Virginia Beach approves mass shooting memorial site, dedicates $1.2M for design

VIRGINIA BEACH — The City Council on Tuesday approved the May 31, 2019 mass shooting memorial site and allocated $1.2 million for the design. The money will come from vacancy savings in the general fund.

The memorial park to honor those killed and injured at Virginia Beach Municipal Center will be built on 1.3 acres of city land at the corner of Princess Anne Road and Nimmo Parkway, across the street from the municipal complex. Dills Architect is the designer.

On May 31, 2019, a city employee killed 12 people and wounded four others before police killed the gunman inside Building 2 at the Municipal Center.

The cost of constructing the memorial will be determined after the design is completed, and funding could include a combination of private money and public dollars, according to the city. Dills Architects has estimated the total cost will be $5.8 million.

[ Virginia Beach memorial committee selects design to honor mass shooting victims ]

The 5/31 Memorial Committee, which was created in 2020, recommended the site and developed the design criteria through engagement with victims’ families, survivors, first responders and other community members. The city hired a third-party consultant to facilitate the process.

The committee will oversee the installation and dedication of the memorial.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com