The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH - His vision for the resort city has sparked controversy; his approach has ruffled feathers. Some say Bruce Thompson makes the Oceanfront a better place, while others scorn his development plans.
As Neptune King, the ceremonial leader of the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival, Thompson is in his element.
“This is not a Mardi Gras King role,” said Thompson, who is chief executive officer of Gold Key/PHR Hotels & Resorts.
On Saturday, Thompson will be in his king role as the 37th annual Virginia Beach Neptune Festival kicks off its 2010 season of events with the seventh annual International Spring Wine Festival. The event will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at Neptune’s Park, 31st Street at the Oceanfront. More than 75 wines from around the world will be featured.
Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the event. Click here for more information.
A former Triton, or member of the king’s court, Thompson knows what to expect in the coming months and isn’t taking his new appointment lightly. The 30-plus events that he is required to attend as the good-will ambassador of the city will have him meeting and greeting people of all ages and backgrounds.
“We look for someone who understands the spirit of the festival,” said Nancy Creech, president.
Each year a selection committee names a king – a leader in the community, usually a local businessman. Creech and John Malbon, chairman of the festival board, break the news.
Thompson had to agree to meet with them. He said he thought they wanted to ask for an increase in his company’s annual contribution to the festival. Gold Key supports numerous charities.
“I put them off three times,” he said.
Finally, he sat down with them, and they presented him with a small box that contained a wine stopper that looked like a king’s ruby crown.
He told them, “I’m glad I didn’t keep running you off,” and “Are you sure?”
Thompson is a self-reflective sort of guy. He’s well aware that all that is gold does not glitter. Mistakes he made in the past fire up some people. He was concerned that the Neptune Festival was taking a risk.
“I was surprised,” said Thompson. “I might be a lightning rod for controversy just for being selected as king.” Creech disagreed.
“He was very qualified,” she said. “We feel like the things that he does for this community make him very viable as king.”
Thompson is a Virginia Beach native who grew up working on his family’s hog farm off Holland Road. For a short time, he had plans to become a priest.
His interests turned to resort development. In 1986, he and business partner, Edmund Ruffin, built a hotel. In the 1990s, they built and managed timeshares. By 2004, they were in the throngs of a public-private partnership with the city to build the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront at 31st Street.
Now, he is ironing out details for a proposed $60 million development of apartments, retail shopping and outdoor cafes at the eastern end of Laskin Road. Underground utility work in the area is underway .
His drive to develop Virginia Beach took a back seat a few years ago when his son, Josh, was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Thompson slowed down what he described as his “fast-paced effort to get ahead” and focused on his family. He and his son’s friends organized J.T.’s Walk and Beach Party, which raised a record amount for ALS research.
“It had a profound effect on me in a lot of ways,” said Thompson.
The second event helped raise funds to build J.T.’s Grommet Island, a park designed for people with disabilities that was inspired by Josh’s struggle. Set to open May 22, it is under construction between 1st and 2nd streets. One of the Tritons’ goals for this year’s Neptune Festival is to create an endowment for the park. Josh Thompson was named an honorary Triton.
Thompson and members of his royal court will attend Saturday's wine festival. This year’s festival events culminate with the signature Boardwalk Weekend in September. Plans are underway to expand the sandsculpting competition and add a fall wine festival dinner. Each year, King Neptune is asked to look the part by growing a beard.
“This is the worst part of the job,” said Thompson, who is working on his third beard .
The first attempt didn’t work out so he shaved it off. He said he was concerned about how gray the second one was, and after an unfortunate incident with “toner,” and being likened to Santa Claus, he shaved that one off, too.
Stacy Parker is a freelance writer who covers the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach for the Beacon section of The Virginian-Pilot.
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lets not forget
That he is funding a park for the disabled at the south end of the beach.
That he is the largest single fundraiser for ALS research.
Not a Great or Even Good Choice
Although the resort area is supposedly driving the pump that keeps this balloon of a city inflated, other areas have been neglected for the sole purpose of pushing goldkey initiatives forward for the benefit of a few. If we are all reaping such a huge tax benefit from all the developments at the strip, then parking throughout the resort area would be free for CoVB residents - period. It is the least the CoVB could do for us wee-simple minded dumb masses. What might be the occupancy rates of the vertical caves blocking sun from the beach during the time from October through April - 16%? Cannot be much more and the locals still patronize the area. What class of people patronize the resort area during major events such as the ECSC, monster trucks and music events - gosh, again it is the dumb masses. With current and past councils favoring gold-plated developers, the CoVB has morphed from a quiet coastal family-based community into one with two distinct classes of folks - the dumb masses that have soot stained ears from smoke being blown upward from below and the gold-plated few looking way down from above.
could not be more wrong
Thompson is a lightning rod and always will be.
But there is no denying that he has done more than any other private individual to improve the oceanfront area.
Everyone focuses on 31st Street (which is very nice, highly successful and even has a park!). But his other developments along the resort strip are all top quality.
Without someone being the first to take a risk with high quality development, we will be doomed to T-shirt shops forever.
Other Initiatives at Resort Area With Greater Payback
Comments noted, but a progressive and inviting resort area does not live or die on the extent of concrete and asphalt build-out. Establish the First Street Recreation and Surf Park now and today, without commercial intrusion of any sort. Now THAT would be a RISK the CoVB could truly be proud of. The hellion's initiative to establish a beach-side mini park for those with access disabilities is admirable, but what next, another grand concrete phallus? Not. No risk there, just more of the same. Nothing say sameness more than a solid wall of hotels and condos lying empty many months of the year while the temps hover in the 40's. At least the candidate for this year's end of year event is allowing his man-hair to grow thus freeing his inner-self to emerge. If we were not meant to have it, we'd all be women. Man-up CoVB and make the entire Rudee Loop area a multi-purpose vegetated park for the benefit of all locally and across the region. To allow any single person of elite group to control the last possible site for restricted use development borders on the criminal, but hey, does anyone here really care-it is the CoVB.
Maybe you are more wrong
Bruce has done somethings to improve the beach front. However, he has done more for himself. You seem to think that Bruce really cares about VB. Not really the case. He likes his money and his clout. He gets his way with the city in almost all matters. 31st project is just one example. If memory is correct the current hotel plans were just a little taller than permitted. So he had the city change the height restructions to accommodate his building plans. Also if I am correct the hotel was to be a Marriott Hotel. At least that is what he said it was going to be to get the (high) end hotel pushed through city council.
Also the park was pretty much just given to Bruce to push his agenda. Must be nice to have the city give you the park and all you need to do is plant flowers and clean it up.
Who is really the winner on this deal. VB or Bruce?
Give the King his due
Bruce Thompson may have sparked some controversy, but no one can deny his commitment and his passion for quality in general, and specifically for his own properties at the Oceanfront. Even in his early volunteer work in the 1980's on the Resort Area Advisory Commission, he helped create the first strategic plan for resort development and he was a strong advocate for investment in the industry, both for the public infrastructure that had badly deteriorated, and for private investment by resort operators. But he put his money where his mouth was, and his resort projects helped spur an incredible revitalization of an industry that was moribund and in danger of becoming a liability instead of an asset. Because of his leadership, there is hope and justifiable pride for many citizens as they enjoy a day at the Beach, and for taxpayers who enjoy the benefits of a revitalized resort industry that keep our tax rates so low.