The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Plans to develop on the old Duck-In site – vacant since the once-popular seafood restaurant closed in 2005 – are changing.
The restaurant was demolished a few months after it closed, although the gazebo remains.
Local developers purchased the property in 2004 and proposed building Point Chesapeake, a $100 million condominium complex. Plans for the development consisted of 158 condos, ranging in size from 2,000 to 4,000 square feet, which would be housed in several buildings eight to 10 stories high.
But, the project stalled after the housing market hit a downturn. For the past several years the developers – Terry Peterson Cos. in Virginia Beach and Napolitano Homes – have sat on plans to develop the property.
“We knew they were going to be more expensive than what the public was going to pay,” said Tuck Bowie, president of Terry Peterson Cos.
Earlier this year, the developers submitted paperwork to redo the site.
“They’re working to amend their plans,” said Karen Lasley, zoning administrator with the city’s Planning Department. “They had something approved, and they’re talking about changing it since the economy’s changed.”
Bowie said the new proposed project is scaled back. The plan calls for fewer units and smaller buildings that are four stories high.
“We’re getting it more in line with where the market is today,” Bowie said.
The city just received $85 million in state funding to pay for the replacement of the Lesner Bridge. The aging bridge, which borders the Shore Drive property, has some technical issues associated with the new bridge design that have to be resolved before Bowie will know exactly what the finalized condo plan will look like.
Once the technical issues with the bridge design are resolved, Bowie said, he will file for a new conditional-use permit for the updated project. If the project is accepted by the city, construction would not begin until after the completion of the Lesner Bridge’s new westbound lanes, unless the housing market quickly rebounds.
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No Need to Bash the Developer
Terry Peterson did everything right with this development, including waiting for the market to shake out before building product that doesn't fit the market. These guys should be commended for not building another uber high end condo project that doesn't fit market realities, only to see it fall into foreclosure (ala the Willouby Spit condos) or firesale auction status (ala the Sandbridge condos).
I miss The Duck Inn. I wish
I miss The Duck Inn. I wish they would rebuild the restaurant. I was heartbroken when i learned the building was going to be demolished. I remember dining there for the very last time and my eyes welled up when the check came. So much History now gone.
Fed up with this
That side of the bridge is a great fishing area!
Prior to Duck in being sold, the public was informed we could still park and fish there. Even when Duck Inn was still open for business, we were afforded places to park.
Now? No chance! The condos before it have special parking signs...and we can't get into the area unless we 'trespass'.
A great fishing area
A great fishing area indeed.
The only place I know where you can consistently yank stripers in a 35mph + northeast wind. You and nobody but the fish.
A better idea
A better idea would have been to keep the Duck Inn open until they were actually ready to build the condos. The owners of the property certainly would have made more money that way. Besides, this area has more than enough condos.
psstt....
Napolitano Homes + Pembroke Enterprises= 'family run business'... yeah, at least they keep THEIR businesses 'all in the family'.. but they surely do enjoy knocking down 'other' families.. such as the Duck Inn and the Shell station on Independence...
awesome
They got rid of one of the best casual seafood restaurants and locals' hangouts in the North End for this. Still bugs me to this day. What a waste.
The Duck End "FAMILY"
The Duck End "FAMILY" decided to get rid of the Restaurant!!!
Get your facts straight!
whoa
Uhm, why are you yelling at me? It was just an observation. I wasn't asserting some sort of statement that needed to be analyzed. Also, it's "Duck-In,"not "Duck End." Maybe you should get your facts straight? Maybe work on your grammar a little too.
Valuable Bayfront land
What buggs me about this project is the fact that their are no public park areas withing miles of the bay front area near the Lesner Bridge (Hope I spelled the name of the bridge correctly)....it is all Private Development north to Fort Story and as you go west the closest public park area is a rather small public use area at Chicks Beach,,,This chunk of land should have been made into a Public Use Park Area, I would speculate that the Condo's built on this land will (Because of changes) be rather cheaply built "Wall Front" type condos, that will become quickly aged and have a blighted look after about 15 or 20 years..like simular four story construction built at "Chimney Hill"...all of this could have been avoided by building a park area.