Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SUFFOLK, VA — On March 5, the Suffolk City Council unanimously approved the $2 billion 2026-2035 Community Improvement Plan, which includes demolishing Driver Elementary School. 

According to Finance Director Charles Meek, the school’s main building, which is 55,100 square feet, will be torn down, but the 9,000-square-foot gymnasium will be saved.

The CIP was adopted with an amendment to include the project in Fiscal Year 2026, utilizing $620,000 from the construction reserve fund.

An additional $30,000 is also being used to demolish or remove trailers and equipment currently exposed on the site, using Fiscal Year 2025 capital contingency funds.

In addition to the school, the council approved updating the CIP document to reflect the Bernhowe Manor turn lane as part of the Route 17 widening project.

“As many of you are aware, Driver Elementary has been a big concern, and so … to move forward on this, I’m happy about that,” said Councilwoman Ebony Wright, who made the motion to approve the CIP. “And then Bernhowe Manor also was a big safety issue for the members of that community.”

Meek presented the entire plan in February, and the council scheduled the March 5 public hearing. No one from the public spoke at the hearing.

The entire CIP will include more than $534 million worth of projects over the next five years.

The majority of the $241 million in local spending will go towards public schools ($96 million), public safety ($46.7 million), transportation ($38.2 million), public buildings ($21.2 million), parks and recreation ($20.4 million), and village, neighborhood, and downtown projects ($18 million).

The largest expenditures included in the plan are the following:

Replacement of Elephants Fork Elementary School ($61.1 million): This will replace the current school and modernize it. The current facility is over 40 years old, while the new school would hold 800 students. The $61.1 million will be spent between FY 27 through FY 29. In a separate project, Northern Shores Elementary will receive $14.3 million in renovations, including the construction of an additional two-story wing, restrooms and a cafeteria extension. The additions will increase capacity and eliminate the need for mobile units at Northern Shores.

Water system projects ($41.8 million): The $41.8 million will be expended on expanding the water treatment plant, groundwater permit renewal, well evaluation, rehabilitation of the Reids Ferry Well and water source development changes. In a separate water system upgrade, $28.7 million will replace aging water meters and water service lines, address regulatory requirements, and find and fix repairs across Cedar Lakes, downtown, Lakeside, Mahan, and Day Street, and in the area of Adams/Maple/Mulberry.

Route 460 improvements from King Fork’s Road to the bypass ($32.2 million): These improvements include median construction, road widening, sidewalks, and a closed drainage system. State funding ($30.1) will pay for most of the work, with developer contributions ($2.2 million) responsible for the remaining funding. An additional $77.9 million is anticipated from state funding for construction in FY 2030.

Shoulders Hill Road widening ($22.6 million): Shoulders Hill Road will be widened from Laycock Lane to Pughsville Road through a combination of local, state and federal funds. The improvements include a four-lane divided roadway with a multi-use path. Additional roadway projects include widening Route 17 ($12.8 million) and widening a 1.5-mile section of Godwin Blvd. from Kings Fork Road to the Suffolk Bypass ($9.7 million).

Fire apparatus replacements ($19.1 million): This will replace fire engines, tankers, fire rescue trucks and aerial ladder trucks that have exceeded their useful life. In addition, $6.8 million will be used to replace ambulances that have exceeded their useful life, at a rate of two replacements per year. Fire Station 4 (Lake Kilby) will also be replaced, utilizing $3.5 million in FY 26 and $9.5 million in FY 27. Station 9 (Kings Highway) will be upgraded for $1.4 million in FY 27 and Station 10 (Bennett’s Pasture) will receive $2.5 million in renovations.

Sanitary sewer system upgrades ($18.7 million): This will pay for maintenance to protect against sewer overflows, repairs, upgrades to the pump station and sewer system improvements.

Stormwater projects ($17.3 million): The projects include citywide drainage improvements ($500K), Murphy’s Mill culvert improvements ($1.9 million), Oakland drainage improvements ($5.2 million), Woodrow South Suffolk drainage improvements ($1.5 million), and Olde Towne drainage improvements ($2 million).

“I think that the distribution of resources is equitable, equitably distributed across our city,” said Mayor Mike Duman. “We’ve got some great projects in there.”

The city’s capital improvement plans are listed on its website at https://www.suffolkva.us/751/Capital-Improvements-Plan.