Paradise Ocean Club at Fort Monroe to close permanently after National Park Service ends lease renewal negotiations

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Paradise Ocean Club at Fort Monroe is closing permanently on Labor Day.

In a post on social media, the owner of Paradise Ocean Club, Baxter Simmons, stated that the National Park Service ended lease renewal negotiations “without cause.”

According to 10 On Your Side’s Brett Hall, Simmons says he was told NPS officials “decided to change the vision of the property.”

The latest comes after NPS officials limited hours at Fort Monroe’s North Beach this summer. The park service put the curfew in place after a woman was shot in the elbow near the club. Hampton Police say she was shot after someone pulled a gun in the middle of an argument.

Simmons told 10 On Your Side around 100,000 people come through the doors of the Paradise Ocean Club each summer.

On the club’s website, Paradise Ocean Club posted a petition link for guests and residents to sign up and show their support.

As of 9 p.m. Friday, the petition has garnered over 500 signatures.

“I believe Paradise Ocean Club has been a great addition to Fort Monroe National Monument and a real asset for the community,” the petition said.

The club has been a part of the community since 2012. According to the club, it was recently awarded a 10-year lease negotiation from the National Park Service in March. It’s the only place in coastal Virginia where alcohol can be served legally on the beach.

“We will fight to try and return at some point but for now, this holiday weekend will be our last for good,” said the post. “We will miss everybody and hopefully we can show National Parks the error of their ways.

This is breaking news and will be updated.