Jump to content

Atlantic Park (Under Construction)


vdogg

Recommended Posts

Hotel project proposed for old dome site

Quote
Former NFL star Bruce Smith and Armada Hoffler are pitching plans to build a hotel and entertainment venue on the former Dome site at the Oceanfront, with a monorail connection :shok: to the new convention center.

At least three City Council members said they have seen conceptual plans in recent weeks from Armada Hoffler for the city-owned property.

The company is trying to measure city interest in participating in a private-public partnership to develop the site.

click here

"It definitely has some exciting things," said Councilman John Uhrin, who represents the Oceanfront. "We've got private-sector people who want to step up and invest in the Virginia Beach beach area. Regardless of the merits, that's exciting."

Smith, who retired from the NFL three years ago, is working with Armada Hoffler on other projects, including The Cosmopolitan apartments at Town Center in Virginia Beach. Smith did not return phone calls Tuesday to comment on the latest proposal.

I may move this because I don't know if this is connected but it certainly sounds like $150 million worth of project once you factor in the monorail (ala epcot for anyone whos been to disney) and finally a true entertainment district. Perhaps there's hope in the city for us youngins yet. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites


The Pilot posters are at it again. No hotel at the Strip? Brilliant. I do agree that the City needs to limit its contribution to just the monorail, or other transportation solution (LR, perhaps?). It has invested in 31st St and the Convention Center in order to spur private development, which has occured to some extent. However, given the track record of TC I'd be much more inclined to help AH than Thompson (I can't remember his partner in 31st St since it's not through GoldKey Resorts). Just imagine, the monorail could be extended around the Stripeliminating the bus lanes on Atlantic. It would be sad to see the Trolley buses go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had BRT proposed, now monorail? The solution to the city's connectivity issues is staring them right in the face (in Norfolk) !! Lets just shoot people out of cannons to get them where they need to go, Carnie style!

That's Virginia Beach for you. They want to spend more money, obviously!! haha. I'm all for monorail, but I absolutely hate the idea of having two separte types of rail when you could easily just have one cheap solution that goes from Norfolk to the Beach. Can't we just all get along!?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's Virginia Beach for you. They want to spend more money, obviously!! haha. I'm all for monorail, but I absolutely hate the idea of having two separte types of rail when you could easily just have one cheap solution that goes from Norfolk to the Beach. Can't we just all get along!?

I don't see monorail as being a viable mass transit use. For resort areas and short distances maybe but not as a mass transit option. This transportation option is meant to be seen as a device to get from the hotel to the convention center. Who knows it could possibly be extended down the strip in the future. However, it will never be used for long distances such as Town Center, Norfolk.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, the City is not going to extend monorail throughout. But limited to the Strip I think it would be the perfect transportation solution, albeit more expensive in terms of capital costs. It takes the transit off the street so no more bus-only lanes and no LR tracks & crossings in a congested area. A concrete track would be much more salt-resistant than a steel track. The starter line between the Dome site and Convention Center would approx a 2-mile loop. Extend a 5-mile loop from 31st St to Rudee inlet, or possibly down to the VMSM & Ocean Breeze. With purchase of the NS ROW, Norfolk's LR could be extended to the Convention Center and tie into the monorail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure light rail will some day be extended to the ocean front.The thought of a monorail in Virginia Beach is very exciting.

I agree, at least it's something. I'd much rather see LR but this is a start. It's not inteded to serve the entire beach, just the Oceanfront area. As hoobo said it also helps get the traffic off the streets which should free up some lanes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do hope the monorail comes to fruition and as hoobo earlier stated perhaps it could be extended one day. More importantly though imo is the mixed use entertainment element. Besides the ocean (which is not frequented during the cold months) and bars there is little to offer folks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see the utility of a monorail for such a limited corridor when an increase in trolley service would do the job just as well and for a lot less money. I think the monorail idea is just a little b.s. pizazz so that this proposal doesn't sound like it's just going to be a hotel with a nightclub venue. All the same, that site has been fallow long enough. But what is built there really should be special in it's own right. We need more information about this thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A nice idea, but who would pay for it and where would it take us?

tourists would pay for it. It would be a total gimmick idea that I can see running to the convention center and up and down the strip and not really servicing the rest of the city. With Monorail, this is actually a good idea. Think about the size of the oceanfront, why is there seem to be no real connectivity in the area? With so many hotels lined up along the Boardwalk, it begins to create a linear type of development and no real commercial cores are established because they too are on a linear effect.

