Initial agreement to build surf park, entertainment center approved

Project still faces hurdles

VIRGINIA BEACH — The City Council approved a nonbinding term sheet on Tuesday for an entertainment attraction and surf park to be built at the Oceanfront, setting in motion an ambitious project that still faces other hurdles.

Virginia Beach leaders have long envisioned developing two parking lots at 19th Street and Pacific Avenue that have sat idle for 25 years after an old civic center, the Dome, was torn down.

Musician and city native Pharrell Williams said in a statement provided to The Virginian-Pilot after the vote that he has changed the name of the project from The Wave to Atlantic Park.

“A name that lives up to the potential I hope we are all starting to feel,” he said.

The $328 million concept, which originated from local surfer Alec Yuzhbabenko’s college thesis, could be operational by 2023. Before the 9-1 vote, more than a dozen people spoke in support of the project at Tuesday’s meeting.

“Virginia Beach has the potential of being the epicenter for surfing on the East Coast,” said George Alcaraz, general manager of the East Coast Surfing Championships.

A few people questioned the need for the project with flooding issues in the city and the timing of the vote on the same night as public comment.

“What’s the rush?,” asked resident Reid Greenmun.

Venture Realty Group, with Pharrell Williams, pitched the idea more than a year ago. After months of exclusive dealings with Virginia Beach, which included an extension, the company and city struck a deal before the deadline on the last day of 2018.

Now, the Venture team and city staff will hash out design details and construction costs. A development agreement could be completed by June at which time the City Council will vote again to officially get the project off the ground.