater strategies and a resilience park south of the campus.
The site plan places the new school close to the street and orients athletic fields and circulation to facilitate student movement and public access. The presentation emphasized an amount of parking “in excess — 40 additional parking spaces above and beyond what’s there now,” and noted dedicated parking for the future reuse of the historic Maury building.
Commissioners asked questions about trees, pedestrian access and neighborhood engagement; the applicant said the team has held multiple community meetings since 2018 and would continue scheduled coordination with the PTA and neighborhood groups as design and phasing are finalized.
The commission moved to recommend approval of the project as presented by staff and the applicant. The recommendation will be forwarded to Norfolk City Council where the proposal will be considered as part of the city’s review process.
The presentation materials and staff report state the project received a unanimous Architectural Review Board recommendation in April and that the project team includes Heartland Construction, WPA and VMDO architects.
