:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/UHIT5BPWSZEV7JY2463N2L3X6I.JPG)
VIRGINIA BEACH — A slot of time at Tuesday’s City Council meeting was dedicated to a briefing on a development project that would bring a convention center hotel and apartments to 19th Street at the Oceanfront. But Friday, the presentation was scrubbed from the agenda.
The reason why is a source of contention among some council members and resort area business people.
Councilman Chris Taylor said he was surprised that the briefing from Capstone Development was canceled, recalling how the proposal was brought up at two Resort Advisory Commission meetings he attended last week.
Not everyone was in support of it, he said. He’s questioning if commission members have been lobbying against it, even before the public has a chance to learn about it, and whether that played a role in its removal from the agenda.
“If they don’t like it, the whole public doesn’t get to see it,” Taylor said. “I don’t think that’s good for business for our city.”
Last May, the city Department of Economic Development solicited ideas from developers for more parking options and workforce housing near the Virginia Beach convention and sports centers.
Only one firm responded. Capstone Development of Washington, D.C., led by Norman Jenkins, submitted plans for 933 apartments, which include workforce housing, a 300-room convention center hotel, a restaurant and retail space. The development would replace the existing convention center surface parking lots.
The proposal stated the city would lease the land to a developer, and the city would own and operate parking garages on the site. It’s about three blocks from the Atlantic Park project that recently broke ground.
It’s unclear who requested a delay of the public briefing on the project, or why.
Mayor Bobby Dyer wouldn’t say if anyone asked for the briefing to be pulled from the agenda. Taylor Adams, economic development director, did not return calls seeking comment Friday or Monday. Adams’ assistant said the city manager removes agenda items.
In the past, the city has publicly announced submissions received from requests for ideas and qualifications.
For example, the public could view online the four proposals submitted for Rudee Loop redevelopment, respond to a survey and attend public input sessions.
City spokesperson Tiffany Russell did not address whether there’s something different in the stage of this proposal versus Rudee Loop that makes it different.
“City staff has nothing more to add until further direction from Council has been given,” she wrote in an email Monday.
Jenkins’ company has built similar projects to the one proposed, like Liberty Park in Memphis, Tennessee, a mixed-use development on city land next to a sports complex; and Columbia Place in Washington, D.C., which includes hotels and apartments adjacent to the Washington Convention Center.
Capstone’s goal, according to its submittal, would be to connect the convention center and sports complex into the surrounding neighborhoods with walkable streets, retail, hotels and housing.
The City Council was briefed on it in a closed meeting last summer. Collecting public input was considered the next step, according to the presentation, which was provided to The Virginian-Pilot last August.
Capstone’s proposal has not yet been discussed in a public council meeting. Taylor and Worth Remick, who were elected last year and joined the council in January, recently met with Jenkins, the developer, to learn more about his firm’s idea.
Jenkins was then invited by the city to brief the council. The briefing was published in the council agenda documents on Thursday, but Friday afternoon, City Manager Patrick Duhaney issued a statement of its cancellation in a city council staff report memo.
”This item may be deferred to a later date to be determined,” Duhaney wrote.
Within the last week, Resort Advisory Commission members had become aware of the scheduled briefing, and according to the commission chair there was discussion among members about slowing down.
“Just the fact that they’re having him brief council is an indication that there’s something moving forward,” BJ Baumann, commission chair, said Friday before the city announced the briefing was scrapped.
She had shared her concerns with the council liaisons, Taylor and Remick, she said.
“There have been conversations (at commission meetings) about why does this have to move so fast,” she said. “I just don’t want people to make decisions too rapidly.”
She added, “It doesn’t have to be done without looking at what the master plan (says) should be there.”
On Monday, Baumann said she didn’t ask for the briefing to be postponed or canceled and was surprised to hear that it was.
Remick said Monday that he told commission members who talked to him about potential development on 19th Street that the City Council had not yet had a presentation on it. He also said he doesn’t know why Capstone’s briefing was removed from the agenda, but he expects it will addressed at Tuesday’s meeting.
Commission members include business owners in the resort area and representatives of groups with an interest in the Oceanfront, including from the Atlantic Avenue Association and the ViBe Creative District. It makes recommendations to the City Council.
Billy Almond, who heads up the commission’s planning and design committee, was among those who want the city to consider the broader implications of development on 19th Street before moving forward.
Almond’s had conversations with the Department of Economic Development about studying the corridor, he said on Friday, before the briefing was officially canceled.
Today's Top Stories
“I hope we can take a minute and kind of drop back and plan this area,” Almond said.
As to how that concern resulted in the briefing being scuttled from Tuesday’s meeting, public officials wouldn’t say.
Dyer said he supports getting proposals like Capstone’s in front of the public. He wants to have Jenkins brief the council at a later date.
“It’s just a matter of timing,” he said. “Sometimes a strategic delay will produce a better result.”
Jenkins said he was told last Friday that his presentation was canceled because the City Council is in the middle of budget season. He’s been treated fairly, he said, and is looking forward to sharing his idea in a public setting soon.
“Cities have their own rhythm and process,” Jenkins said. “If and when Virginia Beach is ready, we’ll be ready.”
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com