Replace Sherwood Shopping Center on Warwick Boulevard with new $40 million Grissom Library
(Demolition/Prep): Cephas Next (proven track record of fraud)
The Library & Demolition Timeline
Validated: The city is indeed tearing down the long-vacant Sherwood Shopping Center on Warwick Boulevard to build the new $40 million Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom Library.
The Timeline: The City of Newport News officially announced the demolition process on March 19, 2026—which aligns perfectly with your "two months ago" timeline. Prep work began immediately, with structural demolition slated to begin a week or two later. Construction of the new 51,000-square-foot facility is officially scheduled to begin in May 2026. If visible progress has felt stalled or non-existent since March, your frustration is entirely valid.
The Contractor's 28-Count Indictment
Validated: Your information about the 28-count indictment is accurate, though there is a slight nuance regarding the company name.
The Details: The contractor handling the demolition is the Richmond-based company Cephas NeXt. The president of the company, Morris Cephas, was indeed hit with a 28-count federal grand jury indictment in 2015 alongside his wife. The charges included conspiracy, theft of government property, and fraudulent monetary transactions. The government alleged that they defrauded the Department of Energy by misusing roughly $500,000 in federal stimulus funds meant to build a biomass recycling plant under a previous business entity named Cephas Industries.
The Architecture Firm
Validated: You nailed this one, too. The architecture firm designing the new library is Quinn Evans.
The Details: In 2022, Quinn Evans officially transitioned to being a majority women-owned business. Today, they are a certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) and rank as one of the largest women-owned and women-led design practices in the United States.
Key Points
- Sherwood Shopping Center is being demolished for the new library
- Cephas NeXt is handling the demolition
- Morris Cephas was previously convicted of fraud-related charges
Investigation Leads
- Verify the current status of Cephas NeXt's contract
- Investigate potential connections between Cephas NeXt and Cephas Industries
Evidence 10
Submit Evidence for KFRMMW
Morris Cephas (Sr.) of CEPHAS NeXt / Cephas Industries in Richmond, VA, was convicted of fraud-related charges -- Two years of probation Morris and Chiroya Cephas have been ordered to pay $108,500 to the U.S. Department of Energy and $12,787.83 to the Richmond-based consulting firm Golder Associates after they used stimulus money in 2010 for a company that never became reality.
Morris Cephas is the President and CEO of CEPHAS NeXt, Inc., a Richmond, Virginia-based site preparation and demolition contractor.
https://www.12onyourside.com/story/32102091/richmond-couple-who-improperly-used-stimulus-money-avoids-jail/
No, the company that received the 28-count indictment was Cephas Industries, not Cephas NeXt.
While both companies are associated with Morris Cephas, it was the defunct Southside Richmond recycling business, Cephas Industries, that was the subject of the federal case.
Here are the details regarding the indictment:
The Cephas Industries Indictment
In October 2015, Morris Cephas Sr. and Chiroya Cephas, along with their company Cephas Industries, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Richmond on 28 counts.
The charges included:
Conspiracy
Theft of government property
Fraudulent monetary transactions
The indictment alleged that over a four-year period beginning in 2010, the couple schemed to defraud the U.S. Department of Energy and the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. The government agencies had dispersed around $500,000 in Recovery Act stimulus funds to Cephas Industries to construct a $3.5 million biomass recycling complex on Formex Road that never materialized. The government alleged the funds were instead used to pay personal bills.
Subsequent Legal Adjustments
The couple successfully fought the original indictment. In early 2016, they managed to have all but nine of the original 28 counts dropped and were subsequently re-indicted on the remaining charges.
Cephas NeXt, Inc.
Cephas NeXt, Inc. is a separate corporate entity (which has appeared on Virginia Department of Transportation prequalified contractors lists) that lists Morris Anthony Cephas as a contact. However, it was not the entity named in the 2015 federal 28-count indictment.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Demolition of the former Sherwood Shopping Center in Newport News is anticipated to begin Friday, which will mark the initial step toward construction of the forthcoming Virgil I. ‘Gus’ Grissom Library.
The city says the demolition process is expected to last several weeks.
https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/newport-news/demolition-of-sherwood-shopping-center-begins-for-new-library/
Here is the complete list of bidders and amounts (four total submissions):
CEPHAS NeXt, Inc. (apparent low bidder) — $181,350.00
Eagle Pak Contracting Services LLC — $380,000.00
Demolition Services Inc. — $509,832.00
East Coast Abatement & Demolition — $675,000.00
The project scope involved demolishing three structures at the former Sherwood Shopping Center (including a former Chinese restaurant, bank, and Ferguson call center), plus adjoining tenant spaces—removing all materials down to the floor slabs, capping penetrations, etc.
Contract Award and Status
The contract was awarded to CEPHAS NEXT, INC. (Richmond-based).
Contract amount: $279,830.00 (higher than the base bid, likely due to additives, contingencies, or final negotiations).
Construction/demolition period: March 19, 2026 – May 18, 2026 (some work already paid: ~$75k as of recent updates).
Demolition began in mid-to-late March 2026 and is the first phase of the new Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom Library project on the site.
The direct pages on the city's OpenGov portal returned access errors (likely due to restrictions), but public bid results are available from other Virginia procurement aggregators. This was a re-bid (IFB #26-2898-6256) after an earlier solicitation in late 2025. Bids were opened on January 26, 2026.
The project manager for both the Sherwood Shopping Center Demolition and the Virgil I. Grissom Library Replacement projects in Newport News is Bruce Wobser.
Contact & Project Details
Project Manager: Bruce Wobser
Phone: 757-926-3668
Email: [email protected]
Project Inspector (Grissom Library): George Batts
Phone: 757-933-2312
Email: [email protected]
