The Newport News Seafood Industrial Park (SIP) is in the midst of a revitalization project that will update aging infrastructure and add a seafood market to draw more visitors back to downtown Newport News.
SIP is home to many seafood and other water-dependent businesses, and some have been there for decades. The park offers full-service accommodations to the seafood industry, including utility hook-ups and vessel fueling, service and repair. Currently, 19 businesses operate out of the park, making it an economic driver for the city with $820,510 in revenue coming in from land leases and bulkhead mooring fees during the last fiscal year. It’s one of the reasons the city is looking to overhaul the facilities with the dual aims of attracting locals and visitors to the park and promoting SIP and the seafood industry as a whole.
“We are committed to maintaining a working waterfront and we want to protect the legacy,” says Florence G. Kingston, the city’s director of development…