Atlantic City was a Norfolk neighborhood bordered by Front Street, Raleigh Avenue, Colley Avenue, and the Elizabeth River. The area was cleared, and most of the buildings were demolished in the 1950s to make way for medical facilities, offices, and private businesses.
Atlantic City was divided into two voting precincts in 1900. The old election district was Precinct One, and the new election district was Precinct Two. Precinct One’s voting place was in the pump house on Colley Avenue, and Precinct Two’s was in the auxiliary pump house on Ward Avenue and Duke Street. Norfolk’s NRHA (Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority) developed redevelopment and improvement plans in 1946. There were plans for the central business district, civic center, recreation areas, and highways. The city was under increasing pressure to eliminate slums and construct new military housing for post-war families.
In 1957, demolition for the Atlantic City redevelopment project began. The project cleared 140 acres and affected 360 structures and 400 families. All houses in this area (except for two) were built before World War I. Traffic movement within and outside of downtown was also addressed as part of the project. It also implemented the 1950 Major Highway Plan. Hampton Boulevard was extended to downtown, and Brambleton Avenue and Hampton were connected to the Midtown Tunnel through construction. The land was available for private apartments, EVMS, the Public Health Center, and CHKD. The land clearing would increase the number of medical facilities and adjacent medical offices. Additionally, it demolished the Atlantic City neighborhood and redesigned Colley Avenue for medical facility use.
Here are some fascinating vintage photos of Atlantic City, Norfolk, from the 1950s and 1960s.
