Portsmouth City Council Work Session (Feb 24, 2026): Main Street Initiative & Flood Risk Management

The City Council of Portsmouth held a public work session on February 24, 2026. The session featured two major presentations: an update on the Main Street initiative by the Portsmouth Partnership and a presentation on coastal resilience planning by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC). Council members discussed progress, data, and future opportunities, and highlighted the need for more aggressive pursuit of state and federal funding for flood resilience.

Discussion Items

• Main Street Initiative Update (Michelle Wren and Liz Hussling, Portsmouth Partnership): The presenters outlined the two-year Main Street program, now one year in. Key data reported since August 2025: 2,200 volunteer hours, 12 new housing units, and $2.3 million in improvements (mostly private) within the district from Water Street to Effingham. They conducted 755 community surveys and hosted Main Street America for stakeholder focus groups. A public-private lighting project raised $50,000 private and $50,000 city match, deploying uplighting on crape myrtle trees along High Street and offering $1,000 grants to 27 businesses for lighting/security upgrades (3 completed, 6 in process, 18 planned). The High Street Fest on October 2025 attracted an estimated 7,000 visitors, with 105 street vendors (85 reporting sales averaging $600 each) and generated $2.3 million in total impressions. Brick-and-mortar businesses saw a 118% average sales increase (e.g., Barron's Restaurant +124%, Beer Garden from $6,000 to nearly $12,000). The partnership raised $528,000 over two years, including a $70,000 'Unlocking Capital' grant from Main Street America (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) to fund a full-time small business development staffer and explore sustainable funding models. They also launched a Bloom Healthcare Accelerator (pilot) and a Retail Accelerator in partnership with Retail Alliance. A leakage study identified market gaps, and they are using pre-development funds (up to $125,000) to reduce vacancies. Plans for High Street Fest 2026 on October 10th.

• Council Discussion on Main Street: Council members expressed strong support for the initiative. Vice Mayor Moody asked about uniform signage and expansion to other neighborhoods like Churchland and Cradock; presenters noted the current focus on Old Town but offered to share the framework for grassroots replication. Councilman Tillich highlighted the EDA's facility improvement grant ($350,000 allocated this fiscal year) was already fully claimed halfway through the year, suggesting a need to increase funding. Councilwoman Bryant inquired about communication with property owners of vacant buildings; presenters described building trust and using a 'carrot' approach, with some owners having emotional attachments but slow progress. Councilwoman Thomas asked about year-round activation beyond High Street Fest; presenters confirmed ongoing conversations with the marketing and tourism departments for more frequent, smaller events. Mayor Glover emphasized the vision of Portsmouth as a 'festival city' and the importance of wayfinding. Councilman Hugo raised concerns about the block from Chestnut to Effingham being left out of the Main Street district. Councilwoman Bryant noted the need for better lighting on side streets like Washington and Middle to support parking.

• Coastal Resilience and Flood Risk Management Presentation (Ben McFarlane, HRPDC): McFarlane explained the regional coastal resilience program, Army Corps feasibility studies (3x3x3 model), and the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF) from Virginia's RGGI proceeds. He noted that Hampton Roads has received over $100 million in CFPF grants and loans across six rounds, with Portsmouth receiving two large grants. He outlined the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Study ($1.4B initially, now $2.6B) and highlighted the need for local capacity to compete for funding. The Peninsula study (Hampton) faced scope limitations due to funding constraints. New start opportunities for new projects are limited (10 per year nationwide).

• Council Discussion on Resilience: Councilman Tillich, who serves on the Joint Subcommittee on Recurrent Flooding, noted that Norfolk and Virginia Beach are aggressively securing funding and urged Portsmouth to identify projects quickly. Councilwoman Thomas asked about grant writing capacity; Councilman Dotson (via note) suggested establishing a dedicated resiliency department or specialized grant writer. Councilwoman Bryant asked about potential impacts of the Norfolk flood wall on Portsmouth's waterfront aesthetics and flooding; McFarlane said impacts are likely minimal but models are being updated, and mitigation would be required if found. He offered to facilitate a briefing from Norfolk. The council agreed that Portsmouth needs to be more proactive in pursuing federal and state funds.

Key Outcomes

• The council received the Main Street update and expressed continued support for the partnership and its activities.
• Council members identified the need to increase the EDA facility improvement grant funding and to study additional funding for Main Street initiatives.
• The council noted the importance of developing a more robust resilience strategy, possibly including a dedicated resiliency department or grant writer, to better compete for CFPF and Army Corps funding.
• The council went into closed session (at the end of the work session) pursuant to Virginia Code § 2.2-3711(A)(1) to discuss a personnel matter.