VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — The City of Virginia Beach has released the results of several studies on how a proposed new Oceanfront surf park would affect the area.
In the study, the former Dome site revitalization project is called "The Wave Project." It would run between 18th and 20th Streets at the Oceanfront.
The project turns the area into a multi-use entertainment epicenter. Portions of the property will become an indoor and outdoor event center, as well as a surf park. Singer and Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams is partnering with the city on the project.
The feasibility study on the project is a 245-page review, including five studies ranging from retail potential to parking. All of the studies focus on how the site would impact Virginia’s largest city.
Virginia Beach City Council will hear the study results Tuesday at their meeting. According to the summary, the total cost of the project is approximately $338 million. But according to the feasibility study summary, the event center will make the city about one million dollars per year for the first 10 years.
During the construction phase alone, the economic impact study shows $508 million could be generated from the construction jobs. According to the feasibility study, once the event center is up and operating, it could create 105 jobs.
As for parking, one study compared parking needs from similar developments and set out guidelines for how much parking is needed for peak hours on event days and non-event days.
The Dome site, located between 18th and 20th Streets off of Pacific Avenue, is currently a parking lot. But before it was bulldozed in 1994, the nearly 10-acre site featured big musical acts.
Virginia Beach Dome Site Consultant Studies by 13News Now on Scribd