Should the City Council approve the agreement between Virginia Beach and United States Management to build an arena at the resort? Yes or no. Why or why not?

I say No

I concur with preceding commenters who have already pointed out some of the issues associated with this proposal: City financial liabilities associated with the project (incentive payments, lease terms, debt service, tax increase, necessary infrastructure), competing municipal planning & development priorities, length of lease, traffic management, parking, underutilization of current SevenVenues and other sites, foreign financing, etc. Add potential municipal planning overreach via Town Center Phases V and VI, VA ViBe!, the Cavalier deal, and the on-going pursuit of Light Rail. Before laying out $76.5M of taxpayer's money (or $424M if one commenter’s figures are accurate), I want to know what USM and the City’s plan action and milestones are for ensuring sustainable utilization of the arena once it's built? What’s USM’s business plan and marketing strategy to achieve and maintain minimum operating standards, to wit: “meet any one or more of the following: 1. Minimum annual paid attendance of at least 450,000 at Ticketed Arena Events, 2. An annual minimum of at least twenty (20) Ticketed Arena Events with paid attendance of at least 7,500 per Arena Event (Exhibit F, Minimum Operating Standards, Draft Deed of Lease)? With a projected completion date of 2019, will the years 2021-2024 see the City financially inherit a facility whose minimum operating standards (aka economic viability) that cannot be sustained? I also noticed that, on page 5, paragraph 3.(b) of the Draft Deed of Lease, there's a provision that the “Landlord [City] will receive, at no cost, eight (8) premium tickets to every Arena Event and (if constructed) four (4) parking spaces inside the Arena for use during every Arena Event to park passenger vehicles driven to an Arena Event by the holders of the eight (8) premium tickets referenced above for such event. In addition, Landlord shall have the right to use one sky box/luxury box/suite in the Arena designated by Tenant for an Arena Event to the extent any sky box/luxury box/suite remains unsold for such Arena Event (a “Premium Facility”).” Might be standard verbiology for these types of leases, but from a taxpayer's perspective it seems like a pretty sweet deal for someone in City Hall.

I say No

More than $3M from VB taxpayers to fund the project!
We taxpayers have financially buttressed town center during its early growth. It is time to stop.

I say No

The city can't seem to handle the congestion on holiday weekends such as 4th of July. If they are determined to go through with this (I believe our voices don't count and the city council will do what they want), a much better location would be closer to the 264/64 area.

I say No

BACKGROUND: My family (The Daughtry’s have lived in Seatack 200+ years). The city of VA Beach started out with the Dome which only held 1000 and it was understandable that the time had come in 1994 to build a larger facility, as the city was growing. Then next came our first attempt with the Pavilion which was an eye sore looking like a row of old school army barracks (no disrespect to the military) which was a waste of money and brought in no revenue. Which led to the city tearing the Pavilion down and erecting the current Convention Center in 2005-2007 to pull on our heart string trying to resemble a lighthouse. Which from the meeting on 11/17 I learned we have a debt of $24M. Now you propose to add an Arena with an estimated cost of $200M with $40M on the table @ closing per stated @ the 11/17 meeting.

CONCERN: You paint a pretty picture, but (1) The largest events that have come to the Pavilion or Convention Center have been the Boat Show and Graduations, no guarantee we will draw any other events with the new arena (at least the Dome pulled Jimi Hendrix in its heyday); (2) Parking, Police Chief stated we have a small mass area here…you propose to add an Arena & keep the Convention Center (let’s say we were to get some big events) it was stated folks could park at the garages on 9th & 31st street…what are they going to do??? Walk to 19th street…NO…they are going to park in the surrounding neighborhoods, I have had people towed from my cul-de-sac; (3) Traffic is awful during the 4th of July celebration at the oceanfront, the Oceana Air Show and Graduations, I-264 Birdneck Rd exit has had to be shut down, is there a plan in place to widen the roads & if so, now you are looking at people’s property to make that happen; (4) There have been times when I could not get out nor in my lane because of the horrific traffic; (5) Why not place the Arena on the old Dome site?
Yes, we need revenue brought into the City…but at what expense?

I say No

I am concerned about parking, as well as traffic congestion. Over the last few years, the city has been removing public parking locations for things like indoor skydiving venues and now an arena with no permanent resident. Seems like a tax pit.

I say No

I have reviewed the arena material presented by the City and I am struggling to determine what question this project is attempting to answer. There appears no definitive plans for its use, and it appears merely aspirational. It appears to be a "build it and they will come" plan, but that is quite the hope for a project will cost millions. There are no pro sports teams that have been identified as coming to Virginia Beach, and it is unclear how this arena will present a different benefit to the facilities already in existence in Norfolk and Hampton.

Until the planners have a more concrete plan for what they intend to do with this arena, I vote no.

I say No

I've heard the unfavorable traffic projections for this project. Traffic is already terrible - the bottleneck between I-64 and 264 doesn't need to get worse. I think it would kill housing property values - no one would want to live in the area. Focus on your "jewel" of the ocean front and getting light rail down there.

I say Yes

It will be a crowing jewel for the City and the area.

I say Yes

I say No

We don't need it. Since the city seems to have so much money to throw away the real estate taxes should have been decreased instead of increased. Using the money to fight ever-increasing crime makes more sense.