The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
The City Council said Tuesday it's interested in a private proposal to build an indoor sky diving center on city land as part of an Oceanfront development project.
The Breeden Co. Inc., is pitching the sky diving simulator, an apartment complex and a parking garage on two acres the city now uses for a public parking lot on 25th Street.
This is the company's second try at building the sky diving facility. Neighbors and city officials shot down a proposal last summer to build it off Laskin Road.
The possible public-private partnership is still conceptual and financial details, including the city's contribution, have not been worked out, city and Breeden officials said. The interest expressed by council members on Tuesday means the city and the developer will start working on the terms of a potential deal.
Developer Torrey Breeden estimated the project would cost $40 million and said, "It's our goal to have no public money go into it."
Barry Frankenfield, the city's Strategic Growth Area Office director, told the City Council if the project moves forward, it's likely the city would give the land to the developer. The land is valued at $5.8 million, he said.
The project is attractive to some council members because it would add more parking to the resort area. The plan calls for a 600-space parking garage. At least 440 of those spaces would be public, Frankenfield said. The existing parking lot has 244 spaces.
"We all know parking is the key to development of that area," said Councilman John Uhrin, who represents the resort strip.
The sky diving part of the project would be a franchise of a chain called iFly, which has wind tunnels in places such as Orlando, Fla., Seattle and San Francisco, Breeden said. Wind tunnels use giant fans to create winds strong enough to keep people suspended above a mesh net. A standard two-minute "flight" would cost $60. The proposed wind tunnel would be 14 feet wide and 50 feet tall and would be enclosed in a 60-foot-tall building.
The Breedens are pursuing the project with Robert Pizzini, a retired Navy explosive ordnance disposal officer and sky-diver. Part of the business plan is to attract military contracts for sky diving training, he said.
The project hinges on proposed adjustments to city zoning rules. Mayor Will Sessoms said he'd like to see those changes "expedited" to accommodate what could be a multimillion-dollar investment in the resort area.
Aaron Applegate, 757-222-5122,aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
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Go I-FLY yourself
Why must some people in this city be so scared of progress and development? A project like the one proposed can only help to make the Oceanfront area a more interesting, virvrant, and viable place for people to live and enjoy. We gain reasonably affordable housing by a local and respected developer, centralized parking, a new world class tourist attraction, and more taxable revenue for the city. All in exchange for a weedy parking lot. What's the problem with that?
Again with the Public - Private partnership??
The only part the city should have in this is, collecting the real estate taxes and sending the mayor to the ribbon cutting.
Can somebody in accounting please tell the administration there is an $80 million shortage!!
Again with the Public - Private partnership??
The only part the city should have in this is, collecting the real estate taxes and sending the mayor to the ribbon cutting.
Can somebody in accounting please tell the administration there is an $80 million shortage!!
More lame apartments and condos, parking garage only as a park
It is a sad statement when a coastal city believes more condos and apartments are the best use for city owned properties in proximity to valued sands and sun. Going from flat land parking to a parking garage is only necessary when the entire top deck is designed and constructed to emulate a vegetated park for use by all throughout the year. All current bare top deck concrete parking garages must undergo a transformation now and today in the same manner for the same end result - more coastal park lands and less insults of concrete and asphalt. True and valued coastal venues embrace the coastal park approach to drawing tourists and locals alike. Endless assaults of condos, hotels and apartments are an absolute insult to the sands, sun and sea!
Tax The land
I say give them the land and tax them on the 5.8 million value. It might be nice as a taxpayer to own that property but it isn't reducing my taxes unless it is in the hands of private owners. Plus the entertainment and sales taxes should help too!
Some facts for the uninformed
I read a 2009 report (parkingReportRogerNewill.pdf) that decribed the overall capital value of the parking lots and garages at $146 million, and the total annual revenue of the entire $322 million parking system at a paltry $2.2 million (less than a 1% return).
A windtunnel can generate a lot of taxable revenue all year and in a very compact space. Our local military spends tens of thousands of dollars at out of state windtunnels for training quarterly.
A five story parking garage costs $8-10 million dollars, and apparently would not generate all that much revenue in this area due to the off season. If a developer purchased this land at $5.8 million dollars, why would they create a publicly accessible garage at such a loss?
Skydiving?
Are you kidding me?How about putting money towards a new animal shelter;food pantry;facilities for the homeless.What a waste of our money.How did we ever elect these incompetent people.By not going out and voting,people;by not knowing the issues if you do vote.Personally I am disgusted with all of these politicians.I am also surprised at Mr.Breedens support.
Seriously?
Look, as much as I hate to say it VB is going to need to muster all of the big attractions it can while it can. Once those tolls go into place at the tunnels you are going to see less and less business from the other side of the water (which also connects to I-95)
parking questins
something dosnt seem right with the parking. ^00 spaces with 440 open to the public. That leave 160 for retail, condos, attraction. Those are usually comped. Look at the garage at 31st, a lot of the building is set aside for primo parking for the retail shops and the hotel. The tourist and residents will lose out. Oh and if the city gives the land, then they should get the parking revenues.
iFly
This past Thanksgiving, my family and I flew in iFly Seattle, and I had the opportunity to speak with the owner. It has been so successful he is scouting for a second operation. It's not $60 for just 2 minutes because the whole experience is about 30 minutes. Not much different from parasailing since most of that time is watching others - it's a very successful model.
IFly VA Beach would add a unique entertainment component to the oceanfront mix. With apartments and a parking garage, it is much better use of the property than a parking lot. If all the naysayers and NIMBYS had their way, VA Beach would still be a sleepy little coastal town rather than one of the best places to live in the country!