Several military housing developments in Hampton Roads will be updated and renovated as a result of new funding.
Over $120 million for Liberty Military Housing’s Mid-Atlantic Region, which includes Virginia and stretches from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, to Albany, Georgia, was raised from savings at Liberty’s other Navy developments and the Basic Allowance for Housing.
Developments in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Annapolis, Maryland, are receiving the funding for improvements. The lion’s share, roughly $100 million, is coming to Tidewater, according to Philip Rizzo, CEO of Liberty Military Housing.
Developments slated for the improvements include Sandpiper Crescent in Virginia Beach, which will be demolished and rebuilt over three years, while other Virginia Beach developments Shelton Circle, Gela Point, and Wadsworth Shores are slated for renovations.
Norfolk developments Norwich Manor, Queens Way and Castle Acres will have interior renovations while Willoughby Bay and Ben Moreell will have their exteriors redone, along with some other improvements. Renovations are already underway at Willoughby Bay, Ben Moreell and Norwich Manor. Improvements were identified by listening to families that lived in the developments, according to Rizzo.
The land is government-owned and Liberty is a partner in providing the housing, he said.
“The challenge we’ve had in Hampton Roads is the allowance for housing increases haven’t necessarily kept pace with the expenses,” Rizzo said. “Our expenses have increased over time and so that’s eroded our ability to reinvest in housing. Now, with this injection of $120 million, we’re able to leverage that, make some upgrades and modernize.”
The trend in the Navy and the Marines is for more single-family homes and possible duplex and triplexes, according to Rizzo. For example, Sandpiper Crescent was last refurbished in 1996 and built in 1954, according to Liberty Military Housing.
“The primary reason we chose to demolish Sandpiper was that many of the homes only had two bedrooms, which were not meeting the mission to house military families,” a statement from a company spokesperson said. “The newly developed homes will feature three and four-bedroom floor plans. ”
After the money is spent, Liberty is also expecting to supplement between $10 million and $15 million annually for more renovations and updates across their mid-Atlantic developments, Rizzo said.
“Through its investment in communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Liberty Military Housing continues to demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to military families,” said Rear Admiral Christopher Gray, Commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, in a news release. “We are proud to partner with them and work together to improve the lives of those who serve our country.”
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