13-06-2025
Program to 'light up' downtown area of Portsmouth to improve safety and visibility
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A new grant program is hoping to light up the downtown area of Portsmouth.
The Executive Director of the Portsmouth Partnership, Michelle Wren, said the area used to be lit up. The organization is hoping to bring that back with their recently launched 'Safe and Secure Downtown' Program.
It works in two ways and will be in place between the 100 and 700 blocks of High Street.
First, they plan to light the trees in the median of the street. Then, they want the businesses that line this stretch of the street to join in too.
'They will get $1,000 if they upgrade their lighting as part of this program and their security cameras. We are going to give them a $1,000 donation towards the project, and we're also going to help them with city permitting and the downtown Design Council,' Wren said.
Portsmouth Partnership is hoping this will all improve safety, security and nighttime visibility for properties in the High Street corridor. The area saw a bit of crime last year, so organizers want this to make a difference.
Mayor Shannon Glover said the city will support this effort in any way they can.
'When people can see more, then they can do more. They can be happier, they can feel safer and then it kind of persuades people that don't want to do the right thing, not to show up,' Glover said.
So far, Portsmouth Partnership has raised $40,000 dollars to go towards the program through several different sponsors.
Now, they're searching for businesses who want to participate. Businesses like ELG Sweet Boutique are all for more lighting.
'It helps to draw more customers here, of course, but also some security that we need to feel safe for our employees, as well as for our customers that come in to visit us,' Tonya Perkins, Chief Operating Officer of ELG Sweet Boutique, said.
Click here for more information about the program as a whole, and here for details about the business participation bonus.
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