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CBDA HISTORY
In 1973, the Virginia Beach City Council recognized the Pembroke area’s potential as a commercial center and re-zoned a portion of the area as the Central Business District. This zoning classification earmarked the Central Business District for development as a metropolitan center for financial, commercial, professional and cultural activities. The City of Virginia Beach had experienced unprecedented growth in the past three decades. The CBD is recognized as the population center of the city, with nearly 78% of the city’s residents living within a five-mile radius. The Central Business District, which is located at the crossroads of one of the busiest intersections in Southeastern Virginia, is exactly halfway between downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
In 1986, Fred Napolitano, Richard Olivieri, and Gerald Divaris met to discuss the need for an entity that would bring cohesion and direction to the emerging CBD, and the idea for the Central Business District Association of Virginia Beach was formed. Its first official meeting was a gathering together of over 100 local business leaders at a breakfast meeting to discuss the idea of a "City Center" in the Central Business District. The idea was met with much support, and the Association officially incorporated in January of 1987. It was decided that the mission of the CBDA would be to promote the economic development of the Central Business District, and be committed to establishing the area as a primary urban center for business, commerce, professional, financial, and cultural activities. The association has continued to grow and today has 170 companies on its roster.
Three years later, in November 1989, the Virginia Beach City Council endorsed the Association’s concept plan and allocated funds for the creation of a CBD Commission to prepare a Master Plan. The Commission presented its findings to the City Council in March 1991. Following its review in July 1991, the City Council accepted the Master Plan by a unanimous vote and referred it to the Planning Commission to consider its implementation and any recommended changes to the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
In November 1995, the Virginia Beach City Council voted unanimously in favor of establishing a new zoning category to be known as B-3CBD-Pembroke Central Business Core Zoning District. This new district provides for pedestrian sidewalks and off-site parking, as well as several traditional urban features such as tree plantings, sidewalk cafes, pedestrian walkways and landscaping. Members of the CBDA Planning Committee and City staff worked together to develop the new zoning district. Its adoption by the City Council made possible the development of Virginia Beach’s new City Center.
In November 1999, the Virginia Beach City Council approved the establishment of a Tax Increment Financing District to support the construction of public amenities in the CBD, to include structured parking, roads, landscaping and utilities.
On February 8, 2000, the Virginia Beach City Council approved the Town Center project, which will ultimately contain over 1.8 million square feet of office, retail, hotel, restaurants, entertainment, and parking. The CBD consists of the first block under construction, known as Block 4, which consists of a 23-story office tower, a 9-story parking garage for 1,300 cars, a 5-story mixed use office, retail structure for Pender and Coward and 66,000 square feet of retail. The next block, known as Block 10, will feature a 342-apartment building, with a 870-car parking garage, and 42,000 square feet of retail. In Block 11, the City has committed to the design of the Virginia Beach Performing Arts Center with accompanying retail. A 176-room, limited service business hotel is also being designed along with a 14,000 square foot bank building in Block 5. 120,000 square feet of Columbus 1 and the Alltel and Columbus 6 building already exist and make up the rest of the CBD. The first section of Main Street which runs from Constitution to Town Center Drive is being completed.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Town Center on June 7, 2000, officially brought to reality the CBDA’s vision of a "City Center" for Virginia Beach.
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