VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — There's not much left of the property sitting on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and 27th Street in Virginia Beach.
A large pile of rubble now sits, confined by the perimeter of a fence now dividing it from the rest of the Oceanfront.
A fire ripped through the property on July 11, destroying the Maple Tree Pancake House, the T-Shirt Factory, and the King of the Sea restaurant.
John Vakos has owned that property for more than 30 years. Before then, his parents owned it.
He said despite the businesses crumbling down, the value of the property still stands strong.
"You have the stores directly across, the Holiday Inn, and the Oceanfront Inn all in that block right there," Vakos explained. "This location, anybody that goes in there, it's a gold mine for them."
Vakos said he went to the University of Virginia to study architecture but didn't end up graduating prior to joining the military. However, that didn't stop him from helping design a lot of properties in Virginia Beach.
Just more than a week after the devastating fire, Vakos said he is now using his architectural knowledge to come up with the design for a new building.
The Korean War veteran and long-time property owner is moving full force ahead to create a space for possibly even more businesses to thrive.
"I'm hoping to get the plan back in, which is seven stores," Vakos said. "We'll put a steel frame wall in that meets the fire code and then fire sheetrock on both sides like a block wall and that meets the code."
Vakos said he hopes by having seven units, more business owners will set up shop.
Vakos said the owners of the Maple Tree Pancake House plan to return to this Oceanfront corner. He explained how the owners actually extended their lease prior to the fire and want to stay for the long term.
Shortly after the fire, the T-Shirt Factory owners told 13News Now they also hope to reopen by next year.
However, Vakos said the owners of the King of the Sea restaurant's lease expires this year and they have not told him if they wish to return to the property at the Oceanfront. He said it's unclear what their next steps will be.
We reached out to the King of the Sea after the owners chose not to speak with us the day after the fire. We have not received a response yet to our questions about reopening.
Vakos said he hired a demolition contractor to clear up the rubble now sitting on his lot. He said crews are expected to start the cleanup process toward the end of July.
Vakos added he hopes to have his property up and running again with business owners before the start of the 2024 summer season.