MacArthur Center mall was built in 1999. Photo courtesy Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau Offices
Downtown Norfolk’s MacArthur Center, a 140-store mall that opened in 1999, may have a future date with a wrecking ball.
According to a newsletter released March 2 by Norfolk’s economic development department, a complete teardown of the 1.1 million-square-foot structure is one of three possibilities envisioned for MacArthur Center’s future by the city, which does not own the mall. This option would build a new urban district with a street pattern that reopens Bank and Court streets to connect the Scope arena and Chrysler Hall with Norfolk’s Main Street and the Waterfront area.
Another option outlined for the 23-acre property would open up the ends of the mall, lighten up the exterior and place retail on the ground floor and offices above. A third possibility would “de-mall” the center, and reopen Market Street as a landscaped, pedestrian-friendly promenade with mixed-use buildings that included residential space. It would also line City Hall Avenue with micro retail and craft manufacturing, as well as small services and businesses.
