Construction work on the project is on target to get underway this summer, for an anticipated spring 2005 completion date. When all is said and done, the top-of-the-line luxury hotel will be 22 stories tall; hovering 200 feet above the beach.
The property will offer the requisite amenities of a four-star hotel, such as a restaurant, a swimming pool, and a health club facility. There will also be a retail shopping area on the premises. As for the city's involvement, Virginia Beach is charged with acquiring the land and building an 800-space parking garage on a $20 million budget.
Getting to this point in the hotel's development has taken nearly six years. In addition to disputes over land, the project was also plagued by a great deal of public opposition. Many area citizens protested the towering height of the hotel. The original proposal called for a 250-ft edifice; not the 200-ft building that made it into the final plan.
Height aside, other residents objected to building any hotel at all on the space. A 2000 voter referendum indicated that 57% of voters preferred to develop a public park on the grounds. But now that the Hilton has overcome all obstacles, the entire city is expected to benefit from added jobs and an economic boost that conference center attendees will bring to the area.
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