The SGA Now
The Resort Area is generally bound by 42nd Street, the Atlantic Ocean, Rudee Inlet and Birdneck Road. Revitalization efforts have transformed the Resort Area into a major activity center, strengthened neighborhoods, and increased economic growth.
The Vision
The vision for the Resort Area is to create three distinct yet complementary districts at Laskin Gateway, Central Beach, and Rudee Marina. The area will be enhanced by extending the energy at the beach into these areas. This plan develops synergies between the cultural and commercial life, the recreational and natural life, and an overall focus on drawing residents and visitors into the area.
The Plan
The Resort Area Strategic Action Plan (RASAP) develops synergies between the cultural and commercial life, the recreational and natural life, and has an overall focus on drawing residents and visitors into the area.
Key Recommendations
19th Street/Central Beach District
- Pedestrian-scale, mixed-use entertainment district that connects the convention center with the heart of the beach.
- Development of the former Dome Site will provide an indoor activity counterpart to
the beach, and will generate activity inland that enlivens the transition from the Convention Center to the beach along the 19th Street Corridor.
- Introduce Light Rail Transit from Norfolk through Town Center to the Oceanfront via 19th Street. This corridor will be a prime location for multifamily housing, transit orientated development, retail, restaurants, and similar uses.
Marina District/South Beach
- Build on the area’s history and reorganize the area into a concentrated working waterfront for commercial activities and recreation. Create an opportunity for residents and visitors to observe boating activity from an extended boardwalk or an outdoor café along the water.
- Large scale mixed-use development at Rudee Loop to create a major anchor at the southern end of the beachfront.
- An enhanced boardwalk connection to the marinas and a public park will retain the waterfront edge for public access and encourage private development to move forward.
Laskin Gateway
- With direct access to the oceanfront, the Laskin Road district anchors the northern end of the coast to the Resort Area.
- Distinct from the other focus areas, Laskin Gateway is the Oceanfront Resort Area’s established location for high-end retail for tourists and locals alike.
- The plan envisions a corridor with a coordinated transportation and retail strategy that gets people out of their cars and on foot in a village-like setting.
- Development is sensitively scaled to the needs of adjacent neighborhoods, and mixes new residential opportunities with active street level retail uses that front on widened sidewalks to accommodate pedestrian traffic and outdoor dining.
Atlantic and Pacific AvenuesAtlantic and Pacific Avenues will connect these three districts noted above, with new development opportunities on the blocks between them and transit, bike, and pedestrian enhancements that improve the navigability and vibrancy of the corridors.
The Projects
The Development Process
Interested in developing in this SGA? Preapplication/predesign meetings are required for all new developments located within a Strategic Growth Area. (
See DSC Information Notice #173.) The purpose of this meeting is to address how the proposal complements the SGA Plan and critical issues associated with the proposed land use, site design, building design, supporting infrastructure needs, and any other concerns about the project. These preapplication/predesign meetings will also help identify expectations and assist in establishing lines of communication to help the project move through the land development and plan review processes smoothly. Please contact the area representative listed below for more information.