The Waterside District is an entertainment complex adjacent to the Elizabeth River in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia, United States, owned and operated by The Cordish Companies of Baltimore, Maryland.
The venue was originally Waterside Festival Marketplace (commonly referred to simply as The Waterside), developed by the Columbia, Maryland–based real estate firms The Rouse Company and the Enterprise Development Company (EDC), both founded by James W. Rouse, and local developer Harvey Lindsay Jr., under an affiliate called Waterside Associates. As its name suggests, it was a festival marketplace with popular vendors, including Phillips Seafood, Jillian's Entertainment, and later Hooters. An expansion in September 1990 added the Waterside Annex, which was demolished on May 16, 2016 as part of Cordish's redevelopment.
However, the mall later struggled, and in Halloween 2014, it temporarily closed for a major redevelopment initiated by The Cordish Companies, which "de-malled" the structure by heavily renovating it into the Waterside District, which reopened to the public on May 11, 2017. Prior to construction on the redevelopment, it was known as Waterside Live! during redevelopment planning to match sister properties, though the name was later dropped to reflect an expanded focus.
History
1950s–1983: Planning and construction
Beginning in the 1950s, Norfolk became the first city in the U.S. to receive federal funds for "slum clearance" under the Housing Act of 1949. Post-World War II suburbanization led to locals to exit downtown in favor of indoor shopping centers. To facilitate modern auto-centric travel, planners replaced old piers and wharves with a new boulevard, Waterside Drive.
Local developer Harvey Lindsay Jr. through his firm, Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate, was also involved in the development of the Waterside. Rouse and Lindsay had previously partnered for the development of the now-defunct Military Circle Mall. James Rouse had several planning names before choosing the Waterside, such as The Harborfront, Waterfront, and Market Square.
1983–1999: Grand opening and early years
Waterside Festival Marketplace had its grand opening on June 1, 1983, consolidating with Harborfest Weekend, with then-governor Chuck Robb at the celebration. The opening included a parade on Waterside Drive to celebrate the new attraction.
Original tenants of the Waterside included Phillips Seafood (which operated at the mall as Phillips Waterside), Hofheimer's Shoes 'N' Such, Crabtree & Evelyn, Scantastic, and The Fudgery, where people would sing and perform to entertain guests while making fudge. 100,000 people attended opening day to see and try the 122 stores.
The Waterside has evolved through numerous business cycles. Originally, it featured mostly restaurants like The Baitshack on the first floor, and an Italian restaurant called II Porto. There were small nautically themed stores, as well as Jillian's Entertainment. The balconied second floor featured more niche stores and kiosks. Overall, the original 1983 structure featured 77,000 square feet of space dedicated to restaurants, retail shops, and gift shops. , Phillips Waterside is no longer open.
The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority purchased the Waterside from its private owner, Enterprise Real Estate Services, a subsidiary of the Enterprise Foundation, in 1999, at the time considered a temporary arrangement.
The Waterside delivered approximately $2.2million in tax revenue in 2007, down $300,000 since 2004. The City of Norfolk and The Cordish Companies held a groundbreaking ceremony on the new Waterside District on August 26, 2015. The new venue would retain the footprint of the old Waterside (excluding the Annex).
Cordish originally planned for the redeveloped Waterside to be called Waterside Live!, but it was shortly changed to Waterside District to better reflect the marketplace's "de-mallification". Blake Cordish, the vice president of The Cordish Companies, stated: