List of tallest buildings in Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk skyline

The history of high-rises in Norfolk, Virginia, began in the early 1900s with the construction of such structures as the 12-story Royster Building in 1912.[1]

The skyline of Downtown Norfolk remained relatively low to mid-rise until the 1960s which brought the construction of the 23-story Bank of America Center in 1967. Still the second-tallest building in Norfolk, the Bank of America Center was the tallest building in Virginia from its completion until 1971 when it was surpassed by Richmond City Hall.[2]

Dominion Tower took the top spot from Bank of America Center when it was completed in 1987 with 26 stories along the newly revitalized Elizabeth River waterfront adjacent to the Berkley Bridge. Dominion Tower also stood as the tallest building in the Hampton Roads metro area until 2002, when the Armada Hoffler Tower was completed in adjacent Virginia Beach.[3]

The majority of the most prominent and recognizable buildings in the downtown skyline were built between the late 1980s and the present, concluding with the opening of the 23-story Wells Fargo Center in 2010. While two additional towers had been proposed for downtown in the late 2000s, both have been stalled by the faltering world economy.[citation needed] These two structures, the Granby Tower condominium building and the Westin Hotel and Convention Center would have ranked high on this list, with the Granby Tower taking the top spot with 31 stories at 137 meters (449 feet). The Westin was proposed to have 26 stories and be just short of the Dominion Tower's height.[4][5][6] Construction began on the newest tower, The Main, which includes a 23-story Hilton hotel and conference center in May 2014. This replaces the planned Westin at the corner of Main and Granby streets.

Ranking

This lists ranks the tallest skyscrapers over 200 feet tall in Norfolk, Virginia, based on standard height measurement. This includes spires and architectural details but does not include antenna masts. The "Year" column indicates the year in which a building was completed.

Rank Name Image Height
ft (m)
Floors Year Primary Purpose
1 Dominion Tower 341 ft (104 m) 26 1987 Office
2 Icon Norfolk
(formerly Bank of America Center)
305 (93) 23 1967 Built as Virginia National Bank Tower
in 1967; converted to Residential in 2017
3 Wells Fargo Center 298 (91) 23 2010 Office
4 150 West Main Street 292 (89) 20 2002 Office
5 Norfolk Waterside Marriott 285 (87) 23 1991 Hotel
6 TowneBank Building
(formerly Norfolk Southern Tower)
282 (86) 20 1989 Office
7 Hilton Norfolk the Main 270 (82) 23 2017 Hotel
8 Dominion Enterprises Building 267 (81) 20 2006 Office
9 River Tower 265 (81) 24 2021 Residential
10 CHKD In-Patient Tower 225 (69) 14 2022 Hospital
11 500 East Main Street 223 (68) 17 1971 Office
12 555 East Main Street 220 (67) 17 1977 Office
13 Harbor's Edge 213 (65) 17 2006 Residential
14 Hague Towers 203 (62) 20 1970 Residential

Skyscrapers under construction or proposed

Rank Name Picture Height
ft (m)
Floors Year Status Description
1 Norfolk Gateway Tower 300 (91) 22 2020 Proposed The new office tower will rise to frame the entrance into downtown Norfolk[7]

Canceled Skyscrapers

  • Granby Tower (2010)
  • Westin Hotel and Conference Center (2011); while this project was canceled, it was later revived as the Hilton Norfolk at the Main (2017).

See also

References

  1. ^ "Royster Building, Norfolk, Virginia". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ "Bank of America Center, Norfolk, Virginia". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Dominion Tower, Norfolk, Virginia". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "Chesapeake-based developer also behind on other projects". HamptonRoads.com. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  5. ^ "Squandered dollars on Norfolk's Granby Street". HamptonRoads.com. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  6. ^ "Granby Tower, Norfolk, Virginia". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ "Norfolk Gateway Office Tower". Retrieved February 26, 2019.