Portsmouth's downtown riverfront has two ends that are both on temporary terms this fall. On the Norfolk side, the Elizabeth River Ferry stopped docking at Waterside on Sept. 8 and now lands at Harbor Park. On the Portsmouth side, Crawford Bay is an open lot waiting on a developer, and the city expects to make that pick in November.
The two stories meet at Waterside. When Portsmouth's economic development director describes what he wants Crawford Bay to become, Norfolk's Waterside is the example he points to. Waterside sits directly across the river, and for now the ferry can't dock there.
The Norfolk End Moved to Harbor Park
Hampton Roads Transit moved Norfolk-side ferry service to Harbor Park's landing at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, while the City of Norfolk does dock construction at Waterside. HRT says the Waterside dock will stay closed "until further notice."
Your Portsmouth stops haven't changed. High Street Landing and North Landing both still board. The difference is on the far side, where you have two ways to finish the trip into downtown Norfolk:
- Shuttle bus. It leaves Harbor Park from a temporary stop on the Main Street sidewalk next to the light rail. Heading back, it leaves from Atlantic Avenue and Waterside Drive, on the side of the Waterside Garage.
- The Tide. Take light rail westbound from Harbor Park Station. HRT honors your ferry fare on The Tide, so one ticket covers the transfer. Keep your pass or receipt as proof of payment.
HRT also notes that you can get onto the Elizabeth River Trail directly from the Harbor Park ferry stop.
The longer route also means fewer boats. HRT's announcement says the ferry runs "about every 45 minutes." The day-by-day timetable is more exact:
- Monday to Thursday. High Street departures from 5:30 a.m. to 10:10 p.m., every 40 minutes. North Landing departures come five minutes after High Street, and Harbor Park departures 20 minutes after.
- Friday. Departures from 5:30 a.m. to 12:10 a.m., every 35 minutes.
- Saturday. Departures from 10:10 a.m. to 12:10 a.m., every 40 minutes.
- Sunday. Departures from 10:10 a.m. to 10:10 p.m., every 40 minutes.
The last boat of the night stops at North Landing and does not cross to Harbor Park. That matters if you're planning a late dinner in Norfolk. Leave from Harbor Park on the second-to-last run.
Fares stay the same. HRT's June 2026 notice lists $2 each way, $4.50 for all-day travel, and free rides for youth riding with a paying adult. Norfolk Tides fans still ride free if they show that day's game ticket, and they can now board at either Portsmouth stop.
Waterside Is the Model for the Portsmouth End
On Sept. 9, Economic Development Director Brian Donohue told WTKR that three developers are competing for Crawford Bay: Cape Fear Development, Gold Key PHR and Hines. He described the program the city wants this way:
"New housing, ground floor commercial retail, so shopping, dining, entertainment uses, but also potential for a new hotel and of course public amenities."
In the same interview, he named Norfolk's Waterside as one example of the activity the city hopes to bring to the site.
That puts the Waterside comparison on both sides of the river. Waterside is the Norfolk destination the ferry was built to reach, it's off the route for now, and it's also the reference point for what Portsmouth wants to build at its own landing. The city's own Crawford Bay procurement documents point out that the North Landing ferry stop sits right next to the site and connects it to downtown Norfolk. Whatever goes up at Crawford Bay will face Waterside across the river, with a boat running between them.
Portsmouth has tried this before. The city acquired and demolished the old Holiday Inn in the early 2000s, and earlier attempts to redevelop the site didn't get far. This time the schedule is posted. Formal proposals were due Aug. 31, interviews were set for September, developer selection is slated for November, and City Council review for December. Donohue told WTKR that if the city lands a partner, construction could start within two to three years.
What Crawford Bay Is Right Now
Today the site covers six acres with more than 500 feet of Elizabeth River frontage, and it is mostly undeveloped. WTKR reported that residents use it for walking, biking and spending time by the water. One resident has lived nearby for 50 years and rides his bike to Crawford Bay about five times a week. He told WTKR he would like to see more gathering spaces there.
