A live chat today answered questions from Virginia Beach residents about the future of the Old Cavalier Hotel.
Sponsored by the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement, the chat was moderated by Mac Rawls who is chairing a city task-force on persevering the Cavalier.
You can read the transcript from today's chat by clicking here.
Rawls says there is both good news and bad news when it comes to what role Virginia Beach can play in saving the Cavalier.
"The bad is that the city has no legal right to prevent the demolition of the hotel. There's no ordinance, no state law, to prevent a new owner from demolishing the hotel," Rawls explained. "The good part is that the city can offer incentives and it does have certain controls indirectly in terms of rezoning and use permits."
The City Council and Mayor are supportive of efforts to preserve the historic property and Rawls says they have already come up with some incentives to help a new owner preserve the historic nature of the Cavalier.
"Those include taxes, helping the new buyer get historical tax credits and infrastructure improvements," Rawls explained.
The Cavalier is up for sale after a court ordered the liquidation of assets for the family that owns it following a dispute.
Rawls says bids are due by the end of April and a sale could happen in May. He says the city wants to be proactive and in-place when that happens to approach a new owner with their efforts to maintain the Cavalier.
Related:
Group using Facebook to advocate for saving the Cavalier Hotel
