Rudee Park

The Rudee Park project is currently in the Master Planning phase. Public input in 2022 revealed a shared vision among Virginia Beach residents for the Rudee Loop site to become a public open space, marking the start of the vision for Rudee Park. 

Now, we’re working to refine that vision by identifying the specific features the community wants to see. To do this, we’re engaging with Virginia Beach residents and stakeholders to gather their ideas and aspirations for the park.

In 2022, more than 4,000 Virginia Beach residents shared their wants for how to re-envision Rudee Loop as a public park. Hotel, resort, and residential developments were among the lowest priorities. Open public space was ranked the highest. 

This project is guided by what the community envisions—public access and open space, recreation, resiliency, essential amenities and FUN! The City is committed to a transparent, community-driven process ensuring that the design options reflect residents' priorities. 

We will rigorously evaluate and refine concepts to align with project goals, budget, and site realities, ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested in a way that fulfills the vision of Virginia Beach residents.

Connecting the community and visitors to the ocean, inlet, and park spaces is at the heart of our vision. Our team is focused on designing access points highlighting these natural features while integrating advanced coastal and marine planning. 

The City’s approach is about creating a lasting human connection to this space where people can experience and celebrate both the natural beauty and culture of the site. This means designing flexible spaces for recreation and events that everyone can enjoy, as well as resilient infrastructure that protects and endures over time.

The City understands that the site is an oceanfront peninsula, and that rising sea levels and storms are a threat to the area. Integrating resiliency into all aspects of the design for the overall site is a top priority to ensure the success and long term durability of the park.

Follow the City’s social media accounts, and sign up for occasional email updates.

In May 2024 the City Council adopted the revised FY2024-25 Budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) on May 14, which includes $60 million supported by the Tourism Investment Program (TIP) Fund for Rudee Loop Park development.

Yes, we expect there will be impacts to future beach events; however, at this early stage of conceptual design for the future Rudee Park, specific impacts are not known at this time. 

We are working with stakeholders including the city departments who manage beach events and event promoters themselves to gather their input for consideration during the design process. Specific impacts will be identified as the project progresses and we will work with our stakeholders to minimize disruption and/or accommodate events in some other fashion. 

Please stayed tuned on this webpage and also sign up to receive occasional email updates on the project by subscribing to the email list.

Yes, there will be parking at the future Rudee Park. Conceptual park design options will be developed based on community input. These conceptual options will include combinations of surface parking lots and structured parking for the public to evaluate during the first quarter of 2025. 

The public engagements for 2025 have not been determined yet. Please stayed tuned on this webpage and also sign up to receive occasional email updates on the project by subscribing to the email list.

We anticipate the future Rudee Park to open during 2028; however, we are very early in the design stage of the project and the opening could change based on how the project develops.

Currently, we are actively working with residents and stakeholders to gather the public’s input on their vision for the future park. After a preferred master plan vision is selected, then the design team will develop construction plans and documents to build the park.

The City will select a qualified contractor to build the park through a public, competitive solicitation process during which the final schedule will be determined. 

Please stayed tuned on this webpage and also sign up to receive occasional email updates on the project by subscribing to the email list.

February 2025

• Three public meetings will be held to share and receive feedback on three design concepts:
  • Feb. 10, 6-7:30 p.m., Green Run High School, 1700 Dahlia Drive
  • Feb. 11, 6-7:30 p.m., Cox High School, 2425 Shorehaven Drive
  • Feb. 12, 6-7:30 p.m., Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th St.

December 2024

• The Rudee Park design team hosted three public engagement sessions to gather valuable input from Virginia Beach residents. Following the sessions, an online survey was open from Dec. 13 to Jan. 10. The sessions and survey were an opportunity for the community to voice their ideas and priorities, helping to shape the park into a space that reflects the collective vision of residents across Virginia Beach.

September 2024

• On Sept. 10, 2024, Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation provided a presentation on Rudee Loop with the project’s selected design team. The design team is comprised of Dills/SCAPE/EDSA and an additional team of subconsultants. 
• The presentation provided an informational briefing on the relative experience of the selected design consultant team along with providing a timeline and next steps for the delivery of the Rudee Loop Park project. A replay of the meeting is available on the City's YouTube channel.

