In Norfolk, Virginia, the Park Place neighborhood is undergoing a cultural and economic transformation led by local business owners like Ismael Saleem and Samantha Peavy. The 35th Street business district, often referred to as “the soul of Norfolk,” is emerging as a hub for culture, cuisine, and community engagement.
Saleem, the founder of the New Africa Marketplace, envisions the space as a cultural center celebrating African and African American heritage. His store offers products from across the diaspora, and the surrounding area features vibrant murals and signage that reflect the neighborhood’s energy. Saleem emphasizes that the revitalization goes beyond aesthetics, aiming to create a replicable model of African American ownership and authenticity.
The city of Norfolk has supported the development through facade improvement grants and a $4.5 million investment in the upcoming Rosner Boxing Center, which will serve as both an athletic and community facility.
Samantha Peavy is preparing to open The Lasagna Factory, a restaurant built on family recipes and a personal mission. Her journey has been shaped by personal tragedy—she lost her daughter to gun violence—but she sees her business as a way to honor her daughter’s memory and inspire others. Peavy hopes her presence in Park Place encourages young entrepreneurs and families in the area.
Together, Saleem and Peavy are part of a broader movement to build a thriving, inclusive community. Their efforts, supported by city initiatives, are positioning Park Place as one of Norfolk’s most dynamic neighborhoods, with potential as a model for revitalization elsewhere.
— news from WTKR
— News Original —
‘The Soul of Norfolk’: Park Place businesses fuel cultural, economic revival
NORFOLK, Va. — In Norfolk’s Park Place neighborhood, a wave of revitalization is transforming a historic corridor into a destination for culture, cuisine, and community.
Led by passionate entrepreneurs like Ismael Saleem and Samantha Peavy, the 35th Street business district is quickly becoming known as “the soul of Norfolk” — a phrase echoed by many who live and work in the area.
“I see it as great potential, a great place for innovation,” said Saleem. “And what we’ve dubbed the soul of Norfolk is what I see Park Place as.”
Saleem recently opened the New Africa Marketplace, a space he envisions as a cultural anchor for African and African American experiences. Inside, visitors can find goods and garments from across the diaspora, and outside, murals and business signs reflect the neighborhood’s vibrant energy.
But for Saleem, revitalization goes beyond aesthetics.
“We want to make this a place where, when you leave here, you want to duplicate that in your city, in your state,” he said. “This is what we envision as African American ownership… and it is authentic.”
The transformation is supported by a mix of community energy and public investment.
Saleem said the City of Norfolk has awarded several businesses in Park Place with facade improvement grants and invested $4.5 million into the upcoming Rosner Boxing Center — a future athletic and community space expected to break ground by the end of the year.
Just across the street from Saleem’s shop, Samantha Peavy is preparing to open The Lasagna Factory — a business built not only on food but on legacy, resilience, and love.
“This means to me opportunities for other businesses, other entrepreneurs,” said Peavy. “I look at this place as not just a business district, but a destination.”
Peavy’s restaurant will specialize in gourmet lasagnas, sauces, ice creams, and original recipes — many of which she developed over decades, starting with her desire to help her children eat healthier.
“I started with just three varieties, and now I have thousands,” she said. “I own the intellectual property, I’ve developed every recipe — it’s all part of what I call my ‘recipe bible.’”
Her journey hasn’t been easy.
Peavy lost her daughter to gun violence, a tragedy that shaped her mission and fueled her commitment to opening her doors in Park Place.
“What goes through my mind is how my daughter would tell me to keep going,” she said. “Just making that legacy alive and keeping her heartbeat alive for something that she absolutely loved.”
Peavy also hopes her presence on the block serves as inspiration to others, especially young entrepreneurs and families in the area.
“The message is: it is possible,” she said. “If you can dream it, you can do it. And don’t be in a hurry — because haste makes waste.”Together, Saleem and Peavy say they are part of a movement — not just to open businesses, but to build community.
“You want to live, you want to work, you want to play. You want to have fun,” Saleem said. “And Park Place — this is going to be the place to be.”
The city’s support, coupled with the dedication of business owners, has put Park Place on a fast track to becoming one of Norfolk’s most vibrant destinations. Saleem, Peavy, and others hope what’s happening here serves as a model for other neighborhoods — not just across Hampton Roads, but across the country.
“This is what we hoped for,” Saleem said. “And now we’re building it, together.”