HAMPTON, Va. — People will not be able to enjoy a beachside drink at Paradise Ocean Club in Hampton this summer.
That’s according to Baxter Simmons, who has owned the Fort Monroe property for 10 years.
“We hear from people every single day that are disappointed that it’s not going to be there this summer because they’re used to taking their kids and their families out there during the week,” Simmons told 13News Now.
Simmons said the National Park Service (NPS), which owns the land, unexpectedly pulled his lease last summer.
Simmons said NPS added new criteria to the lease, such as safety and parking, and opened it up for new business proposals.
But, Simmons sent a new lease proposal to NPS and won that bid.
Simmons initially hoped to reopen for summer, but he said negotiations are taking longer than expected.
“We still have this lease with all this new criteria that there’s been minimal discussion about. It’s going to take some time just to negotiate out the new criteria,” he explained.
Simmons said the club likely won't reopen until the summer of 2024.
And he says by that time, you can expect some changes at the club.
“We’re really going to push the family aspect. We’re going to put some things in like suggested dress codes and things like that [...] We really want to change the image of the club and let people know that we’re there to operate a quality establishment,” Simmons said.
Simmons also said he plans to change some of the entertainment programming for the potential 2024 reopening. He said he wants to move from things like DJs to music that appeals to people of all ages.
Simmons said while there's still a lot that needs to be discussed regarding the lease, he said he and NPS have the same goal: keeping Fort Monroe safe.
"We... all understand what the goal is...We want to keep that all [Fort Monroe] orderly and under control and safe and fun environment. But, we need to make sure that the tools are in place to do that," he said.
13News Now reached out to the National Park Service for comment on the Fort Monroe property; however, they could only tell us, “negotiations continue.”