Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Buildings Cip topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Building CIP: city advances design funds for law‑enforcement training academy at ITA; council debate continues over site selection
Summary
Public Works senior architect presented the Building & Assets CIP and confirmed design funding for a proposed law‑enforcement training academy to be located at the Innovation/ITA site, including a $9M design allocation to evaluate utilities/roads; council members urged more review of alternative sites and asked for clarity on road/utility costs.
Daryl Henderson, senior architect in Public Works Facilities, reviewed the FY26–31 Building and Assets CIP and highlighted projects with modifications, including the law‑enforcement training academy, building maintenance programs, and one new project to address Sports Center maintenance.
Henderson said most projects in the buildings portfolio are existing initiatives; the law‑enforcement training academy (LETA) was discussed as a program moving forward with design funding. He said the council previously directed staff to pursue an ITA (Innovation/ITA) site and that the proposed design allocation includes evaluating site feasibility, roads and utility extensions and stormwater constraints. Henderson noted the design phase is intended to determine feasibility and to produce 30/60/90 percent design milestones that would allow council to assess full project costs and alternatives before committing construction funds.
Council members raised concerns about extending roads, water and sewer to the ITA site, soil and drainage conditions, and potential naval easements and wetlands on alternative parcels. Council member Barbara Henley asked whether the city has fully evaluated other possible sites; staff said prior briefings covered tradeoffs and that council had previously directed the ITA location but agreed to provide more detailed site evaluation results as design work proceeds. Council member Worth asked that the design scope explicitly include utility and road extension cost evaluation.
Henderson also described other building CIP items: convention center capital maintenance, judicial center modernization planning, continued work on Building 3 renovations, and a proposed new $7M Virginia Beach Sports Center maintenance project (TIP‑funded) to address HVAC, track and AV replacements. He noted long lead times and cost escalation challenges for vehicle replacements and building systems.
The council did not vote; members asked staff to include a clear site‑evaluation and cost‑estimation package in the future 30/60/90 design iterations before committing to construction appropriations for the academy.
