The southern end of the Oceanfront’s hotel strip could become a paradise for the people.
Imagine a public plaza with a stage and parks for dogs and skateboarders as well as basketball courts for pick-up games.
It’s the city’s current vision for Rudee Loop, a 10-acre cul-de-sac where Atlantic Avenue ends, bordered by the inlet to the west and Fourth Street to the north.
A rendering of the proposal will be unveiled at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Convention Center.
City Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson and former city Planning Director Barry Frankenfield have teamed up with a plan to secure potential donors for a new “people’s park” at Rudee Loop.
“It’s one of the most significant properties on the entire East Coast,” Wilson said. “We’ve been holding on to the property for something special. What’s more special than the citizens?”
Based on information from a survey and a meeting in June that were open to the public, Rudee Loop was identified as a priority for open space in the resort area.
The Virginia Beach Development Authority has acquired most of the land within the loop, squirreling it away for the future.
As the last remaining vacant oceanfront property, the area has caught the attention of developers over the years.
In 2014, the city rejected NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith’s development proposal that would have brought Wyndham timeshares, a Margaritaville restaurant and other attractions to Rudee Loop. Smith’s group wanted no city money for the roughly $250 million development, except to build a parking garage and improve surrounding infrastructure. Officials said the timing wasn’t right, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
In 2017, the city razed an old hotel at the northern part of the loop. At that time, a project development manager for the city’s Economic Development Department said demolishing the 47-year-old hotel would create an Oceanfront view and show developers the land’s potential, the Pilot reported.
Future commercial development in Rudee Loop hasn’t been ruled out given the amount of city-owned land available, but the park could be built first.
A post created Tuesday on the city’s Facebook page stated: “We think the public will be excited to see the largest waterfront park in Virginia Beach wrapped by Rudee Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean.”
The public will be able to provide feedback on the concept at the meeting, which will also include other ideas to be considered for the resort area’s future.
Twenty members of the Resort Area Strategic Action Plan steering committee have been working on drafting a new 10-year vision for the Oceanfront. Members include two candidates running for the Beach District seat: Councilman Guy King Tower, who was appointed in the spring; and Wilson. Area business owners, a civic league president and hotel and restaurant association members are also on the committee.
Other priorities based on the city’s survey results included creating a “sense of arrival” at the Oceanfront end of Interstate 264; establishing an organization similar to Norfolk’s Downtown Improvement District to enhance the resort area; and improving streetscapes with outdoor cafe spaces and landscaping.
After public hearings this fall, the City Council will vote on the action plan in November.
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
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Want to go?
What: Resort Area Strategic Action Plan public meeting
When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22
Where: Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th St.
