Throughout the last decade and more, the City of Virginia Beach has made key, strategic strides forward in creating a stronger sense of community with the development of the high profile Convention Center, Town Center, and an increasing shift toward healthier, more walkable neighborhoods. To support continued economic growth and tourism development, the city began exploring proposals for a new, downtown arena in 2015, and Clark Nexsen developed the Central Beach District and Arena Master Plan in conjunction with this effort.
With a 15-year-plus partnership, our architects, engineers, and urban designers have worked with the city on many projects relating to the Central Beach District including the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Central Beach District Master Plan, 19th Street Corridor Streetscape and Infrastructure, and the proposed Virginia Beach Entertainment and Sports Complex. The array of projects from 17th street to 22nd streets aim to create a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly entertainment and commerce district connecting the Convention Center, future Arena, and the Boardwalk.
Our master planning process includes meeting with city economic development, strategic growth, public works, arts, convention and visitor’s bureau, public safety groups, community engagement, and engagement with the commercial development community to develop carefully crafted vision plans that can be realistically implemented.
The Central Beach District plan focuses on infrastructure issues including mass transit, pedestrian paths, and bicycle access to facilitate connectivity to the beach’s resort area. By utilizing existing right-of-way easements of 17th, 18th, and 19th streets as well as properties currently owned by the city, connections to the boardwalk and surrounding community can be enhanced with minimized added investment and impact to private property.
Throughout the development of the Central Beach District and Arena Master Plan, capital improvement projects to support the vision were determined. Working with development and construction partners, Clark Nexsen has also provided design services for the construction of these projects.