A daylighted creek. A 26-acre community park.
A resilient approach to flooding and sea-level rise.
Former residents of Tidewater Gardens know all too well what flooding problems are brought to the area by high tides and significant rain events. After all, more than half of the neighborhood was located in a 100-year flood plain and much of it was built on top of a creek bed.
As part of Norfolk’s bold plan to build community resilience, the transformation of Tidewater Gardens lets the City of Norfolk use innovative water-management solutions as a way to spur economic and social revitalization. How? By reworking landscape around natural systems, historic water-flow patterns, and landscape elements.
The blueways, greenways and 26-acre park in the redeveloped Tidewater Gardens community of Kindred will bring solutions to some of the city’s biggest flood-control and sea-level-rise challenges. The park, for example, will do double duty to reduce the flooding that has inundated parts of Tidewater Gardens for decades
From challenge comes a big opportunity.
The new 26-acre park at the former Tidewater Gardens site is designed to provide a resilient solution to chronic flooding and sea level rise. The environment-centric design also:
- Removes homes and businesses from the flood plain
- Stores 10 million cubic feet of stormwater runoff
- Daylights Newton’s Creek
- Creates new outdoor park space
- Controls upstream runoff from the transformation area
- Filters polluted stormwater to protect the Elizabeth River
- Preserves over 100 mature shade trees
- Expands Norfolk’s growing network of pedestrian and bicycle paths
New daylight for old Newton’s Creek
When Norfolk was settled in 1680, a waterway called Newton’s Creek ran right through what is today’s Tidewater Gardens and Harbor Park. If you’ve ever seen a baseball game there, you’ll recognize the old creek that ran from near the picnic area to first base and out into the Elizabeth River. As downtown Norfolk grew, the creeks that ran through it were all filled in to create more developable land. That included Newton’s Creek, which was covered and re-routed through an underground storm drain.
By the 1950s, a portion of Tidewater Gardens was built right on top of Newton’s Creek. Mother Nature wasn’t fooled. As the years rolled on and more land was developed, the underground drain couldn’t handle the flow of water. Tidewater Gardens became increasingly prone to stormwater and tidal flooding.
Rendering of a resilient new city park with daylighted Newton’s Creek as the centerpiece.
Rendering of the planned Freemason Creek and surrounding park space
Illustrated depiction of daylighted Newton’s Creek and surrounding park space
Illustrated depiction of daylighted Freemason’s Creek and surrounding park space
Inspiration for new multi-use park space around daylighted Newton’s Creek
Inspiration for the Freemason’s Creek space
A park built for progress. And people.
Soon, for the first time in over 80 years, Newton’s Creek will be uncovered, or “daylighted,” and allowed to flow freely through a new, 22-acre community park. Transformation-project engineers have designed a new flood-control solution to carry water from upstream neighborhoods down to a daylighted Newton’s Creek and out into the Elizabeth River. Along the way, the water will flow through a series of “green” amenities such as wetland terraces and recreational meadows, filtering runoff pollutants before reaching the creek and river.
It’s a resilient, forward-thinking and beautiful solution to some of the city’s most pressing tidal and stormwater-flooding problems. One that will bring endless outdoor activity to Kindred residents and visitors alike.
Inspirations for the gateways, nature play areas, bike trails, cultural arts installations, and lighted trails in the new city park.