THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 16, 1994 TAG: 9406140127
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Mike Knepler
DATELINE: 940616 LENGTH: Medium
The area does not have an official name, but you probably know the location. It's between the zoo and the Granby Street bridge, on one of Norfolk's busy commuter routes.
{REST} Despite traffic, the area gets little notice, a contrast to some stretches of Granby Street. Consider:
Downtown Granby will get a Tidewater Community College campus.
North Granby in Ocean View was rebuilt and landscaped.
The Wards Corner section of Granby Street has an active merchants association that is attracting City Hall attention.
But things could pick up for central Granby Street.
The Colonial Place-Riverview Civic League is working with businesses to form the Granby Bridge Merchants Association.
``We saw some businesses leaving. . . so we thought the area needed some business retention efforts,'' said Rosemary Zemanian, a Riverview leader. ``We'd like to attract some new businesses, too. That's how it all started out.''
More goals include:
Better lights and sidewalks.
New uses for some properties, such as the old yacht club near the Granby Street bridge.
Improving the area's appearance to make it look more like a good-looking gateway to downtown.
Becoming known as a shopping and restaurant district.
``Of course, everybody would love to see it become another Colley Avenue,'' Zemanian said, referring to the zone of lively eateries and boutiques in the heart of Ghent. ``But a lot of that depends on the zoo.''
So the Granby Bridge association also will monitor plans to expand Virginia Zoological Gardens.
Neighbors aren't alone in looking at central Granby Street.
City planners want to include central Granby in a commercial-area revitalization pilot program. In the study, the section would be linked with retail 35th Street and north Colley Avenue.
Some planning commissioners already are looking beyond that. Barbara Zoby would like to see central Granby emerge as an ethnic restaurant district, building on its Italian, Middle Eastern, French and Mediterranean flavors.
\ Good timing. Who says you can't get a good deal downtown?
Bobby Worrell, a camera-toting, tobacco-farming tourist from Bailey, N.C., recently got himself two grand openings for the price of one.
For $1 each, Worrell and his wife, Vickie, had the rare privilege of attending the opening of Nauticus and the debut of ``Norfolk Reflections,'' a history film.
On June 1, the Worrells visited Norfolk to celebrate their 25th anniversary by going to Nauticus.
But when they got there, the Worrells discovered Nauticus would not open to the public that day until 2 p.m. Only VIPs were being admitted early.
The Worrells went to Waterside.
There, they wandered into the first showing of ``Norfolk Reflections'' at a new visitors' center. In fact, the Worrells were the only people in the inaugural audience to buy tickets. Everyone else was part of the Norfolk Historical Film Committee or worked at Waterside.
After viewing the film, the Worrells told their story to developer Harvey Lindsay and Vann Massey, Waterside general manager.
Minutes later, Massey gave the Worrells his own VIP passes, good for front-row seats. Nauticus tickets for adults normally cost $10 each.
By the way, for $10 you also can buy a copy of the history film.
by CNB