The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) announced a settlement agreement in Bryant v. City of Norfolk, which NRHA said ensures the City of Norfolk and NRHA’s redevelopment plan meets the housing and relocation needs of Tidewater Gardens residents.
The joint settlement agreement was reached after nearly two years of litigation over the Tidewater Gardens Transformation project, NRHA said in a statement. The initial complaint—filed after HUD awarded NRHA and the City of Norfolk a Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) implementation grant—challenged the legitimacy of the CNI implementation grant and the perceived impact of the redevelopment and relocation plan on residents of Tidewater Gardens and other low-income and minority residents of the city. The new community will be an economically inclusive neighborhood with mixed-income housing, parks, retail and community amenities and services, NRHA said.
“This settlement means three very important things to our community. First, it reaffirms our commitment to our Tidewater Gardens residents and the future generations of families who will grow and thrive in the redeveloped community. Second, it ratifies the vision for redevelopment created together by Tidewater Gardens residents, stakeholders, the City of Norfolk and NRHA. Third, it’s time to move forward and focus all our attention on working to make this transformation a reality,” said NRHA Executive Director Ronald Jackson.
