A long-vacant building at the busy intersection of Jefferson Avenue and City Center Boulevard is set to be torn down, making way for a new branch of Southern Bank. The Newport News Planning Commission voted at a recent meeting to recommend the project move forward, though it still needs final sign-off from City Council. The rundown property, once a restaurant, has sat empty for years and most recently was used only for storage. City planners said the redevelopment would replace an eyesore with a modern building at one of the area’s most visible corners.
Planning staff noted the property’s location at a prominent intersection bordered by a vacant retail property, an industrial equipment supplier, an inn, and a medical office. Planners emphasized that the new zoning would complement adjacent properties and support long-term redevelopment of the corridor, while removing industrial uses inconsistent with the area’s commercial future.
Multiple representatives of the applicant and project contractors presented before the commission, describing the project for the North Carolina based bank as a redevelopment that would remove industrial uses from the key commercial intersection and contribute to ongoing neighborhood revitalization efforts
The 1.32-acre lot at 11847 Jefferson Avenue, once a restaurant and most recently used for storage, would be demolished under Southern Bank's proposal to build a new branch, its first location north of the James River in Newport News.
Commission discussion focused on construction and site design details. Project representatives confirmed complete demolition and reconstruction, with recovered asphalt converted to open space to meet storm water management standards. Representatives addressed architectural design standards, explaining the proposed approach and noting that final designs would require planning director approval to ensure local compliance.
The commission voted unanimously, 7-0, at its September 2 meeting to recommend the zoning change to City Council. The recommendation includes three proffers committing the developer to a master site plan with specified landscape buffers and architectural standards. City Council is scheduled to consider the matter on September 22, 2026.
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