VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The City of Virginia Beach wants ideas to transform the southernmost point of the city's Oceanfront district.
On Tuesday, the city council initiated a "Request for Information and Ideas" (RFII) to receive concepts for developing the largely empty parcels of land at the beginning of Atlantic Avenue.
The city currently owns several acres of land around the Rudee Loop, a popular parking and access point for the beachfront.
A spokesperson for the city said the following about what's being sought:
This document outlining details will need to be created as a next step and then shared with Council based on Council feedback last [Tuesday] night.
"I don’t think I would personally want more hotels. We’ve got plenty. I like the idea of a park," Evvie Kelly told 13News Now Wednesday. She's a Virginia Beach resident who walks her dog frequently at the beginning of the boardwalk.
According to the recent Resort Area Strategic Plan from the city, close to 90% of thousands of Virginia Beach citizens noted open and green space as the most important element of the area's transformation.
“I feel like, this parking lot is full. In the spring and summer, it’s packed. People are walking, going to the beach... where are they going to go if you take this away from them?" Virginia Beach resident Judy Grimpel asked.