The empty building just north of the Great Bridge Bridge, at 136 Battlefield Blvd. North, is getting back the kind of dining room it opened with in 1985. Woody's Raw Bar & Grill has signed a lease to move across the boulevard and into the building. Woody's will share it with a second, dressier restaurant called Legacy at the Locks. Until the doors open, the season around the bridge carries on: the last Sundays of the Waterway Market, a few more weeks of lane closures on Albemarle Drive, a drive-through light display on Thanksgiving night, and two days of reenactment at Battlefield Park South in early December.
A Building That Started Dressy
The Virginian-Pilot reported in August that the building has had a short list of tenants since 1985:
- 1985 to April 2008: Locks Pointe Restaurant, which the Pilot called one of the few fine-dining restaurants in the city at the time. Hodad's Bar & Grill operated inside the same building. Both closed after 23 years.
- 2009 to 2017: Kelly's Tavern.
- After 2017: Off the Hook spent years renovating the building but never opened there.
- 2026: Woody's Raw Bar & Grill signs a lease, with Legacy at the Locks planned as a second restaurant under the same roof.
The Pilot opened its story by noting that locals have waited years for the building to turn into something again. The building sits on a strip of land between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Elizabeth River. It's one of the few spots in Great Bridge where a dining room looks straight out at the water traffic going through the bridge.
Two Restaurants, One Lease
Owner Jeff LeRoy opened the restaurant in 2009 as Big Woody's, in a storefront at the Island Warf Center. It's known for its fresh seafood raw bar, wings, nightly drink specials, entertainment and a waterfront deck. A second Woody's on Portsmouth Boulevard in Western Branch opened about 15 years ago.
The move is a big jump in size. The current restaurant is about 5,700 square feet, and the new building is roughly 10,000. LeRoy told the Pilot the extra room means hiring more staff. Woody's keeps its raw bar of oysters, clams, crab legs and mussels. The other half of the building, Legacy at the Locks, is something new. Kayla LeRoy Holton is regional director of operations for Woody's and project manager for the build-out. She described Legacy to the Virginian-Pilot this way:
"It's not fine dining; it's just more upscale atmosphere with some elevated menu items, a good wine list and more craft cocktails."
The plans also include a small stage for entertainment. That means the building that opened as one of the city's few fine-dining rooms is going back to a dressier format, with a sports pub next door.
Where the Timeline Stands
When the Pilot spoke with him on August 10, LeRoy said, "We hope to be in there within 2-4 months," and set year-end as the goal. At that point the plumbing was done, electrical and HVAC were next, and no interior walls were up yet. He also said an official announcement would wait until there was an exact opening date. Woody's will stay open at Island Warf Center until it's ready to move, and that location will close once the move happens. So for now, the waterfront deck at the current Woody's is still open.
The Same Water, Every Weekend Until Then
The new building's location matters because so much of Great Bridge's fall calendar already happens within sight of the canal and the river.
Great Bridge Lock Park covers 19 acres where the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal meets the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River. It has a boat ramp, fishing and crabbing, a kayak and canoe launch, trails, picnic facilities, a playground and restrooms. It's the same stretch of water that the Locks Pointe building and Woody's deck both face.
The bridge itself sets the pace on Battlefield Boulevard. WAVY reported in April that the Great Bridge Bridge was going back to its usual schedule: hourly openings from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and openings on demand from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. If you're meeting someone for dinner on the other side, plan around those hourly openings during the day.
Lockside Bar & Grill is the existing waterfront option at 200 Battlefield Boulevard, Suite 13. It serves breakfast and brunch, lunch and dinner. Visit Chesapeake describes its menu as seafood and steak. Check its current November hours before you head over on a weeknight.
Three Market Sundays Left at Battlefield Park South
The Waterway Market at Great Bridge Village is presented by Field To Fork Virginia. It has run every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. since April 26, and the season ends November 22. Vendors sell fresh produce, artisan goods, food-truck fare and prepared foods, and admission is free. The city calendar lists the market at Battlefield Park South, 120 Reservation Road. By the first week of November, three Sundays are left: November 8, 15 and 22.
Battlefield Park South is also where the season wraps up in December, which makes the park the common thread from the end of the market season into December.
The Albemarle Drive Work Runs Through November
If you get to the market or the park by way of Albemarle Drive, expect delays for a few more weeks. The city's travel advisory lists alternating eastbound and westbound lane closures on Albemarle Drive between Battlefield Boulevard South and Shea Drive. They run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with flaggers directing traffic, for the Albemarle Sidewalk Connection project. The work started May 4 and has been extended through November 30. The advisory's 9-to-4 window covers the market's 11-to-2 hours, so give yourself a few extra minutes on market mornings. Evening drives after 4 p.m. fall outside it.
The Calendar From Here to the Reenactment
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundays, Nov. 8, 15, 22 | Waterway Market, final three weeks | Battlefield Park South, 120 Reservation Road | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Through Nov. 30 | Albemarle Sidewalk Connection lane closures | Albemarle Drive, Battlefield Blvd. South to Shea Drive | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Thursday, Nov. 26 | Deck the Hall drive-through lights | Chesapeake City Hall, 306 Cedar Road | 5 to 9 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Battle of Great Bridge reenactment | Battlefield Park South | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | SAR and DAR wreath laying | Museum, 1775 Historic Way | 11 a.m. |
| Sunday, Dec. 6 | Battle of Great Bridge reenactment | Battlefield Park South | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
Deck the Hall is a free holiday-light display that you drive through. The city lists it for November 26, which is Thanksgiving night this year. That makes it an easy after-dinner outing for houseguests who don't want to get out of the car.
December's First Regular-Year Reenactment
Last year was the big one. The battlefield foundation marked December 9, 2025 as the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Great Bridge with a full day of commemorative events. This year's schedule goes back to the regular two-day format. The December 5 reenactment runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Battlefield Park South. It's free and open to the public. At 11 a.m. that morning, the SAR and DAR will hold a wreath-laying ceremony at the museum at 1775 Historic Way. A second reenactment day follows on Sunday, December 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., also free.
The 2026 weekend lands right around LeRoy's year-end goal for moving Woody's. If the build-out stays on that schedule, the reenactment could be one of the first busy weekends with the old Locks Pointe building open again just up Battlefield Boulevard. Until Woody's announces a date, the current Island Warf Center location and its deck are still the place to go for oysters by the water.
If you own a home in Great Bridge and want to know where it stands as this part of the neighborhood fills back in, ELG Consulting Group will put together a free home valuation using current local sales, not a portal estimate.
