Gold-crested shovels piercing a patch of dirt alongside Church Street signified the start of the third phase of redevelopment in the St. Paul’s Quadrant. At a groundbreaking event April 10, representatives from the City of Norfolk, Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA), Brinshore Development, Banc of America CDC and BBRM Norfolk Partners each scooped up and turned over soil in front of a modest crowd where Kinship at Kindred will stand.
The new complex, slated for completion roughly in December 2026, will be the first set of homes on the actual site of the former Tidewater Gardens neighborhood. It will boast 191 total units, with 73 designated as replacement dwellings for residents relocating from Tidewater Gardens. Phase one of the area’s redevelopment produced Reunion Senior Living at Kindred and Origin Circle at Kindred. It opened in September 2024 and yielded 192 apartment homes to the new community.
“As you come down this corridor, you see the amount of work, sweat and effort that goes into it,” said NRHA Executive Director Nathan Simms, referencing the various visible phases of the area’s revitalization. “The ribbon cuttings are the easy piece of it – it’s a recognition of the work that’s gone into it. But the groundbreaking shows the real grit, challenges and decisions that had to be made to keep the project moving forward.”
With the serene Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception as the event’s backdrop, city officials, and those directly involved in constructing the buildings, commented about the potential it brings for residents and for Norfolk.
“This is a more than an $85 million investment,” Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander said. “This development will bring nearly 200 mixed-income luxury apartment homes offering a range of one- to five-bedroom units along with 5,200 square feet of commercial space. When this phase is completed, it will bring (the Kindred properties) to a total of 714 luxury apartment homes by 2026 here in the city of Norfolk.”
Richard Sciortino, co-founder and principal at Brinshore Development, the project’s lead developer, highlighted the project’s historical significance.
“I want to just acknowledge that we are standing on the site of the former Tidewater Gardens,” he said. “This is a place with a rich history – generations of families that have lived here and called this home. And, we honor that legacy by this next chapter.”
Unity Place at Kindred, which is phase two of the downtown project, is expected to be completed by September. Following the groundbreaking, attendees were given a hardhat tour of selected areas within the building, including partially completed one- and two-bedroom apartments, community rooms and other common areas. The building’s make up will include 140 mixed income, multi-family apartments, and a parking garage.
“As someone who grew up in Norfolk, this city has shaped who I am and being involved in this development that will have a positive impact on the community is a true honor,” said Lafayette Tatem, joint venture (JV) partner at BBRM Norfolk Partners, a co-developer of Kinship at Kindred. “Seeing the growth and progress first hand while playing a role in that change is something I take great pride in. The collaboration, vision and dedication to everyone involved has made this this project truly special. We look forward to seeing the lasting benefit this project will bring to the city of Norfolk and its residents.”
In projects like this, human development is as important as project development, Simms said.
“This is really a lot of effort and work. It gets harder when you get toward the end, but it’s worth it,” Simms said. “Because we’re not only transforming a place, we really have a unique responsibility to transform minds and that’s what we’re seeing. We’re seeing a combination of both – what a mixed-income community looks like and what inclusivity looks like. And we’re also working to make sure the people who live here, who have lived here, view this as an opportunity for them, not only in terms of where they are or where they’ve been, but also where they’re going.”
For more information about this story, contact dcuenca@nrha.us