Plan to demolish half of public housing for new use advances

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A Virginia city council has voted to pursue demolishing around half of the city’s public housing for redevelopment.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that Norfolk’s 7-1 vote Tuesday advances the effort to replace the 200-acre (81-hectare) area that encompasses the Tidewater Gardens, Calvert Square and Young Terrace public housing communities with a mixed-use development featuring mixed-income communities.

Roughly 4,200 people live in the 1,700 units targeted for demolition.

The vote enables the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority to seek approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The resolution does include language for improving conditions within the communities until they’re torn down. It does not include timelines for demolition or redevelopment.

Councilman Paul Riddick, the sole dissenter, said he’s concerned that there isn’t an adequate plan to rehouse current residents.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com