Legacy Landing is about more than replacing aging public housing. The new mixed-income community is a key piece of a sweeping effort to reconnect, revitalize, and reimagine the Marshall-Ridley neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia.
Developed by Pennrose and the Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority, the $33.4 million fourth phase delivers 84 mixed-income homes while extending a trail network designed to link residents to jobs, services, recreation, and future phases of the neighborhood's long-term redevelopment.
“It’s not a standalone development,” says Whitney Ellis, developer at Pennrose, which helped develop Legacy Landing. “It’s part of a larger, coordinated neighborhood revitalization effort.”
The fourth phase includes 84 mixed-income units, serving households earning as low as 30% of the area median income and up to market rates. Amenities include community gathering spaces, a fitness center, an outdoor recreational area, green spaces, and walking trails.
Legacy Landing Phase IV is the winner in the public housing redevelopment category for this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
That last detail is an important one, as the property’s trails will feed into the newly created Health and Wellness Trail Network—a vital connection point for residents throughout the Newport News community.
“It’s a defining feature, creating a continuous spine through the neighborhood and ties into broader transportation and trail systems,” Ellis says. “This approach goes beyond housing to create safer, more walkable access to jobs, services, and recreation, while also strengthening social and economic connections across the community.”
The network will also “bridge historically disconnected areas” of Newport News and connect residents to future phases of Marshall-Ridley’s larger redevelopment initiative, which kicked off in 2019 and is slated to continue until at least mid-2027.
“This level of coordination between housing, infrastructure, and placemaking is rare, especially in affordable housing developments,” Ellis says. “It creates a more cohesive and vibrant community environment.”
DEVELOPERS: Pennrose and Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority
ARCHITECT: WRT
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Breeden Construction
MAJOR FUNDERS: Department of Housing and Urban Development; J.P. Morgan; RBC Capital Markets; Sentara Healthcare; Virginia Housing; Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development; city of Newport News; Virginia Housing Revitalization; Hampton Roads Planning District; Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority