VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Residents were invited to share ideas on a new proposed entertainment venue at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Wednesday night.
Interested citizens gave their two cents and shared with city council members and developers what they'd like to see at the new facility at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
The idea of a surf park was the big draw of the night. 17-year-old surfer and Virginia Beach native Leif Jones gave his input on the proposal.
"Surfing will be coming in the Olympics, they are right," Jones said. "But aside from that, they will not surf a competition at a wave garden."
Michael Culpepper, along with other developers, are zeroed in on creating a surf park that will create 1,000 six-foot waves in an hour.
"We have a rich surfing heritage here in Virginia Beach," he said. "But we don't always have quality waves."
The cost, however, is concerning to many, including Jones, who was also worried about traffic.
Others, like Meredith Jones, think the idea will put the city on the map as well as giving locals something to be proud of.
The city’s development authority recently voted to select Venture Realty Group as the preferred developer for the proposed mixed-use, multi-venue entertainment complex on the property known as the old Dome site.
Pharrell Williams, a Virginia Beach native, has partnered with Venture Realty and is involved in the design and development of the project.
Williams got on board in June and spoke to News 3 via FaceTime, where he talked about the economic and cultural benefits the project will have for the city.
According to Venture Realty the project has a $275-$300M price tag, but will be open year round, a benefit for the Oceanfront and the city's economy as a whole.
It will be located between 18th and 20th streets.
Venture Realty said if they can push through all the plans as intended, construction could begin as early as Spring of 2019.
If you weren't able to make the event, you can also take part in this online survey.
