Little Creek Road Corridor

[Weaver24]

I have read in articles that comments have been made by Norfolk residents and Randy Wright that there are a lot of run down businesses on the corridor. The article which talked about the new Wal-Mart Neighboorhood Market thats going to be in the old Winn-Dixie on East Little Creek Road mentioned that the corridor (especially East Little Creek) is dominated by thrift stores, car/auto lots, run down bars, storefront churches and flea markets and underserved by alot of quality retailers. Do you guys think there should be improvements on the corridor? I do because I live near the area and it doesn't give off a good impression. The neighboorhoods near East Little Creek are pretty much decent and house alot of middle class people. Why does it look so run down? I did read on pilotonline.com that alot of people attended the Town Hall Meeting with Randy Wright and a representative from Wal-Mart was there and that Wal-Mart wants to expand in Norfolk because their stores (both Military Hwy and Tidewater Dr) do well here. That is why the company looked at Norfolk to bring the Neighboorhood Market concept to Virginia and have their first store in Norfolk. What do you guys think about this? I was also glad to see a new Wawa built on the corner of Chesapeake Blvd and Little Creek Road. I heard they make great business but have shoplifting problems. It looks better than that flea market in the yellow building across the street which is truly a major eyesore.

[brikkman]

I don't think you can do much with this corridor outside of bulldozing it (as I believe someone mention before). Traffic sucks, housing backs all Little Creek road's businesses, and did I mention that traffic sucks?

Not much can be converted on the strip, its simple an area of its time...I moved to Norview in 90 through college (02). I use to hate having to go down Little creek for anything, especially towards Wards corner....Ideally you would doze it, I see this last on Norfolk's "to do list"

[Weaver24]

I don't think you can do much with this corridor outside of bulldozing it (as I believe someone mention before). Traffic sucks, housing backs all Little Creek road's businesses, and did I mention that traffic sucks?

Not much can be converted on the strip, its simple an area of its time...I moved to Norview in 90 through college (02). I use to hate having to go down Little creek for anything, especially towards Wards corner....Ideally you would doze it, I see this last on Norfolk's "to do list"

[levarforever]

I really believe and have always believed the Little Creek corridor was developed without any resolute plan or consciousness of urban design. To me, it appears that things were sort of built where ever there was room to build. There was no grid pattern followed. I consider the area badly developed and sprawled to a certain degree. None of the architecture there has any distinct characteristics. Not much has really changed as long as I've been alive. A new Walmart is good, but there needs to be a full-scale initiative by the city, especially in light of the Downtown and Ocean View redevelopment. I guess that's why I call Little Creek "Norfolk's Forgotten Section".

[Weaver24]

I really believe and have always believed the Little Creek corridor was developed without any resolute plan or consciousness of urban design. To me, it appears that things were sort of built where ever there was room to build. There was no grid pattern followed. I consider the area badly developed and sprawled to a certain degree. None of the architecture there has any distinct characteristics. Not much has really changed as long as I've been alive. A new Walmart is good, but there needs to be a full-scale initiative by the city, especially in light of the Downtown and Ocean View redevelopment. I guess that's why I call Little Creek "Norfolk's Forgotten Section".

[mikeas]

Yeah this is another one of Norfolk's forgotten sections. I mean for this to be such a major street like Military Hwy, it pretty ugly in design. You are right, there is no distinct characteristics and nothing is in sync. And if a chain or big/mid box retailer wants to build on there...they would have to tear down businesses and that would cause alot of problems and property owners probably wouldn't allow that. I heard that Wal-Mart wants to put a Sam's Club on Little Creek Rd but have a big problem finding a large enough track of land. I read pilotonline that alot of retailers have that problem. I guess we should be lucky that the fast food chains and Food Lions are on there because there are alot of run down businesses on that entire corridor. It could be a good retail area like Downtown and the Military Hwy corridor but the corridor is pretty much just the same as I was when I was a child. It's like the property owners don't care what their buildings look like. I don't have anything against a thrift store, but it's too many on that strip. Why can't we get businesses that Va Beach and Chesapeake have? And I don't mean "upscale" business but mid-scale like Kohl's, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, Michaels, Stein Mart, and so on. Also we could use a nice Target like the ones that are in Chesapeake. They even remodeling the one over on First Colonial. One good thing are the shops that were built near the new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Tidewater Dr/Little Creek Rd. Its right by the old Kmart where the Blockbuster, Subway, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, new ABC store, Patriot's Computer, etc at. The design of those are ok, but it makes that portion look much better. I think Norfolk could use some more development on that corridor and also on the part of Military Hwy that is north of Robin Hood Road going towards the airport. Don't get me wrong, I know we are not the suburbs, and I very much appreciate urban design, but I would much rather see the big box retailers I mentioned than what's on there now.

[rusthebuss]

Yeah this is another one of Norfolk's forgotten sections. I mean for this to be such a major street like Military Hwy, it pretty ugly in design. You are right, there is no distinct characteristics and nothing is in sync. And if a chain or big/mid box retailer wants to build on there...they would have to tear down businesses and that would cause alot of problems and property owners probably wouldn't allow that. I heard that Wal-Mart wants to put a Sam's Club on Little Creek Rd but have a big problem finding a large enough track of land. I read pilotonline that alot of retailers have that problem. I guess we should be lucky that the fast food chains and Food Lions are on there because there are alot of run down businesses on that entire corridor. It could be a good retail area like Downtown and the Military Hwy corridor but the corridor is pretty much just the same as I was when I was a child. It's like the property owners don't care what their buildings look like. I don't have anything against a thrift store, but it's too many on that strip. Why can't we get businesses that Va Beach and Chesapeake have? And I don't mean "upscale" business but mid-scale like Kohl's, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, Michaels, Stein Mart, and so on. Also we could use a nice Target like the ones that are in Chesapeake. They even remodeling the one over on First Colonial. One good thing are the shops that were built near the new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Tidewater Dr/Little Creek Rd. Its right by the old Kmart where the Blockbuster, Subway, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, new ABC store, Patriot's Computer, etc at. The design of those are ok, but it makes that portion look much better. I think Norfolk could use some more development on that corridor and also on the part of Military Hwy that is north of Robin Hood Road going towards the airport. Don't get me wrong, I know we are not the suburbs, and I very much appreciate urban design, but I would much rather see the big box retailers I mentioned than what's on there now.

[Weaver24]

It really needs to be planned for Urban development, not this suburban crap we see all over the entire region. They need to break the mold and step up to the plate. Honestly, this should be a TC type of development here.