Town Point Park to reopen for July 4th

NORFOLK, Va. - Brick pavers and colored concrete sidewalks now stand in place where concrete walkways once were. All that's left now for Town Point Park are the finishing touches.

Festevents Director Karen Scherberger is overseeing it all to make sure attention is paid to every last detail.

"Most people won't see the vast majority of improvements; they're actually underground. We had to reinforce the bulkhead, reinforce the drainage system under the park, [and] all the the electrical systems to bring it up to meet new environmental standards," Scherberger told WAVY.com.

The $11 million facelift for the park has also meant a new location for the band shell. Instead of parallel, it's now perpendicular to the waterfront.

"Hopefully they'll hear a much more improved sound - the acoustics. They'll notice also the beautiful landscaping. We've never had roses, colorful plants or landscaping in the park. Now it's truly a garden," Scherberger said.

At Prince Books, a block across the street from Town Point Park, the hope is it's re-opening will bring in more customers.

"It's going to bring more pedestrian traffic downtown, so we're looking forward to having more people, especially on the weekends," said Clay Hornik.

Portsmouth resident Brian Walb said, "It's great. It's really nice. They've done a good job on it. I think it'll be a nice improvement and maybe get people back down here."

Scherberger says people have told her they're excited about the park and looking forward to its first Harborfest with tall ships, entertainment, and fireworks.