Posted on March 18, 2026
By Kathleen Lundy
NORFOLK, Va. — Abigail Spanberger announced Monday that more than $1.5 million will go toward redevelopment and infrastructure projects in several Hampton Roads port communities.
The $1.53 million investment comes through Virginia’s Port Host Communities Revitalization Fund and will support projects in Portsmouth, Norfolk and Newport News. According to the governor’s office, the funding will help renovate industrial and commercial buildings and repair aging maritime infrastructure tied to the region’s working waterfront.
State officials said the projects are intended to create new opportunities for small businesses, support manufacturing, and strengthen the seafood and maritime industries operating near the port.
“Virginia’s port communities play a central role in powering the Commonwealth’s economy and continue to have an important place in our shared history,” Spanberger said in a statement. “These investments will strengthen critical infrastructure, breathe new life into underused industrial assets, and create new opportunities for businesses and residents.”
In Portsmouth, $550,000 will support the renovation of a vacant property on High Street that officials say will be converted into a flexible space for small businesses. Plans include areas for makerspaces, commissary kitchens, recording and art studios, retail space and other resources designed to support entrepreneurs.
In Norfolk, the Norfolk Economic Development Authority will use $500,000 to renovate five industrial buildings owned by Mil-Spec Abrasives. The structures are used for manufacturing, packaging, storage and distribution of glass abrasives for industrial, marine and construction uses. Officials say the improvements are expected to expand production and logistics capacity at the site.
Meanwhile, in Newport News, $480,000 will go toward repairs at the Seafood Industrial Park’s outer harbor. City officials say deteriorating piers and mooring structures will be repaired or replaced to maintain access for vessels serving the local seafood and maritime industries.
The projects are funded through the Port Host Communities Revitalization Fund, a program created to help modernize or redevelop port-related facilities in Virginia’s port host communities. The Virginia General Assembly allocated $2.4 million to the fund for 2026.
State officials say the program is designed to leverage local and private investment to help redevelop aging properties and support long-term economic activity in communities connected to Virginia’s ports.
