Peninsula In Passage

behind schedule by two years. Williams sat again, surrounded by cornfields, poring over site plans and maps, waiting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally, in 1992, he was able to move full speed ahead. He laid the first streets and sold the first lots in Burbage Grant, the development’s maiden residential project planned for 1600 homes. The Navy’s 1992 decision to relocate its strategic center for anti-submarine and other combat operations, SEABAT, to a 320,000 square-foot facility on a 27-acre site in Harbour View propelled a wave on interest in both the residential and commercial segments of the new community. More than 800 employees were transferred to the site – and many of them were looking for homes. “SEABAT has basically given us a different market look,” Williams said at the time, adding that service companies that supplied the facility as well as restaurants and other retail would be drawn to Harbour View, bringing, he estimated, another 500 jobs. It was Williams who christened the development “Harbour View” – an homage to the harbor of Hampton Roads viewed from the community’s window on the water. He estimates that the Harbour View developers put about $125 – $140 million in improvements into the total project. The total investment is about $1 billion today. That’s the total value of everything built - including residential, commercial, military, etc. – since the first house was sold in Burbage Grant in October, 1992.

Looking back, Williams says - When I first came out here I saw a dirt road and purple telephone poles. Now to look out and see four lanes and all that’s developed back up to the TCC property, it’s amazing. The marketing people kept telling us there was a pent-up demand for housing, said if we did a first class community it would sell. And we asked, “Demand for that many?” We picked some outstanding partners such as East-West. We’ve been very pleased not only with the type and quality of homes they build but how great a partner they’ve been. Once we got the residential rolling we focused on bringing in good commercial, office and retail partners – Sysco, Bridgeway Commerce and others. Then along came Towne Bank and took to it to another level because of the facilities they brought in. We still have roughly 65 acres to fill in. And that will be all commercial, office and retail. All the residential land, enough for 3200 to 3500 dwelling units, has been developed or sold to developers.

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