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Virginia Beach Development


vdogg

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  • 2 weeks later...

  • 2 months later...

New arena proposal for Virginia Beach?

Drakkar officials say they have over $400 million worth of financing available, and will not ask the City for any land or cash, but may ask that some tax revenue be kicked back to the project after the arena is up and running.

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/new-arena-in-virginia-beach%3F-

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I agree Town Center would be the better location, and who knows what Council may say should this go thru. I could see them going for this being near the Oceanfront with all the developments going on out there. Both locations have a lot of potential as the city continues building up both.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Board hasn't been to active lately. I can't believe nobody has posted this yet:

http://vbgov.com/file_source/dept/planning/Rosemont%20Phase%20III%20News%20Release%20(2)%20(2).pdf

Public meeting about the Rosemont SGA tomorrow night at 6:30 at the Central Library. I looked over the plan and I'm not too crazy about it.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

A lot of construction is going on around/at TCC Va. Beach. So, I was wrong about that tower crane being for the library. Although the library now is under construction and the steel skeleton is taking shape, that tower crane is inside TCC main campus and looks like it might be the Student Center project, which I was surprised to see in this Skanska rendering that it is built on piles IN THE MIDDLE of the big retaining lake! I was impressed.

Rendering

http://www.skanska.com/Services/C2/Downloader.aspx?assetid=32455&imgver=15

Site

http://www.skanska.com/en/Projects/Display-project/?pid=1155

Across Concert Dr. from the under-construction library is the newly opened Regional Health Professions Center which provides TCC health profession courses aside from nursing. Directly next to Health Center, yesterday I saw a sign/rendering and site work beginning for "Operation Smiles Global Headquarters".

A lot of construction going on in that corridor for education, technology, and the health field.

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  • 1 month later...
Two of the city's biggest development projects inched forward Tuesday night when the City Council voted 9-2 to transfer land for them to the city's development authority.

The authority is working on deals with developers to build a hotel next to the convention center and an entertainment complex on the part of the old Dome site. Both projects are estimated to cost more than $100 million each. City officials said they will attract more visitors and extend the Beach's tourism season.

Supporters said the land transfer, while important, doesn't mean the public-private projects - four years in the works - are guaranteed to happen. Many details remain to be worked out with developers, including the city's contribution to the projects. The hotel site is 6 acres and the Dome site is 8 acres.

Progress forward, though slowly

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/11/va-beach-council-oks-land-transfer-development-sites

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  • 4 weeks later...

Proposal seeks $61.8M from Va. Beach for new hotel

I have to admit, as much as I love development in this city, especially down by the Oceanfront, this project seems like a really bad idea. Right now, give the money to teachers and firefighters. Spend less and create better connectivity to the Double Tree. Paying this kind of money for a hotel when there are cheaper more viable alternatives tells me Armada Hoffler owns the city council.

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Proposal seeks $61.8M from Va. Beach for new hotel

I have to admit, as much as I love development in this city, especially down by the Oceanfront, this project seems like a really bad idea. Right now, give the money to teachers and firefighters. Spend less and create better connectivity to the Double Tree. Paying this kind of money for a hotel when there are cheaper more viable alternatives tells me Armada Hoffler owns the city council.

I think the project and development are a good idea, I just think the deal itself is bad. You all know I'm about as pro public/private partnership as you can get, but for us to shell out the majority of all costs, while the developer sits back and gets all the profits, is ridiculous and stupid. Whoever negotiated this is not very good at their job and should probably be fired. This is not in the citys' best interest. Also, Sessoms little comment about being mad that this information got out raised my eyebrows a bit. If taxpayers are gonna be asked to foot the bill then he has no right to sequester any of the information that'll be used to make a decision on this project.

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Also, if the city has 61 million for this, then they have 61 million for light rail. Here they are rushing to line a developers pockets, but the minute you say light rail they plant heads firmly in sand and start screaming about referendums. This just burns me up. :/

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For those who don't remember the original three proposals, this is the link to them:

Four now vie to be main hotel for Virginia Beach convention center

I have to say, I don't really like the look of the double tree, and think Armada Hoffler's design is pleasing to the eye.

Also, if the city has 61 million for this, then they have 61 million for light rail. Here they are rushing to line a developers pockets, but the minute you say light rail they plant heads firmly in sand and start screaming about referendums. This just burns me up. :/

Well, in defense of those calling for referendum (John Moss and the VBTA), they don't support this hotel either...

We won't get light rail for 20 years now anyway, so why not just have to referendum? If light rail is supported, then GREAT! It'll fast track it hopefully. If not, then oh well, the city wasn't going to build it for a long time anyway...

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Well, in defense of those calling for referendum (John Moss and the VBTA), they don't support this either

I've always viewed referendums as a cop out. We have a representative form of government for a reason. Elected officials need to do their jobs and make the tough decisions and whether they are right or wrong can be decided at election time. To keep this discussion from getting political though I will clarify that the thing I was pointing out with that statement is a seeming double standard applied to the use of public funds.

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The selfishness of VB's council (and some of the residents) frustrates the living hell out of me, just so they can one-up Norfolk. I give Norfolk all the credit in the world for trying to bridge this metro, and honestly, the mid-Atlantic, together. And honestly, it seems the other 5 cities are on board with moving forward as a region. It's just VB wants to hold those plans hostage and be its own independent area.

And to that, I say let them...allow the other 6 cities to do work together and thrive. Enough is enough.

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I like the rendering as well. I have conflicting opinions of whether the city should spend this type of money to build it though. Yes, it may bring more jobs but most are low paying ones. And yes, over time the city will make money but during these hard economic times and with the city budget looking bleak, I am pretty sure they could use these funds elsewhere.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...

Looser Oceanfront zoning plan heads to Va. Beach council

All I can say to this is heck yeah!

Here are some quotes from the article I found VERY appealing:

"If adopted by the council, the code - which planners hope to duplicate in several core commercial areas - would be the catalyst toward transforming many of the city's suburban strip plazas into mixed-use urban centers with wider sidewalks and fewer parking lots."

"Instead of restricting what types of properties developers can build and where, the new code would offer guidelines on what buildings should look like and encourage creative architecture, said Stephen White, a city planner. Owners would have more freedom to develop multi-story, mixed-use properties with decorative facades, he said.

Good thinking VA Beach city council!!!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Looser Oceanfront zoning plan heads to Va. Beach council

All I can say to this is heck yeah!

Here are some quotes from the article I found VERY appealing:

"If adopted by the council, the code - which planners hope to duplicate in several core commercial areas - would be the catalyst toward transforming many of the city's suburban strip plazas into mixed-use urban centers with wider sidewalks and fewer parking lots."

"Instead of restricting what types of properties developers can build and where, the new code would offer guidelines on what buildings should look like and encourage creative architecture, said Stephen White, a city planner. Owners would have more freedom to develop multi-story, mixed-use properties with decorative facades, he said.

Good thinking VA Beach city council!!!

New Vision for Virginia Beach zoning code

This is a great and forward thinking idea. I love the idea of requiring certain kinds of facades, larger sidewalks and less parking. This will make the resort a year round destination and lively all the time.

Also, don't sleep on this quote:

"A few Oceanfront projects are waiting in the queue for the code to pass, officials said."

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