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. The project involved Rouse's subsidiary, TRC of Virginia, Inc. (The Rouse Company of Virginia, Inc.) Rouse and Lindsay had previously partnered for the development of the now-defunct
Military Circle Mall. The Rouse Company and Harvey Lindsay Jr. began construction of the Waterside Festival Marketplace in August 1981, which was continued through the Enterprise Development Company in 1982. The Waterside costed $13.8 million to develop.
1983–1999: Grand opening and early years The 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, a singing fudge shop. 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 $2.2 million in tax revenue in 2007, down $300,000 since 2004. The City of Norfolk and
The Cordish Companies broke ground on the new Waterside District in August 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: The Waterside Annex was razed on May 16, 2016 because the city thought the Annex "should've never been built" due to causing accessibility problems and blocking views of the waterfront from the Elizabeth River. The redevelopment also involved the complete gutting of Waterside's original 1980s interior, replacing outdated lighting with modern
LED lighting, new flooring and ceilings, and repainting the Waterside's blue roof to black for a more commercial appearance, following Cordish's "Live!" concept, similar to
Power Plant Live! in Baltimore. Waterside District's grand opening took place on May 11, 2017. The new tenants for Waterside District include Blue Moon Taphouse, PBR Norfolk A Coors Banquet Bar, Luk Fu, PDS Street Tacos, Harbor Club, Rocky Mountain Grill, and a renovated The Fudgery. A critical component of Norfolk's ongoing post-
World War II revitalization, the complex connects via a cross-street pedestrian bridge to a parking garage, sits at the foot of the
Portsmouth Ferry terminal, and connects via a waterfront promenade to the downtown, the nearby baseball stadium (
Harbor Park), naval museum (
Nauticus) and waterfront neighborhood of Freemason Harbor. The venue hosted the traveling
SkyStar Wheel from May 19, 2018 to August 19, 2018. The Waterside District also includes
The Market, a 30,000-square-foot premier
food hall and
entertainment hub, referred to by locals and The Cordish Cos. as the "living room of Norfolk." It serves as a central gathering place featuring curated culinary options, a massive 25-foot LED screen for
sports, and a stage for live
music and
festivals. At 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Waterside District transforms into an adult-only
nightclub.
2025 shooting A 23-year-old known as Lorne Bailey Jr. was arrested in
Hampton, Virginia in connection with a shooting that occurred on November 23, 2025, near the district, which also caused $1000 in damages to the Waterside District's pedestrian bridge. It was also found that Bailey intended to shoot four other people. ==Gallery==