The City of Newport News has issued an invitation for bids, a formal request for contractors to submit sealed prices, to build a new seafood market at the north end of the Seafood Industrial Park. The project is part of a neighborhood redevelopment effort. The selected contractor would provide all labor, materials and equipment for a 7,000-square-foot market building and supporting site development. The city’s invitation lays out the specifications and requirements bidders must follow.
Marshall-Ridley Choice Neighborhood Initiative efforts in Newport News’ Southeast Community include this project. According to the invitation, the goal is a functional, code-compliant and aesthetically aligned seafood market. The market is intended to support local seafood industry operations and give residents more access to fresh seafood. It is also meant to contribute to broader redevelopment goals in the Southeast Community.
Inside, the building would hold a public food hall, served by vendor stalls and a commercial kitchen, plus offices for the market operator and harbor master. Kitchen support areas include a loading dock and refrigerated trash storage. Outdoor eating areas would include a boardwalk overlooking the harbor, along with other seating. The existing parking lot would shrink, and visitors would walk from the inlet street along a landscaped path to the market entrance. The drawings’ Department Legend lists 34 rooms and spaces, indoors and out, including a Patio Deck that appears in Design Alternate 02.
The project team list in the plan sheets names the Newport News Economic Development Authority as owner, while the invitation’s Summary section defines the City of Newport News as the Owner. The Economic Development Authority of the City of Newport News, Virginia will serve as the contracting entity for the project. Work Program Architects is the architect, and Sam Bowling is the architect of record. Timmons Group is the civil engineer, and IMEG, formerly Lynch Mykins, is the structural engineer. Ricca Design Studios is listed for food service, Pace Collaborative covers plumbing, mechanical and electrical work, and Orbis Landscape Architecture is the landscape architect.
Newport News Daily Brief, October 7, 2026
Community & Services
Serve the City Peninsula Serves Nearly 70% of the Year
Serve the City Peninsula reports it serves nearly 70% of the year, which the group describes as over 250 days each year dedicated to showing up for the city and loving neighbors. The organization says that includes 20+ days a month of serving the community consistently, a share it describes as nearly two-thirds of every year, with the aim of building stronger neighborhoods together. It thanks every volunteer, partner, and supporter who makes this possible. The organization lists these upcoming volunteer opportunities:
Diaper Bank Packing Project, October 9, 12:45pm – 2:30pm
EarthBond U Litter Clean Up, October 10, 9:30am – 11:30am
BINGO @ Sprately House, October 10, 8:00am – 12:00pm
SAME Mobile Food Pantry, October 10, 9:30am – 12:00pm
Zion Foodbank, October 13, 10:30am – 1:30pm
Yard Transformation, October 15, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Elmerton Cemetery, October 16, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Urban Ag Garden, October 17, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Prep for Paint at GCO, October 23, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Habitat Repair Blitz @ GCO, October 24, 8:00am – 3:00pm
SAME Support Day, October 26, 9:30am – 1:30pm
Yard Transformation, October 30, 9:00am – 12:00pm
HBC Community Dinner, October 30, 5:00pm – 7:30pm
Newport News Police to Host Domestic Violence Awareness Walk October 28
The Newport News Police Department says it will join advocates and survivors for the annual Domestic Violence Awareness Walk at City Center on Wednesday, October 28, at 5 p.m. According to the department, participants will meet at the gazebo for a short program, then walk together around the fountain, and attendees are encouraged to wear purple. The department says it is also partnering with Transitions Family Violence Services throughout October to collect brand new items for survivors leaving unsafe situations, and it lists drop-off locations. Information supplied separately says the department is working with service providers and community members this month to highlight safety, support, and collective action.
Items being collected include:
toiletries such as shampoo, soap, deodorant, and toothpaste
feminine hygiene products
blankets and towels
diapers, wipes, and baby supplies
socks and undergarments
household essentials such as cleaning products and laundry detergent
non-perishable snacks and bottled water
Drop-Off Locations:
NNPD – Headquarters, 9710 Jefferson Ave.
NNPD – Central Precinct, 611 Dresden Dr
NNPD – South Precinct, 3303 Jefferson Ave
NNPD – North Precinct, 13785 Warwick Blvd
New Beech Grove Baptist Church, 361 Beechmont Dr
Holiday Inn, 930 Omni Blvd
Gethsemane Baptist Church, 5405 Roanoke Ave
Brittingham-Midtown Community Center, 570 McLawhorne Dr
Denbigh Community Center, 15198 Warwick Blvd
Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center, 2410 Wickham Ave.
Newport News Public Schools – Administrative Office, 12465 Warwick Blvd
Center for Women’s Health, 716 Denbigh Blvd. Bldg. E Suite 2
Hornsby Tire & Service Center Tire Pros, 3300 Jefferson Ave
Commissioner of the Revenue – 2400 Washington Ave. (City Hall)
Commissioner of the Revenue – 12912 Jefferson Ave. (Denbigh Office)
Tourism & Events
Cirque de Paris to Bring French Circus to Newport News
Cirque Anouchka Bouglione says its Cirque de Paris show will perform under the Big Top at American Legion Post 368 in Newport News from October 8 to October 11. According to the company, the 90 minute show will feature Europe’s best circus artists performing together for the first time in the United States, including the Supka Family juggling troupe, two traditional circus clowns, and producer Anouchka Bouglione’s children, Noah and Alyana, in their season debut. The company describes Bouglione as the seventh generation of France’s Bouglione circus family, whose relatives became owners of the Cirque D’Hiver in Paris in 1934.
Parks and Recreation
Yoga at Mariners’ Lake Boathouse to Start Thursday in Mariners Park
Yoga at Mariners’ Lake Boathouse with Bleevable Prana will take place at the Boathouse in Mariners Park from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and costs $20 per person. The listing says each participant should supply their own yoga mat, advance registration is recommended, and parking is available at the Boathouse. Information supplied separately says Bettina Lee of Bleevable Prana will lead a session along Mariners’ Lake each Thursday evening in October, with the first session this Thursday, October 8.
