Newport News council approves grants and appropriations for seafood market, docks and related property actions at 701 Jefferson Avenue

Newport News City Council on June 24 approved a set of agreements, grants and appropriations designed to advance a seafood market and dock improvements at and around 701 Jefferson Avenue and the city-owned Seafood Industrial Park.

The measures include a restriction agreement involving the Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for 701 Jefferson Avenue; authorization to accept and implement a Port Host Communities Revitalization Fund grant for that site; a city appropriation to match the port-host grant; a separate $1,000,000 Community Project Funding award from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support seafood market and dock work; and a resolution authorizing the lease of Seafood Industrial Park Parcel 1 to the Economic Development Authority. All motions carried unanimously in recorded votes.

City Manager Allen Archer told council the package would fund harbor dredging, demolition of old piers and installation of new commercial moorings, and that the work includes construction of an Americans with Disabilities Act–compliant floating dock and a new 7,600-square-foot seafood market building with vendor stalls and outdoor seating. Archer recommended approval of the appropriations and said the HUD funds were secured through a request sponsored by Congressman Bobby Scott. "I recommend approval," Archer said.

Why it matters: the combined funding and property actions are intended to clear site constraints and build docks and a market facility that city staff say will support seafood commercial activity and public access along the waterfront. The port-host grant is structured as an $800,000 award that requires a 1:1 local match; council appropriated the required match so the full $1.6 million package will be available for dock improvements. The HUD Community Project Funding award is for $1,000,000 and will support dredging, pier demolition and construction of the market facility and floating dock.

Council voted to close public hearings and then approved each ordinance and resolution by roll call. Roll-call tallies recorded on the public record show the measures carried 7–0. The resolution authorizing the lease of Seafood Industrial Park, Parcel 1, likewise passed 7–0.

Council took the actions as discrete agenda items but staff repeatedly described them as coordinated steps toward the same waterfront project. The staff presentation and the ordinance language tied the port-host grant and the local match directly to dock improvements at 917 Jefferson Avenue and to activities at the Seafood Industrial Park tied to the future market. The city manager noted the local match requirement for the DHCD grant and the HUD award’s intended uses in his recommendation.

Next steps: with council’s approvals, staff may execute the restriction agreement and grant/loan documents, proceed with the local-match appropriation, and begin procurement and construction planning for dredging, pier demolition, mooring installation and construction of the floating dock and market facility. Specific procurement schedules, construction timelines and anticipated opening dates were not specified during the meeting.

Votes at a glance: all ordinances, resolutions and appropriations tied to 701 Jefferson Avenue, the Seafood Industrial Park and the dock/market improvements passed on June 24 by recorded roll-call votes (7–0).