VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — For several years, Building 2 at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center has sat empty following the 2019 mass shooting. However, city leaders are opening the doors for a new beginning.
“The beautiful renovations of this building represent the victory over the darkness,” said Virginia Beach Police Chaplain Frank Stephens.
Tuesday, city leaders held a dedication inside the newly renovated facility.
“What’s on the other side of these doors is a new chapter for them,” said Police Chief Paul Neudigate.
Chief Neudigate said staff are excited about the new facility. He said new technology at the building will take the department to the next level and keep communities safe.
“To be able to have our crime analyst, our real-time crime center, and our waves room where do all of our stat briefings to really be the operational hub of this building,” he said.
New operations at Building 2 come with a new name. The former police headquarters was known as Building 11. Chief Neudigate says it was important to carry over that name to the new location.
“Building 2 is being retired in memoriam," he said. "And it’s not to forget about what occurred.”
Neudigate said leaders wanted to think about how that reminder would impact the officers who responded that day and others who are still impacted by that tragedy. He said the department has reached out to those who responded to the tragedy individually to see how they're feeling about the move to the former Building 2 and provide them with the necessary resources.
Neudigate said this is a completely different building than what it was in 2019.
"The only remaining remnants of what this building looked like that fateful day is the elevators and the stairwells," he said. "Other than that, you will not recognize this building and I think that really made a difference for our team."
Mayor Bobby Dyer called this a bittersweet day. However, he adds this step is a reminder of the city’s resilience.
“To show that we can rebuild and that we can go forward but we will always remember,” Dyer said.
A police spokesperson said roughly 200 staff members will work out of the former Building 2. Chief Neudigate said almost all of the administration staff has moved into the building. He hopes it will be fully operational by the end of next month.