Now with monorail in place, it would be above traffic, thus able to get people around the oceanfront without dealing with traffic. Which would ease traffic too. Plus it would allow the city to create stronger commercial cores on the oceanfront and then allow more quieter condo and apartment developments to happen in between these cores.

With this height cap for the oceanfront because of Oceana, it would be really interesting to see the oceanfront become this dense urban town that it should already be.....ie Little Miami.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would work, but we would need a reasonable price tag and some funding sources for the thing. Maintaining high ridership would depend on some dense origins and destinations, not just special event and holiday crowds. I'd rather see it happen as part of the larger LRT project, which is going to also have to have lots of elevated components to work. That said, it's definitely worth investigating, but it could be wasteful to have a monorail that only serves a small area of the City.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would work, but we would need a reasonable price tag and some funding sources for the thing. Maintaining high ridership would depend on some dense origins and destinations, not just special event and holiday crowds. I'd rather see it happen as part of the larger LRT project, which is going to also have to have lots of elevated components to work. That said, it's definitely worth investigating, but it could be wasteful to have a monorail that only serves a small area of the City.

You mean like the monorail in Seattle? Ouch, had to go there :shok:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Pilot posters are at it again. No hotel at the Strip? Brilliant. I do agree that the City needs to limit its contribution to just the monorail, or other transportation solution (LR, perhaps?). It has invested in 31st St and the Convention Center in order to spur private development, which has occured to some extent. However, given the track record of TC I'd be much more inclined to help AH than Thompson (I can't remember his partner in 31st St since it's not through GoldKey Resorts). Just imagine, the monorail could be extended around the Stripeliminating the bus lanes on Atlantic. It would be sad to see the Trolley buses go.

If I'm not mistaken, AH totally screwed over the city of chesapeake on their jail facility. Then they bounced out of the city and moved to Virginia Beach. Can anyone confirm and perhaps give more info?

I don't see monorail as being a viable mass transit use. For resort areas and short distances maybe but not as a mass transit option. This transportation option is meant to be seen as a device to get from the hotel to the convention center. Who knows it could possibly be extended down the strip in the future. However, it will never be used for long distances such as Town Center, Norfolk.

Why couldn't maglev be viable? Segway down the street to the monorail station, bounce on over to work. Well, everybody else can. Then the roads will be free for me in a BMW M3.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I'm not mistaken, AH totally screwed over the city of chesapeake on their jail facility. Then they bounced out of the city and moved to Virginia Beach. Can anyone confirm and perhaps give more info?

Why couldn't maglev be viable? Segway down the street to the monorail station, bounce on over to work. Well, everybody else can. Then the roads will be free for me in a BMW M3.

Segways should be banned from all sidewalks. What a useless, dangerous, space-consuming contraption. At least Dean Kaman incorporated the gyroscope technology in his other more practical transportation device, the stair-climbing wheel-chair.

M3? I thought you were poor. Where'd you get the cash for a $45,000 car? I think the guy at center-court at Lynnhaven can help you out with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see monorail as being a viable mass transit use. For resort areas and short distances maybe but not as a mass transit option. This transportation option is meant to be seen as a device to get from the hotel to the convention center. Who knows it could possibly be extended down the strip in the future. However, it will never be used for long distances such as Town Center, Norfolk.

I think it can be. When I had gone to Miami this past August, they had a tri-rail system that had a loop that ran you through a decent size chunk of the city going from downtown to the Coconut Grove section of the city and another line that would take you all the way up to other cities in Florida north of Miami as a mass transit. Considering that Miami has the worst drivers I have ever seen (never woulda thought i'd be saying that) and the obscene can fares, it was great. I think if done right it could take a decent load off of traffic in the area.

http://www.tri-rail.com/

Edited by ILLatWILL
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.