HAMPTON, Va. — A popular beachfront venue is making a return in Hampton.
After a nearly two-year hiatus, the Paradise Ocean Club plans to reopen this summer. The bar and restaurant signed a new lease this week, but the owner said there will be changes.
"We're excited to get back," Owner Baxter Simmons said. "We know a lot of people have missed the facility."
Simmons says they reached a new 10-year lease agreement with the National Park Service, which owns the property. The lease agreement ends in December 2033.
In 2022, the venue closed after Simmons said the agency ended negotiations to renew the lease, months after safety concerns in the area. The new agreement includes revised security and parking plans.
Simmons originally hoped to reopen last year, but negotiations dragged on.
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"You can never control an individual person and what they intend to do, but what we can do is do a better job of creating the right atmosphere, setting the right tone, and that's the important thing when we come back with Paradise Ocean Club," Simmons said.
Simmons said they want to be more family-friendly, and the capacity will now be 1,000 people. They didn't enforce a limit before, and there will be no boat access.
Before they reopen, Simmons and his team have their hands full fixing up the venue that's sat empty for months. But the park service is helping.
A spokesperson for the National Park Service confirmed the new lease agreement but would not share any details.
Simmons said he plans to reopen Paradise Ocean Club this May.