Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority Take the survey

Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority

Next Chapter:Swanson

The online survey is open

What should come next for the former Swanson Homes site? Tell us.

Online surveyOpen through Oct 28 Wed, Oct 21Session 2, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Take the online survey Come to Session 2

The site

17 acres, and a blank page.

Swanson Homes was built in 1941 and, for generations, was home to Portsmouth families and seniors. By 2024, residents had been rehoused in communities of their choice, and the buildings were demolished in 2026.

Today, the 17-acre site stands open, and what comes next has not been decided.

Before PRHA asks developers what they would build here, PRHA is asking you what you want to see here.

1941Swanson Homes built
17 acresSite size
2024Residents rehoused, in communities of their choice
2026Buildings demolished
The Swanson Homes 1941 cornerstone, set in a brick wall
The 1941 cornerstone.
The cleared Swanson site with graded ground and mature trees along the edge
The site, September 2026.

Community Input Sessions

One session left. Same content as the first.

Free and open to the public. Session 1 took place on October 14. Session 2 covers the same content, in the daytime, so more people can make it.

Session 1 · Evening

Wednesday, October 14

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Bide-A-Wee Golf Course1 Bide-A-Wee Lane, Portsmouth, VA 23701

This session has taken place

Thank you to everyone who came. If you missed it, Session 2 covers the same content, or you can tell us online.

Registration is encouraged but not required. Come when you can during the session window. Can't make it? The online survey is open through October 28.

What to expect

An interactive engagement session, not a meeting.

You will not sit through a presentation. You will take part.

Hear from PRHA leadership.

Learn more about the site, what has been decided, and what is still open.

Take part in a series of exercises.

Short, hands-on exercises that capture what the community wants for the next chapter of Swanson. Hosts help anyone who asks.

Every response is counted the same.

In the room or online, each response is counted individually. On November 4, PRHA shares back what it heard.

Not a vote. Nothing has been decided. This is early input, and it counts.

What happens next

Where your input goes.

  1. Community Input Session 1

    Wednesday, October 14 · 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. · Bide-A-Wee Golf Course

    An interactive engagement session. Learn more about the site, hear from PRHA leadership, and take part in a series of exercises.

  2. Online survey

    Open now · October 15 to October 28

    The same exercises, online, for anyone who cannot be in the room. Take the survey.

  3. Community Input Session 2

    Wednesday, October 21 · 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. · Neighborhood Facility Recreation Center

    The same session, in the daytime, so more people can make it.

  4. Every response is counted

    Late October

    Every session response and survey response is tallied into one dataset. In the room or online, each one counts the same.

  5. Community Validation Session

    Wednesday, November 4 · 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. · Neighborhood Facility Recreation Center

    PRHA shares back what it heard, what it means, and how it will be used.

  6. Following

    After the share-back

    Community priorities shape what PRHA asks developers to propose, and how PRHA evaluates what comes back.

Online survey

Can't make it in person? Tell us online.

The online survey is open now. It covers the same exercises as the sessions, and every response is counted the same, in the room or online.

Open nowSince October 15
October 28Closes
Take the survey

Know someone who should weigh in? Send them nextchapterswanson.org

Questions

Frequently asked.

Has PRHA decided what will be built?
No. Nothing about what comes next has been decided. That is why the sessions come first, before developers are asked for proposals.
Is this a vote?
No. There is no vote and no developer selection at this stage. This is early input, and it shapes what PRHA asks developers to propose.
What happens at a session?
An interactive engagement session. You learn more about the site, hear from PRHA leadership on what is decided and what is open, and take part in a series of exercises that capture what the community wants for the next chapter of Swanson. Hosts are on hand to read aloud and write for anyone who asks.
Do I have to stay the whole time?
No. Come anytime during the session window and move at your own pace.
Do I need to register?
Registration is encouraged but not required. The sessions are free and open to the public, and you are welcome to simply come. Register for October 21 on Eventbrite.
I came to a session. Should I take the survey too?
No need. The survey covers the same exercises as the sessions, so one response per person is all it takes. If you could not make a session, the survey is open through October 28.
How will my input be used?
Every session response and survey response is tallied into one dataset. The results shape what PRHA asks developers to propose and how PRHA evaluates proposals.
What happens after the sessions?
PRHA shares back what it heard at the Community Validation Session on Wednesday, November 4, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., at the Neighborhood Facility Recreation Center, and posts a summary here.
Will it still be called Swanson?
Next Chapter: Swanson is the name of this conversation, not of what comes next. Naming what comes next happens later, with residents.

Contact

Questions? Ask.

For anything about the sessions, the survey, or the site.

Next Chapter: Swanson is a community engagement initiative of the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority.