Virginia Beach Development

[urbanlife]

they should have a tacky downtown in no time. I am happy to see so much need for urbanish activity around Pembroke. That area really was in need of a makeover.

[burt]

Just a comment. In my long-ago youth Palm trees did not flourish north of the South/North Carolina border. Now they're all over the beaches of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Jersey and New York!!! Are they dug up in winter and replanted in spring?

[urbanvb]

Just a comment.  In my long-ago youth Palm trees did not flourish north of the South/North Carolina border.  Now they're all over the beaches of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Jersey and New York!!!  Are they dug up in winter and replanted in spring?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Burt, we have a few around here namely near the beach and hotels. They are generally wrapped in plastic during the winter. I would suppose they are a special variety but even in the summer they lack a lot of leaves.

[burt]

They have a few scrany ones on the beach in Atlantic City. Noticed them recently on a little gambling jaunt to the A/C casinos. And there are some equally scrawny ones on the beaches out in the Hamptons on Long Island.

[rusthebuss]

Sports training complex planned in Virginia Beach

By JASON SKOG, The Virginian-Pilot

[urbanvb]

^ according to the website:

The site says one of the main goals of the complex

[okinawatyphoon]

Sports training complex planned in Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH

Edited May 25, 2005 by okinawatyphoon

[vdogg]

Sports training complex planned in Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH

[vdogg]

Please excuse the screwy post order. I opted to delete the post without the pic and i moved the rest of the comments to the development thread. This isn't really "off-topic" seeing as it is a major development in Va. Beach.

[vdogg]

Btw, that is a beautiful rendering. Can't wait til it's built.

[vdogg]

The more I read about it this the more i like. Talk about putting us on the map! This will make it easier to attract professional sports to the region in the future.

[vdogg]

From the website

"With construction ahead, our plans encompass designing this facility to become one of the largest multi-purpose sports facilities in the country".

[rusthebuss]

From the website

"With construction ahead, our plans encompass designing this facility to become one of the largest multi-purpose sports facilities in the country".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I hope that this will draw a team here in Norfolk. This would be a great way that Norfolk and Va Beach to work together.

[willy]

I sure hope that all of these big name people help pay to build and maintain this facility. If DLH Sports wants to build this to help build character, discipline and enhance the athletic abilities of our youth then that's great, let them build it, with their own money. Don't drain us, the tax payers of VB just to help my son and others build up their character. I'm sorry, I know you guys love to see development and I do too, but this sounds like it could turn into somewhat of a white elephant. Just like the VB Sportsplex, which had high hopes when it was built and also cost us in the neighborhood of $10.5 million to build. It cost the city = (me and some of you) $200K a year just to keep the big elephants' heart beating. Right now the city = (me and some of you) are owed roughly $90K in back rent. That's roughly a year and a half of none payment. Now what would happen to me if I didn't pay my mortgage for that length of time? We will never know because it would never take that long for the mortgage company to kick me out. Has the city kicked them out? Hell no! They want to keep the fans happy, LOL. All 700 per game.

[okinawatyphoon]

I sure hope that all of these big name people help pay to build and maintain this facility. If DLH Sports wants to build this to help build character, discipline and enhance the athletic abilities of our youth then that's great, let them build it, with their own money. Don't drain us, the tax payers of VB just to help my son and others build up their character. I'm sorry, I know you guys love to see development and I do too, but this sounds like it could turn into somewhat of a white elephant. Just like the VB Sportsplex, which had high hopes when it was built and also cost us in the neighborhood of $10.5 million to build. It cost the city = (me and some of you) $200K a year just to keep the big elephants' heart beating. Right now the city = (me and some of you) are owed roughly $90K in back rent. That's roughly a year and a half of none payment. Now what would happen to me if I didn't pay my mortgage for that length of time? We will never know because it would never take that long for the mortgage company to kick me out. Has the city kicked them out? Hell no! They want to keep the fans happy, LOL. All 700 per game.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hahah! thats funny about the Mariners. I went to only one game, like 5 or 6 years ago, and even then, no one was there. I can't imagine how sparse attendance is now.

[willy]

I can't imagine how sparse attendance is now.

It wasn't a joke, they only bring in roughly 700 people per game in a 7,000 seat stadium. Now that's a joke.

[rusthebuss]

I sure hope that all of these big name people help pay to build and maintain this facility. If DLH Sports wants to build this to help build character, discipline and enhance the athletic abilities of our youth then that's great, let them build it, with their own money. Don't drain us, the tax payers of VB just to help my son and others build up their character. I'm sorry, I know you guys love to see development and I do too, but this sounds like it could turn into somewhat of a white elephant. Just like the VB Sportsplex, which had high hopes when it was built and also cost us in the neighborhood of $10.5 million to build. It cost the city = (me and some of you) $200K a year just to keep the big elephants' heart beating. Right now the city = (me and some of you) are owed roughly $90K in back rent. That's roughly a year and a half of none payment. Now what would happen to me if I didn't pay my mortgage for that length of time? We will never know because it would never take that long for the mortgage company to kick me out. Has the city kicked them out? Hell no! They want to keep the fans happy, LOL. All 700 per game.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

THe problem with the sportplex is it is for soccer. I don't know to many people here that even care about soccer. That is the problem! Harbor Park does just fine so its the sport that they are trying to bring here to the sportplex. Don't worry, the region is really evolving into something new. Remember that people in VaBeach never wanted a downtown and now they are execpting it now. I don't think this is really a soccer area.

[vdogg]

THe problem with the sportplex is it is for soccer. I don't know to many people here that even care about soccer. That is the problem! Harbor Park does just fine so its the sport that they are trying to bring here to the sportplex. Don't worry, the region is really evolving into something new. Remember that people in VaBeach never wanted a downtown and now they are execpting it now. I don't think this is really a soccer area.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Soccer is actually extremely big in this area, just not as a professional sport. The kids around here love it and so do i for that matter, but soccer as a spectator sport in the U.S. never really caught on and i don't know if it ever will. If by some miracle it does someday, Va. Beach will definately be at the forefront.

[rusthebuss]

Soccer is actually extremely big in this area, just not as a professional sport. The kids around here love it and so do i for that matter, but soccer as a spectator sport in the U.S. never really caught on and i don't know if it ever will. If by some miracle it does someday, Va. Beach will definately be at the forefront.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it will explode just like NFL in europe....LOL it won't. Soccer will never kick up to be a major sport in the US. But then again it could with all the Mexican population in the US. They love soccer just as much if not more than the Europeans.

[rusthebuss]

Has anyone heard any details on the that sports plex yet? I know there was suppose to be some sort of conference this afternoon.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

I think it will explode just like NFL in europe....LOL it won't. Soccer will never kick up to be a major sport in the US. But then again it could with all the Mexican population in the US. They love soccer just as much if not more than the Europeans.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As a highschooler I can claim that roughly 75% of the kids I know love soccer. Spectator sport? It could be. We just need big "David Beckham" names and the money behind it. When all my friends get jobs, if they're provided with a first-class team and soccer facility in this area that is easily accessible and cheap, they (and their kids, etc) would love to spend their dollars at a soccer field.

As idealistic as that is... lord knows the money is in NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. if we bagged a MLS team, maybe another in another sport would follow? Who knows:)

[rusthebuss]

As a highschooler I can claim that roughly 75% of the kids I know love soccer.  Spectator sport?  It could be.  We just need big "David Beckham" names and the money behind it.  When all my friends get jobs, if they're provided with a first-class team and soccer facility in this area that is easily accessible and cheap, they (and their kids, etc) would love to spend their dollars at a soccer field.

As idealistic as that is... lord knows the money is in NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.  if we bagged a MLS team, maybe another in another sport would follow?  Who knows:)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well that goes back to the issue that how they where comparing Tides attendence with why are they trying to fill a 38,000 seat stadium for a major league team. I think the level has alot to do with why the attendence is down. People want to see stars not a bunch of guys who can't make it to the big leagues.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Well that goes back to the issue that how they where comparing Tides attendence with why are they trying to fill a 38,000 seat stadium for a major league team. I think the level has alot to do with why the attendence is down. People want to see stars not a bunch of guys who can't make it to the big leagues.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True that. We have to get big names in here.

I'm not stressing soccer (because it isn't financially feasible) but the highest attendence record at Giants stadium was for a European soccer game featuring Manchester United. That says a lot. Big names = big return on investment. Too bad HR is known for EXPORTING its sports stars, not retaining any...

[rusthebuss]

True that.  We have to get big names in here.

I'm not stressing soccer (because it isn't financially feasible) but the highest attendence record at Giants stadium was for a European soccer game featuring Manchester United.  That says a lot.  Big names = big return on investment.  Too bad HR is known for EXPORTING its sports stars, not retaining any...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm hoping that there is a way that we retain our stars or bring stars in the area. I personally think that the NBA is the only type of sports that would work here because it is the cheapest and alot of people love it. Then if we grow some more financially and population wise we could bring in a baseball team.

[urbanvb]

Vdogg, did you ever figure out what was being built down at the Oceanfront? I was down that way today. I was amazed at the Ocean Beach Club. It looks relatively finished on the outside. The only other thing I saw is a structure being built with a crane between two hotels. I am assuming it is to be another hotel but I don't know for sure.