VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — July 11, 2023, was an unforgettable day at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
The day started like any other with people walking along the boardwalk, laying on the beach, and stopping in restaurants and shops along Atlantic Avenue.
That changed when a call for help rang out around 5:15 p.m. There was a report that a building along Atlantic Ave. and 27th Street, which housed three businesses, was on fire.
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Responding within minutes, fire crews quickly confirmed that the Maple Tree Pancake House, T-Shirt Factory, and King of the Sea Restaurant were ablaze.
It took over five hours and more than 75 firefighters to extinguish it. All three businesses were destroyed, and the building was demolished.
Now, six months later, there are signs of progress and a plan forward. New renderings (pictured below) were released first to me that show a building with two-toned brick, dark trim, and foliage.
Developer Matthew Vakos of Vakos Development Company says he hopes the muted look ushers in a fresh look for this section of the Oceanfront.
“We really wanted something that was functional and attractive,” he said.
When I was last reporting at the Oceanfront, the property was still in the clean-up phase. Now, at the beginning of January, the rubble has been cleared and there is a fence surrounding an empty piece of property.
“You [have] got to admire the tenacity and their willingness to come back and rebuild. That shows the resolve of the people of Virginia Beach,” said Mayor Bobby Dyer.
I met with Mayor Dyer to talk about the permitting process and the new building proposal.
“From what I understand, they really want to put in a tremendous, magnificent structure to replace [the old building]. [The city is] going to be behind them 100%," said Mayor Dyer.
The footprint of the new building will mirror the old, meaning three businesses will occupy the space.
Vakos tells me that one business has signed a lease, though they are not ready to announce who just yet.
He says things are also moving forward with the other two spaces.
“All of [the businesses] have been working with me and our architect to get the build-outs done,” he said.
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I’m told that in addition to the building, there will also be new features, like an outside seating area for the business on the corner and greenery out front.
There are, however, still many more meetings to come about design, infrastructure, and utilities.
The goal is to have the building up by summer 2024.
“I'd say it's ambitious, but you know, let's hope for the best and make sure the city does our part,” said Dyer.
In the Virginia Beach Fire Department’s final report, they say the fire started in a void space just below the roof and the direct cause is undetermined.
They also ruled out the possibility that the fire started at one of the three businesses.
