Virginia Beach presents draft ITA master plan proposing sports‑tourism expansion, flex industrial sites and large stormwater park

Kathy Warren, planning director for the City of Virginia Beach, opened a public briefing on a draft master plan for the Innovation/ITA study area and said the presentation was intended to gather public input before the City Council decides whether to pursue the concept.

The draft, presented by Clay Dils of Dils Architects, lays out a 10‑ and 25‑year vision that seeks to integrate three primary land uses in the ITA: sports tourism (expanded tournament fields and a multiuse stadium), light/flex industrial buildings, and natural/agricultural recreation anchored by a large stormwater park. Dils said the objective is to guide city investment while protecting mature woodlands and adhering to Navy compatibility overlays.

Dils described a series of sports tourism investments that would include an 11‑field tournament complex, additional turf fields and a multiuse championship stadium alongside BMX and mountain‑bike facilities; the team showed concept graphics tying fields to trails and a hotel sited outside restricted areas to capture overnight visitors. "The first of which is develop a strategic 10 year and 25 year master plan," Dils said, framing the briefing as feedback‑seeking rather than a final proposal.

The consultant analysis presented at the briefing included cost and economic impact numbers for the sports components: Dils cited figures of about $44.5 million for the tournament complex and roughly $12.5 million for the stadium, and summarized consultant projections of more than 100,000 annual hotel room nights, roughly $3.2 million in annual tax revenue and about 1,340 sustained jobs generated by the sports elements. Dils also described absorption estimates for light/flex industrial across the city and the ITA specifically (for example, consultants estimated about 54 acres for the ITA in 10 years and about 175 acres in 25 years).

Residents pressed the presenters on those economic projections. One resident questioned the tax estimates, pointing to an existing industrial park of roughly 96 acres that currently yields about $291,000 in real‑estate tax receipts and asking how an 85‑acre phase could produce about $1.2 million in taxes. The resident said: "So if you're getting an improvement on 91,000 of the existing industries... how do you expect $1,100,000 tax revenue for this space? I'm confused." Dils responded that the presentation drew on direct‑tax calculations from the consultant tables and offered to post the underlying studies and tables online for closer review.

On environmental and design questions, presenters said most large stands of trees shown in the renderings are existing and staff intend to preserve wooded buffers where feasible; stormwater constraints were emphasized as a driver of where development is feasible, with presenters noting that in parts of the study area 25–40% of a parcel could be dedicated to stormwater facilities. Dils described the stormwater park as both a runoff management strategy and a potential national/regional cross‑country venue.

Staff outlined next steps and opportunities for comment: materials and the economic analyses will be posted online (a QR code was provided), the slide set will be posted the next day, and briefings were scheduled with advisory bodies including the parks and recreation commission, the ITA citizens advisory committee, the Virginia Beach Development Authority and the planning commission. Warren reiterated that the public comment period is anticipated to close May 31 so staff can compile feedback to bring to Council.

The presentation ended with staff inviting attendees to discuss details at breakout stations so that questions and suggestions can be recorded in writing; no formal votes or decisions were taken at the briefing.