VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Beach City Council has denied a proposal that would have stopped the city manager from creating a cul-de-sac to close off Atlantic Avenue at the intersection with Pacific Avenue in front of the Cavalier Hotel.
Council members Jessica Abbot and John Moss, who created the resolution to stop the project, said the cul-de-sac wasn’t in the interest of the whole community.
Developer Bruce Thompson has pushed for the approximately $2.5 million project and eventually offered to pay for it himself after the city’s request for funding was denied by the state multiple times.
Several other Beach residents who spoke at Tuesday night’s meeting agreed, however the resolution was blocked during Tuesday’s council meeting.
City Manager Dave Hansen, a steadfast proponent of the project, has said it would help the hotel, improve traffic flow in the area and create green space.
The project would remove the intersection of Atlantic and Pacific near 41st Street and would require drivers heading north on Atlantic Avenue to use 40th Street, where a new traffic signal would be installed.
Critics such as Pacifica Restaurant owner Christopher Graves are concerned about the cul-de-sac taking away roughly 17 public parking spots on 40th and Pacific. Glover reached out to 10 On Your Side last week after seeing a letter from Hansen to City Council that claimed he was in support of the project. Hansen eventually acknowledged the project was still in negotiations.
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Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the project had been denied. The resolution to block the project, proposed by council members Moss and Abbott, was denied. The project continues to move forward.