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The Railyard - a Meredith / CCB Development - A Partnership 100 Years in the Making

Railyard at Lambert’s Point, is an inspiring vision of repurposed historic buildings and new construction, delivering a lively mix of retail, office, entertainment, upscale and casual dining. Located in the Lambert’s Point neighborhood along and behind Hampton Boulevard, Railyard at Lambert’s Point Project has just been unanimously approved by the City Planning commission with the support of the Lambert’s Point Civic League.

Meredith Construction, a Norfolk-based family business with roots in Hampton Roads dating back 100 years, has partnered with CCB Railyard, LLC, a subsidiary of the Charlotte based CCB real estate investment group, to ensure Railyard at Lamberts Point will happen.

Conveniently centered between ODU, CHKD, EVMS, Sentara, and the Norfolk Naval Base, the new proposal, led by the Meredith’s to revitalize and repurpose this area, has received support from the community and the City.

“We are committed to revitalizing this area of Norfolk,” said Rich Meredith, who heads the development division of Meredith Construction. “We are excited to save the historic buildings and are committed to seeing this project come to fruition. This project will add value to the neighborhood and its ideal location between the schools, base, and hospitals should be a great resource for the community.”

Meredith and CCB indicate they have letters of intent from numerous tenants and are in discussions with many other prospects. Meredith added, “While the interest by potential tenants is significant, we remain focused on placing businesses that want to be here. We want tenants who want to compliment and be a part of this adaptive reuse, mixed use development that is central to institutions such as ODU, CHKD, and EVMS. Railyard at Lamberts Point represents an investment of almost $40 million in our own backyard, with a potential for 350 jobs and over 100,000 square feet of new and redeveloped space. The Meredith’s and CCB are investing with long-term vision and are excited to see this project completed next year.”

As further indication of the viability of Railyard at Lambert’s Point Project, Meredith & CCB have awarded contracts to the following members of the development team www.RailyardAtLambertsPoint.com/team:

• Norfolk’s Work Program Architects (WPA) (site planning, master planning, and design concepts) www.wparch.com
• Timmons Engineering (Site Plan Design, Landscape Architecture and Traffic Engineering) www.timmons.com
• Commonwealth Preservation Group (historic research and visualization) www.commonwealthpresrvationgroup.com
• Compo Construction (Site development and Vertical Construction) www.compoconstruction.com
• PACE Collaborative (mechanical, electrical, plumbing engineering) www.pace-pme.com
• Speight, Marshall & Francis, P.C. (structural engineering) www.smandf.com
• Colliers International (Leasing) www.colliers.com

The Meredith family owns four of the five historic buildings, built between 1920 and 1940. CCB is acquiring, rehabilitating and developing the parcels surrounding the Meredith’s buildings. Together, the team is taking these old manufacturing, warehouse, and depo buildings and restoring them to retain much of their historic nature and repurpose them for modern users while simultaneously improving the surrounding vacant land with new construction designed to blend in with the historic buildings. In addition to repurposing the existing buildings and new constructions, a central courtyard will accommodate a stage and space for a Farmer’s Market and a train engine will be on display as the backdrop to the “Railyard at Lambert’s Point” sign at the north end of the project. The Elizabeth River Trail, which runs adjacent to the Railyard, will provide direct access to the project to pedestrians and cyclists. Neighborhood residents are excited to have walkable and family-centered destinations.

WPA followed rules of historic street grid when planning the site. Loading and unloading for the old manufacturing buildings and warehouses occurred along 24th and 25th streets. The historic loading docks will be retained, and those streets will continue to accommodate that service for new tenants. Renovations will orient tenant entries to the new courtyard and green space. It is anticipated that retail and restaurants will occupy street-level spaces, with creative office space above. The site was designed with pedestrians and cyclists in mind, featuring pedestrian walkways, bike shelters, bike boxes, shared-mobility zones, and traffic-calming strategies, making it easy for visitors to traverse all areas of the development.  Ample vehicle parking will be provided along with roadway parking and locations for ride-share incorporated into the overall plan.

Historic buildings, each with a unique structure, will retain their original character. One building’s wooden columns resemble trees, supporting a roof with original skylights. Another building has a barrel vault ceiling and a third is defined by steel beams and columns but wood joists. Windows will be restored, and historic signage and awnings will be incorporated. Rooftop decks will provide shade for outdoor dining and businesses below.

New buildings will be contemporary brick and steel structures, but compatible with the historic spirit of the neighborhood. A trestle bridge, reminiscent of a railroad trestle, will connect two buildings above street level, providing outdoor options for second-floor users. Historic details will be expressed in a contemporary way. For example, one entry will be defined with an exterior steel truss that replicates the trusses of the barrel-vaulted building.

Project Details and Opportunities can be found at www.RailyardAtLambertsPoint.com