Beach Centre at 31 Ocean Progress

[HarryVB]

Beach Centre/Hilton Expansion

It looks like the 31st street Hilton is the most successful Hilton in the state of Virginia.. Its so popular they need to expand for another tower across the street on the BP lot.. there is more information in the link provided..

[ronsmytheiii]

We might have to wait awhile though:

Timing

The hotel could open in 5-8 years.

The parking lot agreement would not take effect until then.

[RJWGMU]

wow, that's great news! that hotel really sets the bar for what all new hotels at the oceanfront need to be like, and proves how successful they can be!

[HarryVB]

Beach council OKs parking plan for developer

Beach Council ok parking plan for developer

VIRGINIA BEACH

The City Council has agreed to lease developer Bruce Thompson more parking spaces in the 31st Street garage so he can build a hotel on the site of a BP gas station.

The City Council on Tuesday didn't debate the issue and the discussion lasted less than 15 minutes, but the 6-5 vote indicated how controversial leasing these public spaces has been behind-the-scenes.

"I think Bruce Thompson builds a terrific product," said Councilman Harry Diezel, who voted against the deal. "I just wonder if we're creating an even playing field for other would-be competitors."

Vice Mayor Louis Jones and council members Bill DeSteph, Rita Sweet Bellitto and Bob Dyer also opposed the deal. The deal would allow Thompson, whose firm built the Hilton hotel across from the garage, to lease 60 spaces for $840 each annually.

The city built the garage for the Hilton in a public-private partnership with Thompson.

The rate the Beach will charge Thompson is less than the $1,080 a year that the city markets for a reserved space and lower than the $1,275 annual fee the Beach's parking staff initially recommended.

Thompson would be leasing underused spaces on the top floor of the city's garage, supporters of the deal said. Beach officials came to the $840-a-year rate as a compromise.

Under the deal, the city also has the option to lease 90 spaces in Thompson's 34th Street garage for the same total price, and it gets additional tax revenue from the hotel, Councilman John Uhrin said.

The city's development authority will meet Tuesday to take a final vote on the lease.

[HarryVB]

Here are new renderings for the Beach Centre Project.. You can not copy the picture link or copy the picture period.. It will just come in pieces.. here is the link to the file on vbgov.com

check out pages 9-11.. those are the updated renderings for the Beach Centre project.. pages 10 and 11 show the beach centre in a different perspective for 32nd street and pacific.. . which shows different elevations of the buildings on one block. it also shows the pool, spa/hot tub on the roof of the apartments.. very modern architectural design..

Beach Centre Presentation June 10, 2010

[ronsmytheiii]

The hotel mentioned above is rendered here:

[HarryVB]

Oh by the way.. The renderings are the Beach Centre Project.. There is no current renderings for the new Hotel just yet.. I was just showing the new renderings for the Beach Centre project in different perspectives. again this is the Beach Centre Project for the Laskin Gateway Project.. not hotel..just wanted to make a note of that

[ronsmytheiii]

Oh by the way.. The renderings are the Beach Centre Project.. There is no current renderings for the new Hotel just yet.. I was just showing the new renderings for the Beach Centre project in different perspectives. again this is the Beach Centre Project for the Laskin Gateway Project.. not hotel..just wanted to make a note of that

Yes, but there is A rendering of a hotel in the last picture, not the technical detailed look but an artistic overview

[vdogg]

Looks a bit "South Beachish". It'll be interesting to see if this makes it through to final design.

[HarryVB]

A private development at 31st Street and Pacific Avenue - Beach Centre, a 64,000-square-foot retail, restaurant and boutique development - will be led by developer Bruce Thompson of Gold Key/PHR. The Beach Centre is estimated to be a $60 million project.

Planned start and completion date: September 2010 - November 2011

Status: The city portion of phase 3 - road improvements - starts Sept. 15. The private project starts Oct. 15. "Sometime in mid- to late October the demolition should begin of stores in that area.

