VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A divided Virginia City Council voted to move forward with Westminster-Canterbury's proposed 22-floor senior living community.
The 5-2 vote came after hours of public discussion, with dozens of speakers coming forward to voice or oppose the building's construction.
The beachside resort expansion would be located next to Westminster-Canterbury's current campus on Shore Drive.
The plan is to add 217 independent living apartments, 75 assisted living, and 45 memory residences.
"This is a treasure location and you're building something that is going to be a permanent landmark and we want it to be great," Westminster-Canterbury's CEO Ben Unkle previously told 13News Now.
He's argued that the demographics of our region show Virginia Beach is facing an acute shortage in senior housing and services.
Unkle hopes the building will be completed by 2026.