Demolition of Norfolk’s former DePaul hospital site expected to take a year

NORFOLK — Demolition crews in massive construction equipment have begun knocking down the walls of the former Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center hospital complex as a local nonprofit prepares to construct a youth center for after-school and summer programs.

Demolition began Monday, said Chuck McPhillips, chair of the board of directors for Next Step to Success. The Norfolk nonprofit plans to construct a youth center across 9 of the property’s 15 acres. He said demolishing the structures would continue for about a year before construction begins — with the new facility slated to open in January 2027.

“It’s a massive campus and a lot of work entailed in doing that,” McPhillips said.

The nonprofit, which currently provides afterschool programming for about 90 students, purchased the property from Bon Secours for $5.7 million in December, according to city documents. The Norfolk real estate assessor’s office valued the property at roughly $4.1 million in July.

The group plans to build a campus, called the St. Vincent DePaul House, on the site with activity rooms, a gym, soccer field, media center and other features. McPhillips said the group also plans to construct several tennis courts.

He said the after-school and summer programs would be free to students, and transportation from school and to their homes would be provided.

“We took a leap of faith in making this investment,” McPhillips said, because the group’s goal of reducing poverty in the city is so important.

DePaul was founded in 1855 as the Hospital of St. Vincent de Paul, the first hospital in Norfolk for civilians, according to Virginian-Pilot archives. The hospital was moved to the location off Granby Street in 1944 and was a part of the community for decades. However, owner Bon Secours closed the location in 2021 after a major decline in patients.

A plan to convert the space into almost 500 luxury apartments fell through in late 2023, with a representative for developer Marathon Group citing higher construction costs and interest rates.

Next Step To Success was founded in 2021 through the James Barry Robinson Trust, McPhillips said. That trust, from former Norfolk businessman Frederick J. Robinson, also helped create The Barry Robinson Center behavioral health facility.

The trust will partially fund the new youth center, but McPhillips said the nonprofit will also work to partner with area businesses and other donors. He said the program would start with space for about 200 students and gradually ramp up to 400 or so.