VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The City of Virginia Beach rejected both bids for the project to redevelop the current pier on 14th Street, citing concerns about the clarity of information that was provided.
The project was met with concerns from the public and two city council members about whether or not the bidding process for the multi-million dollar project has been fair.
“City Council has directed City Manager Dave Hansen to re-advertise the project using specific bid criteria and provide a better explanation of the project scope,” the city said in a news release.
The city is initiating the advertising period again, with additional ads to be placed in The Virginian-Pilot over the next two weeks. The solicitation will also be posted on the city’s website. The second round of sealed bids must be in writing and will be accepted until May 14 at 5 p.m.
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In a meeting on March 1, developers said they want to stimulate new development toward the southern end of the resort strip with the pier, a huge ferris wheel, new restaurants, retail space, surfing hall of fame, exhibition and meeting space along with a park or plaza.
However, during the public comment section of the meeting, a few voiced their opinion about why a study hasn’t been done on the numbers and how building the pier would affect nearby restaurants and businesses already at the Oceanfront.
