VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — In the next couple of years, the large parking lot outside the Virginia Beach Convention Center may not look as large as it does now as city leaders consider options for the future of the Central Beach Area.
Last week, city leaders were presented with two designs for the area that include the buildings and spaces around the convention center, sports center, ViBe Creative District, and Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).
"This came in response to the Capstone proposal for a headquarters hotel right there across the street," Councilman Worth Remick, of the City of Virginia Beach, said. "Then attached to that or around that was retail with about 180,000 square feet and over 900 apartments."
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One design is called Central Green and the other is called North South Connections.
Both plans look to make it easier to walk around stores and parks while also building housing.
"It's quiet and peaceful, it's a good vibe out here," Jimmy Speedway, a resident at the Oceanfront, said.
Speedway said he feels this area of the Oceanfront is pretty pedestrian-friendly already and would benefit from a large green space.
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The Central Green plan calls for making part of the large parking lot outside the convention center into a community space.
It would also move some buildings like the library to the current MOCA building which will be moving to Virginia Wesleyan University in the future.
"You got the Marriott, you got the Cavalier it's like nice upscale hotels and I'd like to see something like that be built there," Speedway said
Speedway said he could also see a large hotel being built on the lot.
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Part of the North-South Connections design calls for building two new hotels, turning parts of the ViBe Creative District into a pedestrian mall like what's in Charlottesville, and demolishing the current MOCA building for a stormwater park.
None of these plans will happen overnight and will be completed in phases.
The city will have a public engagement survey in the coming weeks to hear more from the community.
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Over the weekend designers held an open house with members of the community as well.
"It's about 80 acres total and how we best make it efficient, affordable, and appealing to all parties and all needs is why we have this master use plan," Remick said.
City leaders will likely see an updated plan and continue discussions after January.
