A recent $2.5 million proposal to redesign Atlantic Avenue in an effort mitigate a traffic increase due to the Cavalier Hotel reopening is leaving taxpayers asking “What about us?”
About 125 Virginia Beach residents, taxpayers and key players in the Cavalier restoration efforts attended the city’s informal citizen information meeting Thursday. There, curious locals learned about the proposal and could fill out a sheet city council may use to gauge its decision on the matter.
“I live in the general area, where I bike and walk around often,” Virginia Beach resident Alex Gerriets said. “I don’t see anyone but [city employees] and the developer feeling positive about this.”
The meeting began with several representatives, including City Manager Dave Hansen and Cavalier Hotel developer Bruce Thompson, standing near mockups to explain the redesign to several rotating groups of attendees. But Hansen eventually grabbed a microphone and began a discussion that engulfed the room’s attention.
“It’s been the strategic vision of the city council and planners that our resort is anchored by a five-star hotel,” Hansen said.
“By giving [Bruce Thompson] an option, which would preserve his ability to create a 21st century view of the lawn from the Cavalier… we can create the stacking of over 80 vehicles to a convention, or a major event, if he’s allowed to create the eight lanes that go [across the street from the Cavalier Hotel] and the valet necessary to run it.”
The tadditional lanes of traffic would be privately owned by Thompson and feature a green canopy that recreated the illusion of the grand lawn. This transfer of ownership from the Virginia Department of Transportation, to the city and then to Thompson was a hot topic of the night.
Other topics that arose included traffic, public transportation, emergency vehicle access, parking space losses and the fact that taxpayer dollars would be spent on a project that is already delayed and over budget.
“Of that $2.4 million, I have about $500,000 that is contingency money…The thing is, I gotta give the [city] council one bite of the apple so they know what the cost is.” Hansen said. “What if I told you that in the first year alone, this $350 million private investment returns taxes that exceed the cost of that project?”
Hansen said that taxes earned from the project’s revenues would cover the redesign cost.
“Taxes that I’m referring to will be a composite tax of real estate, sales, hotel, restaurant and amusement,” Hansen said.
“We don’t color coat a dollar that comes in to the general fund … It goes into the general fund first and then dedicated funds are moved out to various commitments they have like tourism advertising and tourism investment… but not all of it goes there. It helps fund everything from parks and recreation to public works.”
Hansen said he plans to give another briefing to city council, in open session, on the third Tuesday in February. A second public input meeting in the council chambers will be held on the fourth Tuesday in February, he said.
“We want transparency,” Suzanne Sofield said. “We are tired of the shifting around … we don’t need to close off a street to build a hotel.”
To read an article about the proposal’s impact on a local restaurant and a church, click here.
