$450M Navy housing project breaks ground in Newport News – Virginia Business

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Development will bring 1,500 sailors downtown by 2031
Josh Janney //November 9, 2026//
Elected officials, leaders from Hunt Military Communities and the Navy take part in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the $450 million Navy housing project in Newport News. Photo by Josh Janney
$450M Navy housing project breaks ground in Newport News
Elected officials, leaders from Hunt Military Communities and the Navy take part in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the $450 million Navy housing project in Newport News. Photo by Josh Janney
Development will bring 1,500 sailors downtown by 2031
Josh Janney //November 9, 2026//

SUMMARY:

A $450 million military housing project that promises to transform downtown Newport News officially broke ground Monday.
The development will bring two 17-story residential towers with housing for 1,500 sailors and new retail space along Huntington Avenue. The project kicks off a broader $1.7 billion Navy initiative announced in September to build and renovate housing for thousands of sailors across Hampton Roads.
The Newport News component of the Navy’s housing project will be constructed in two phases, according to Scott Orrantia, chief development officer for Hunt Military Communities, the project’s private-sector partner. The first phase will include 555 two-bedroom apartments accommodating 1,110 sailors, along with a 1,050-space parking garage, a gymnasium, fitness facilities and a swimming pool. Orrantia said the first phase is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2029.
Existing Huntington Hall residents will then relocate into the new buildings, allowing construction to begin on the current Huntington Hall site without displacing sailors during development.
The second phase will add another 195 apartments, bringing the total to approximately 750 units and 1,500 beds. It also will include 30,000 square feet of space for Navy services and additional commercial space. The development also calls for 10,000 square feet of retail space expected to become available for commercial tenants after the second phase is completed in 2031.
Construction crews have already begun mobilizing, with site preparation underway.
According to Hunt officials, the development will feature private bedrooms and bathrooms for every sailor, kitchens and living areas, classrooms and a basketball court.
Brian Stann, president and CEO of Hunt Military Communities, said the project is designed to provide sailors with more than a place to sleep.
“Where a sailor lives is part of readiness,” Stann said. “We may be building barracks, but for the sailors who live here, it’s their home. It should be a place that helps them thrive, not just get by.”
The retail component is intended to serve both sailors and the broader downtown community.
Orrantia said prospective tenants have not yet been identified. Some retail space will initially temporarily accommodate Navy services during construction, with permanent retail uses expected after the second phase is completed.
He said having 1,500 sailors living downtown should make the commercial spaces more attractive to prospective businesses.
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones also pointed to the potential economic boost from having 1,500 sailors living downtown, with more customers for local restaurants, shops and other businesses.
Jones called the development a major investment in the city’s downtown, where officials are planning additional public facilities and redevelopment.
“We’re going to actually develop a new downtown master plan,” Jones told reporters following the groundbreaking. “We have multiple different things that are changing the face of downtown.”
Jones said the housing development would serve as an anchor for future downtown investments, including a new courthouse, jail and city hall.
“But this is going to be the bedrock, the very foundation. We’re going to build around this,” Jones said.
The project represents a significant public-private partnership involving the Navy, Hunt Military Communities, Newport News, the state and Newport News Shipbuilding. Orrantia said the Navy, Hunt and city have made equity contributions, while Newport News Shipbuilding contributed land and buildings. The city also helped assemble property and secure necessary development approvals.
Newport News previously received a $40 million state treasury loan to help finance the development. However, Jones intends to request that the Virginia General Assembly either forgive the loan or convert it to a capital expenditure.
The Navy’s $1.7 billion housing project calls for constructing or renovating 8,098 beds across Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach. The project is expected to unfold over the next five years.
In September, a spokesperson for the Navy Installations Command’s commander said the work would include the 1,500 beds in Newport News, 5,272 bedrooms across six buildings at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, 712 bedrooms across seven buildings at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach and 614 bedrooms across three buildings at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, also in Virginia Beach.
Capt. Daniel Patrick, commanding officer of Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, said Monday that the investment recognizes the sacrifices sailors make and the importance of providing them with quality housing. “Too often we look at these haze gray warships. We marvel at tons of armor plate, nuclear propulsion, and we risk overlooking the heartbeat inside of steel — our sailors.”
He continued, “They must never be treated as transient workers passing through an industrial city. They deserve a home that reflects their dignity, their sacrifice and the gratitude of a nation that they protect.”
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