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Hampton council weighs adaptive-reuse, demolition or RFP for Wythe Fire Station
Summary
Staff told the Hampton City Council the Wythe Fire Station site (about 1.11 acres, 7,856 sq ft building) could follow three paths: implement the 2005 Kecoughtan Road Corridor master plan, be demolished and preserved as green space, or be offered to developers through an RFI/RFP; council directed staff to pursue community outreach and consultant review and made no final decision.
At a Hampton City Council work session, staff presented three options for the former Wythe Fire Station: implement the 2005 Kecoughtan Road Corridor master plan, demolish the building and preserve the parcel as green space, or issue an RFI/RFP to solicit proposals for adaptive reuse.
Leonard Sledge, the city’s chief economic and community development officer, told the council the site comprises three parcels totaling about 1.11 acres with a 7,856-square-foot structure next to the Wythe pool and ball fields. "If adaptive reuse of the building is desired, staff would issue a request for interest request for proposals by no later than 08/31/2026," Sledge said. He listed valuation criteria that would guide selection: alignment with the master plan, public benefit and economic impact, developer qualifications, design quality, financial feasibility, proposed purchase price and sustainability.
Council members raised practical concerns about the structure and neighborhood impact. Vice Mayor Brown asked whether the "bones" of the building were sound; Sledge said staff had not completed a structural assessment and noted longstanding maintenance issues. Councilwoman Campbell asked whether the pool or ball fields needed additional parking; Sledge said he had not been asked that question and would follow up.
City staff emphasized a cautious, staged approach. The city manager recommended consulting a historic preservation expert and scheduling outreach to local neighborhood associations before or alongside any solicitation to developers. "We could establish upfront in the RFQ/RFI what we're looking for and what we're not looking for," the city manager said, describing a process that would allow neighborhoods to flag uses they consider unacceptable.
No demolition or final decision was made at the meeting. The council instructed staff to pursue a dual path of consultant review, developer outreach and community engagement and to return with recommendations and options for an RFQ/RFI timetable.
