Peninsula Town Center to Honor Local Historical Figures
in Naming of New Streets, Parks and Plazas

February 27, 2008

The most significant new development project in Hampton in more than 30 years will pay homage to the city's rich 400-year old history.

The Peninsula Town Center, a 1-million square foot mixed use community, rising on the site of the former Coliseum Mall, will have several new streets as well as parks and plazas surrounding stores, residences and offices. Mall Properties, Inc. and Steiner + Associates, the owners and developers, working closely with the City of Hampton and its History Museum, have chosen several individuals to honor and will be soliciting suggestions from the community to complete the naming opportunities.

Street names will be:

Allainby Way - In 1692, Thomas Allainby was one of three trustees who laid out the original plan for Hampton. It involved a fairly simple street pattern, including a Queen Street and King Street intersection, and half-acre lots.

Kilgore Avenue - Ann Kilgore was Hampton's first female mayor (1963-1971) and very instrumental in the decision to build Coliseum Mall, which opened shortly after her term ended. The Hampton Coliseum, Virginia's first indoor cultural and sports arena, was built during her tenure as Mayor as were a number of new schools. As a result of her efforts, Hampton was named an All American City in 1973.

McMenamin Street - A native of Ireland, James McMenamin moved to Hampton to begin a crab company that bore his name. In 1879, he perfected a way to preserve crabmeat in cans. McMenamin became one of the city's largest employers, with 330 workers and 60 crab boats.

Holt Avenue - Harry H. Holt was Clerk of Court for Elizabeth City County, which merged with the town of Hampton to become the modern city of Hampton. Holt led the effort from 1914-17 that brought Langley Field to Hampton, which changed the course of the city forever.

Downey Green - Downey Farm was located on the site of the Peninsula Town Center. There was originally a Downey Farm Road in the area, where the current Sentara CarePlex stands today.

Claiborne Square - William Claiborne arrived in Virginia in 1621 and became a significant political and military figure. A singular accomplishment of his was the establishment of fur trading with the Indians in the region, thus stabilizing the region's economy.

Von Schilling Drive - Leopold Marshall von Schilling, president of the Merchants National Bank in downtown Hampton, was the son of Franz von Schilling, who served in the Union Army during the Civil War and was stationed at Fort Monroe. Together with his son, Luciene Howard, also a bank officer, Leopold owned the L.M. Von Schilling and Sons auto dealership, which sold Nash, Plymouth and Desoto cars, on North Armistead Avenue.

Merchants Lane - Merchants Lane was the former name of a downtown Hampton street, now called History Museum Way because the road ran directly into city's History Museum. The former Merchant's Lane was the center of economic activity for the City of Hampton. The name was chosen for Peninsula Town Center because of the robust commercial activity that will occur there.

There will be five public parks and plazas inside the Town Center. None have yet been named, and the developers are soliciting suggestions from its community advisory committee as well as other members of the community. Interested persons can e-mail tonya@peninsulatowncenter.com to provide input. Management will announce the winning selections later this year. "We are seeking nominations of individuals, both past and present, who have made significant contributions to Hampton and the Virginia Peninsula, whether in business, government, civil rights or overall public service," says Raymond Tripp, General Manager of the Peninsula Town Center. "The Town Center needs to reflect the diversity of our community as well as our area's rich history."

The Peninsula Town Center, which will feature a host of fashion and specialty stores, luxury apartments and offices, is now under construction with the opening of Phase One scheduled for Spring 2009.