Monticello Arcade
History
In the early 20th century, business boomed in the Arcade as downtown Norfolk's commercial area expanded until the Great Depression, at which time Monticello Arcade Company, Inc. filed for bankruptcy and the building returned to the Grandy Estate. The Arcade survived the remainder of the Depression in the hands of its new owners and went on to prosper in postwar Norfolk. Businesses in the downtown area began to suffer in the early 1960s, and during that time the Monticello Arcade began to deteriorate as revenues decreased. By the 1970s, the Arcade was in poor condition with only a few remaining tenants. Threat of condemnation loomed until 1975, when the building attained landmark status. In 1976, management of the Arcade was taken over by the newly created Monticello Arcade Limited Partnership. By the early 1980s, downtown Norfolk had been significantly restored, which resulted in recovery of Arcade business. Today the Monticello Arcade remains at the heart of Norfolk's business and retail district.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (April 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Monticello Arcade" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. and Accompanying photo