Proposed Timeline

• September 2024: Field investigation, engagement plan & materials; begin stakeholder meetings.
• October 2024: Design workshop, community & event meetings.
• Nov - Dec 2024: Public & stakeholder input.
• Jan - Feb 2025: Public meetings & input; refined design options.
• March 2025: Community meetings, refine final workshop design.
• April 2025: Public input & presentation, final documentation.

At this time City Council has not made any final decisions or approvals on the project.

May 2024

• The City Council adopted the revised FY2024-25 Budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) on May 14, which includes $60 million supported by the Tourism Investment Program (TIP) Fund for Rudee Loop Park development.

March 2024

• The city manager’s proposed FY24-25 budget presented to City Council on March 19 included $60 million supported by the Tourism Investment Program (TIP) Fund for the Rudee Loop Park Development. Learn more about the proposed budget or provide comments on the proposed budget through April 24, 2024.

February 2024

• A Request for Qualifications was released Jan. 4, 2024, and closed Feb. 23, 2024, for solicitation of a consultant team with qualified national or international experience developing iconic park spaces. The selection review committee is currently reviewing, scoring and selecting the top three firms for interviews.
  

November 2023

• At its Nov. 14 meeting, City Council adopted an ordinance establishing Capital Project #100667 and transferred $4 million from the Tourism Investment Program (TIP) Fund as Pay-As-You-Go funding for the procurement of design services.

October 2023

• Michael Kirschman, director of the City of Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation, presented a recommendation for a Request for Qualifications, or RFQ, procurement action at the Oct. 17, City Council Briefing. T
• he City Council requested that a resolution be brought forward to advance the RFQ, which would establish a pool of qualified bidders. Once the resolution is written and sent to City Council, it will be open for public comment, then Council will vote on it.

September 2023

• Following a status briefing from Planning Director Kathy Warren on Aug. 15, 2023, and discussion at the Retreat, City Council directed staff to cancel the Request for Information and Ideas (RFII) and asked the city manager to develop a recommendation for a Request for Qualifications procurement action. 

• This would identify and hire an established park design consultant team to assist with moving the project forward. A timeline for that process is currently being developed.

March 28, 2023

• City Staff and WPA briefed City Council on the results of the community engagement. City Council requested that a workshop be scheduled in late summer of 2023 to discuss funding/operational models, such as a conservancy.

August

• City Council was briefed on Aug. 16 on the four proposals submitted:
  • Bruce Smith Enterprise, Madison Marquette Development Team and Armada Hoffler.
  • Gold Key | PHR: Option 1 and Option 2 (Option 2 includes property not owned by the City).
  • The Virginia Gentlemen Foundation and EDSA: Option 1 and Option 2.
  • Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation.

• City Council requested that residents be provided an opportunity to provide their comments and input on the proposals. City staff partnered with Work Program Architects (WPA) and conducted community outreach that included the following opportunities for the public to participate:
  • SpeakUpVB.com survey – “Reimagining Rudee Loop” – was open Nov. 21, 2022, through Jan. 29, 2023, for residents to review the amenities of each proposal and select their favorite. They were also able to comment on what they would like to see, and what they don’t want to see, in Rudee Loop. Over 16,900 people viewed the survey and 4,269 people participated, providing over 12,404 comments. The questions and public responses can be viewed at SpeakUpVB.com/RudeeLoop.
  • City Departments, community groups, businesses and business/trade associations met one-on-one with WPA to provide input on behalf of their organization.
  • Two Open House events: the first, from early morning to early afternoon onsite at Rudee Loop on Jan. 27, 2023, and the other in the evening at the Kempsville Recreation Center on Jan. 31, 2023.

May

• The City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Beach Development Authority issued a Request for Information and Ideas, or RFFI, soliciting proposal on how the parcels owned by the City and VBDA might be developed.

• Virginia Beach residents identified green space as a top priority in the 2019 Resort Area Strategic Action Plan update.