The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial has been a focal point on Church Street in Norfolk Virginia for years. The memorial was originally dedicated in 2000. Over the years the steel structure underneath the granite was deteriorating away. The deterioration was causing the black granite face to fall off the spire. The original steel structure that was erected in 2000 was originally primed coated. With the structure continuously exposed to the elements outside, the city wanted to pick a new coating system that would provide longevity and cost saving for the future and they turned to a hot-dip galvanized coating for the new steel structure.

The monument needed to be restored due to deterioration over a 20-year timeframe. During the restoration process the black granite sections of the memorial had to be removed disassemble this steel structure restoration Gresham Steel out of Norfolk Virginia was award to construct and fabricate the new steel frame. After the frame was erected the black granite sections were refurbished and reassembled to the structure. The monument stands at 83 feet tall with around 6 tons of galvanized steel on the structure.