City Council on Tuesday may add a parcel of land where an apartment building stands to its Rudee Park project at the Oceanfront.
Council will consider using $3 million from its open space fund to buy 1/10th of an acre from a company managed by businessperson Daniel Hoffler and businessperson and NFL Hall of Fame member Bruce Smith.
City staff has recommended buying one of the only privately-owned properties at Rudee Loop using money from the open space fund.
It allows the city to eventually tear down the building.
The sale would prevent the city from having to build the park around it, said Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson, whose district includes Rudee Loop. She said the property could be incorporated into the park for additional parking.
“Obviously, like any buyer, we would like to pay less, but it’s going to serve the public,” Wilson said Monday, adding that it will make the park more complete.
Bruce Smith Enterprise, Armada Hoffler and Madison Marquette submitted a proposal in 2022 to redevelop Rudee Loop, a prime piece of real estate. Council ultimately decided to embrace a park concept created by the parks department.
Virginia Beach already owns about 8 acres at Rudee Loop and the estimated public cost of the project is $42.6 million. Officials have said they hope to raise $20 million in donor funding or sponsorships to help create a new Oceanfront destination.
On Monday, Clay Bernick, chairperson of the city’s Open Space Advisory Committee, said the committee had not been briefed about the sale.
The committee advises the council about potential properties that can be acquired but doesn’t have to be consulted on uses of open space funding.
“That’s council’s prerogative,” Bernick said.
Dan Edwards, chairperson of the city Parks & Recreation Commission, could not comment on the sale but said Rudee Park is an important project.
“Very few cities have had the opportunity to develop something of that magnitude, so it’s pretty exciting,” Edwards said. “It’s just a fantastic opportunity for recreation for the citizens to use the Oceanfront and equally another amenity for the tourists.”