The former hotel parcel itself is used as overflow parking. The full redevelopment area also takes in Portside Park, other surface lots, the vacant former visitors center site and the Harbor Court garage. Tidewater Yacht Marina, with about 325 slips, sits right next to it.
The best way to see what's at stake is the Seawall walk. Portsmouth Tourism's route guide was published in 2022, so use it for the route and not for current conditions. It describes a paved path of about a mile, roughly 30 minutes on foot, running from High Street Landing to the Naval Medical Center. Heading north, the stops come in this order:
- High Street Landing, home of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum at 2 High St.
- Lightship Portsmouth Museum, a lightship built in 1915.
- The Renaissance and North Street Landing, which was the main ferry stop to Norfolk until 1845. This is a different spot from HRT's North Landing ferry dock, which the transit map places at Water and Bill Deal streets.
- The route along Crawford Parkway past the parking structure to the Tidewater Marina entrance, where the LOVE sign stands.
- Court Street, with Revolutionary War markers, and then Swimming Point, which the guide calls the best sunset spot in Olde Towne.
Fish & Slips, the restaurant inside Tidewater Marina, is a short walk back from the LOVE sign. On the stretch between steps 3 and 4, open lot and parking sit on your right. Across the river is the Norfolk skyline, which Councilwoman Kitty Bryant called "one of the most beautiful views that you find in Hampton Roads." James Cullen, a vice president of the Olde Towne Business Association, called the site Portsmouth's "front door," because Naval Hospital trainees, cruise passengers and Great Loop boaters all pass it on the way in.
In the city's own procurement Q&A, residents listed paths, docks, views, dining, and arts and performance space among their priorities, and stakeholders floated a rooftop bar with river views. These are ideas the city collected, not features any finalist has committed to.
The Gap Between Festival Park and Crawford Bay
Crawford Bay isn't the only waterfront change on the city's list. At his State of the City address in May, Mayor Shannon Glover announced that the old Portsmouth City Jail would come down. He said the city would use the space to connect the pedestrian waterfront from the Portsmouth Pavilion Stage all the way to Crawford Bay. An implosion was ruled out after talks with military officials, because the building sits close to military facilities.
WAVY reported demolition underway by mid-May, and WHRO reported it still in progress on July 15. No public report since then confirms it's finished. WHRO described the civic center and municipal complex as the next phase after Crawford Bay. It also said the city is reviewing a proposal to move City Hall away from the waterfront. The continuous walkway is a stated goal. It isn't a project with a construction date yet.
There's work inland too. Portsmouth EDA minutes from June describe a $24.5 million High Street corridor project, backed by $19.3 million in federal RAISE grant funding. It plans wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, parallel parking and fiber upgrades, with completion expected by May 2030. Closer to the river, the Virginian-Pilot reported in August that the former Roger Brown's at 316 High St. is slated to become The Foundry, with about 30 apartments above a restaurant space. No restaurant operator has been named.
Dates Between Now and the Council Vote
Here is what's scheduled on the riverfront between now and December:
- Oct. 6, 3 to 8 p.m. National Night Out at Festival Park, 16 Crawford Circle, with live music, food trucks and family activities.
- Oct. 18, noon to 6 p.m. Portsmouth's Fall Wine Festival is listed for Festival Park, but the ticket price is still marked TBD, so check before you go.
- November. The city's target month for choosing a Crawford Bay developer.
- December. The selection goes to City Council.
HRT hasn't set a reopening date for the Waterside dock.
If you're weighing what the Crawford Bay decision could mean for a home near the Seawall, or how a downtown waterfront project might affect a rental you own in Olde Towne, Mike Morrill at M2 Properties & Co. is following the developer selection and can walk you through what's on the record so far. Schedule a Free Consultation.
