The housing association is currently in the process of appointing a building contractor with the aim of beginning construction in early 2016.
St Anne’s Quarter will also include 22,000 sq ft of commercial space, and a central plaza area along the riverfront.
A unique development for Orbit Homes, the site will be the developer’s first to offer all four tenures of market sale, shared ownership, and both affordable and private rent.
Maggie McCann, development director for Orbit Homes, said: “We know there is a lot of public interest in the site, with it having stood empty for almost 20 years, so we were delighted to share our plans with the local community.
“We have committed to spending £70m to regenerate St Anne’s Quarter into a mixed-tenure sustainable development that will provide new homes to meet need and aspiration in Norwich.
“Orbit has a target of building 12,000 new homes by 2020 and this is a key site in helping us reaching that goal.”
Ahead of construction, Orbit Homes appointed Norwich Property Services Archaeology to excavate the site, ensuring any historical finds are recorded and preserved.