In 1909, Norfolk’s Granby Street earned the moniker “The Great White Way” for its grand arches of light, prompting The Virginian-Pilot to declare Norfolk “the most brilliantly lighted city in the United States.” WPA helped the Downtown Norfolk Council revive the tradition with updated technologies at a fraction of the original cost. It is a small urban intervention with a big impact.
On April 1, 2016, former Mayor Paul Fraim threw the switch, illuminating 10 arches spaced 300 to 500 feet apart, each bearing 40 LED bulbs. The 42-foot cables supporting the lights are anchored by 24-foot poles. The arches light a four-block area from City Hall Avenue to Brambleton Avenue. A second phase, completed in 2018, extended additional arches from Brambleton Avenue to the NEON Arts District to the north and along the pedestrian footpath to Waterside Drive to the south.
