Harbor’s Edge, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Norfolk, Va., embarked on an expansion known as River Tower that comprises 147 new units including penthouses with broad views of downtown Norfolk and the nearby Elizabeth River. Complementing the existing Harbor Tower, the River Tower completes developer and CEO Neil Volder’s original concept for Harbor’s Edge, which he envisioned as “one community with two towers.”
Designed by architect Three (Dallas), the 24-story high-rise offers 100,000 square feet of new common areas including three new restaurants, a lobby bar, media room, and a professional golf simulator. Individual apartments feature a variety of one-, two-, and three-bedroom floor plans with patios, balconies, and/or sunrooms.
Inspired by the sails of the storied tall ships of Norfolk Harbor, the new tower’s form is expressed in a modern glass curtainwall that appears to billow atop a podium base of brick that harmonizes with neighboring buildings. Residents and visitors entering from the porte cochère are greeted by a two-story grand lobby with a monumental central staircase connecting to a second-floor breezeway. An expanded third floor commons connects the two residential towers to create a unified community at the amenity level.
Project details:
Facility name: River Tower expansion at Harbor’s Edge
Location: Norfolk, Va.
Completion date: September 2021
Owner: Harbor’s Edge
Total building area: 527,770 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: $145 million
Cost/sq. ft.: $263/sq. ft.
Architecture firm: Three
Interior design: StudioSix5
General contractor: W.M. Jordan
Engineering: Clark Nexsen
Builder: W.M. Jordan
