VIRGINIA BEACH — After a series of stops and starts, the development of a hotel near Tidewater Community College is once again on hold.
The city was slated to vote March 5 on the sale of 6.4 acres of land adjacent to TCC’s campus to hotel developer Harmony Hospitality, but City Councilwoman Sabrina Wooten objected.
Citing residents’ concerns about traffic, she requested a one-month deferral on the vote to talk more with constituents about the project.
According to Wooten’s Facebook page, a town hall on the proposed hotel project is scheduled for March 18 at 6:30 p.m. in room H178 of TCC’s Advanced Technology Center.
The delay comes after city officials walked away from negotiations with the developer over a disagreement on the hotel’s proposed room-count.
Negotiations restarted after a Southside Daily story on the matter prompted Mayor Bobby Dyer, who was then a councilman for the Centerville District, to organize a meeting between city officials and Harmony executives.
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Although the city has been actively working to develop the parcel for more than five years, Wooten is a newly elected member of City Council, and her fellow members agreed to grant her a deferral on the vote.
“Council usually defers to the district rep if they want to defer a vote,” Moss said during Tuesday’s (March 5) council meeting.
The city wants to sell the land near TCC to Harmony for $2.25 million — or $578,000 per acre. Harmony expects construction of a proposed 110-room Home2 Suites by Hilton for the site to cost the company $11.6 million, according to a memo from City Manager Dave Hansen.
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Phase 2 of the project, if council votes to sell the land for development, would allow Harmony the option for the development of 2.51 acres, which would be available at the same price per acre, Director of Economic Development Taylor Adams said during a February council briefing.
In a written statement, Wooten encouraged residents to attend the town hall “to receive additional details on the hotel project that is planned for your neighborhood. Come out and ask questions and provide feedback.”
