Rudee Park Project Given Green Light by City Council

Final design work will commence, taking 12-18 months to complete before construction begins.

Virginia Beach City Council gave its approval for Parks & Recreation to begin the next step in making the Rudee Park vision a reality. During a presentation to City Council on Aug. 19, Parks & Recreation Director Michael Kirschman addressed questions that were previously raised by City Council.

Event Staging

Rudee Loop currently serves as an event staging area for festivals and events that take place at the Oceanfront. This area provides a space for event organizers and support staff to place equipment and set up and break down the temporary infrastructure needed for a festival.

The park plan includes a surface parking lot, which will be used for the same purpose, and the park itself will become a point of entry for events. This effectively flips the current arrangement, where the parking lot on the far south end of Rudee Loop is the staging area, and the entrance is to the north.

Parking

The plan includes a surface parking lot to the north of the park area that will include 397 publicly available parking spaces, which is comparable to the 392 currently available at Rudee Loop. A parking garage was considered, however City Council decided on the surface parking option to reduce the overall project cost.

Flooding Resiliency

The Rudee Loop site currently sits about 48 inches below the level of the existing Boardwalk and is mostly impervious cover such as concrete and asphalt.

When constructed, the park site will be raised to the level of the Boardwalk. In addition, the park will reduce the impervious cover to 43% from its current level of 87%. About 40% of the park will be covered in shade, reducing the average surface temperature to 81 degrees, down from the current 94 degrees.

The plan also calls for landscaping nearer to the ocean to consist of protective dune forms and plants to provide a wind screen, keeping the salt and sand away from the main park area. Moving inland, the landscaping will change to grassy areas, trees and landscaping typically associated with parks.

Cultural and Economic Impact

Parks in similar cities have had a marked impact on the immediate area surrounding them. This includes increased visitation and hotel stays, increased tourism revenue, increased property values, higher foot traffic and redevelopment of existing properties.

It’s estimated that Rudee Park will generate an annual revenue of $2.5 million to $3 million from events, programs, sponsorships, local retail tie-ins and rentals. This will make the park revenue neutral when compared to the estimated $2 million to $3 million operating expenses.

Park Funding

The Rudee Park project currently has $50 million appropriated for design and construction. To date, about $2.5 million has been spent, and final design is expected to be $4 million. The remaining $43.5 million is for construction costs.

A capital campaign is being considered that would offset the overall construction cost. Early estimates project that $20 million could be raised that would then be used to replenish the Tourism Investment Program (TIP) fund.

It should be noted, however, that construction cannot proceed without a fully funded project. Any funds raised would be applied after the fact to reimburse the TIP fund.

Interested donors could choose to have their name placed on one of the landmarks in the park. For example, it could be named the Ocean Overlook at Rudee Park, brought to you by “A Named Sponsor.”

Sponsorships would also be available for programs such as movie nights, concert series, cultural events and more.

Park Operations

A governing entity has been proposed to manage the park operations and events. This would be a partnership similar to the one with the Virginia Beach Sports Center in which a third-party would handle the day-to-day operations of the park.

This model would be a 501c3 nonprofit, typically a conservancy or foundation with oversight from a board of directors. This board would consist of City officials, local businesses, and representatives from Parks & Recreation and the Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The specifics of the board, its responsibilities and membership will be determined by City Council.

What’s Next

With City Council’s approval, Parks & Recreation will move forward with surface parking design and construction drawings for the park. This is estimated to take about 12-18 months.

A fundraising team will be created to work with the current design to solicit sponsors and donors as part of a capital campaign. This will take place while the construction documents are being finalized and will take about 18 months.

Establishing the conservancy or foundation will take place by the time park construction begins, to manage the park’s day-to-day operations once built.

Learn more about the Rudee Park project, including design elements, public feedback and City Council actions at VirginiaBeach.gov/RudeePark.