"The city piece is on schedule to be completed June 2011. The private project is late 2011, and the Beach Centre will open early 2012."

Phase 4 32nd Street extension and improvements, to ease traffic by Pinewood Road, which will have two left-turn lanes instead of one. Also, a "modern roundabout" will be constructed that will split Laskin Road to the left and right into 30th and 32nd streets and create a more pedestrian-friendly, retail area beyond the roundabout.

Planned start and completion date: September 2011 - September 2012

Status: Roundabout construction "will not start until fall of 2012. The roundabout is a more efficient way to keep traffic moving, without stopping people at a signal intersection. It reduces the amount of signals."

Phase 4 will also entail: "equaled or better sidewalks on Artic Avenue and 32nd Street, and better pedestrian crossings."

The entire project will be completed in the fall of 2013, Frankenfield said

Beach Centre completion date!

[vdogg]

[urbanvb]

This development is really gonna change the feel of this part of the Oceanfront.

[lil-bear]

http://hamptonroads....oks-get-heftier

Not too sure if this has been posted on here. I looked and didn't see it!

I think that naming this area "The Trident" would go with the whole Neptune thing the city has going.

[ronsmytheiii]

The 31 Ocean project hit a major milestone as the Department of Housing and Urban Development promised a critical loan.

Construction is already underway the $70 million plaza, but the timeline for completion faced uncertainty until the guarantee of the loan.

With the financing now in order, 31 Ocean is expected to be completed by January of 2013.

http://www.wvec.com/home/ffff-135958323.html

[757Duke]

They're making quite a bit of progress on 31Ocean. The apartment portion is going up above the retail now, which is really starting to give that part of the beach a more urban feel. Per the website we're getting another Buffalo Wild Wings and an unnamed Steak/Seafood restaurant down there. I'll take some pictures soon!

http://www.31ocean.com

[757Duke]

The Summerhouse Apartments are starting to come up above the retail portion. The office portion is to the right.

[urbanvb]

I drove by the other day as well and was surprised how imposing the office building component is. All of the office/retail buildings on the west side of the street are all low rises yet this one is huge.

[757Duke]

They've made quite a bit of progress on the apartment portion. They're beginning to put the exterior shell on the office portion. The project really is starting to add to that section of the beach.

[vdogg]

I must admit it's quite a bit more imposing than I imagined it would be. The area is really starting to take on a more urban character.

[lil-bear]

They've made quite a bit of progress on the apartment portion. They're beginning to put the exterior shell on the office portion. The project really is starting to add to that section of the beach.

Nice pics....progress on this is going well!

[757Duke]

The exterior facade is coming along

[757Duke]

They're steadily moving along on the complex

[urbanlife]

That is so weird to see a huge development like that at that corner....though definitely a lot of memories at the buildings that use to be there are officially gone. Sad to see all my favorite places no longer existing, but it is good to see the Beach taking on some realistic urban developments. I would love to see the whole 19th St and 17th St take on a whole urban redevelopment and start creating new dense commercial and residential areas that pull off of Atlantic and Pacific.

That beach has so much potential, so it is nice to see it trying to move towards it rather than just be a cheap tourist trap.

[BFG]

Not a huge fan of the colors, but I do like the architecture. There's a lot of people who hate what the beach has become, but it's a city of 450K, and it's embracing what's made it a destination for many. Can't argue with that.

Honestly, the upper streets on the strip (30 and up) seem to be more for the locals, while the teens and 20s streets are the more touristy areas, with the gift shops and mid-range hotels. It's a nice compromise, and I love the area near Catch 31. Very South Beach-ish.

However, there's a newer building around 27th St. that opened within the last year or so. It's a cream-colored 2-story building, and it looks like offices will go on the top floor. It looks extremely tacky though...very cheap. IMO, it's the one newer building on the strip that is a complete eyesore. Just fugly.

[varider]

That is a great picture and if this is where the oceanfront is headed then i am excited. Could only imagine what light rail and an arena would do for development.