The City of Virginia Beach held a WEBINAR on November 18, 2020 to update our residents and business and property owners on 17th Street/Virginia Beach Boulevard regarding the 17th Street Capital Improvement Projects (Phase I and Phase II). The webinar was an opportunity for the public to provide feedback on the projects. Representatives from the Planning and Public Works Departments gave a presentation about the projects and the anticipated construction timelines.

If you were unable to attend the live webinar, its not too late! You can view the WEBINAR PRESENTATION or the RECORDED WEBINAR here. 

17th Street Improvements Background

Rehabilitation of the 17th Street corridor is a critical component in the success of the Central Beach Entertainment District development and has been identified as a need in the Resort Area Strategic Action Plan (RASAP 2008 and 2030). Following the establishment of the ViBe Creative District in 2015, a Connectivity Plan was completed, further refining the vision for 17th Street corridor through the ViBe Creative District. The corridor serves as one of several vehicular priority streets providing a direct connection and gateway to the oceanfront from all points west. This project will facilitate the redevelopment of local businesses and make the area more accessible and attractive for future redevelopment.

A series of planning workshops have been held by the Strategic Growth Areas Office with 17th Street landowners, known as 17th Street Gateway Association, Inc., to better identify and understand the issues and potential opportunities in the corridor. Discussion topics and outcomes from the workshop series can be found in the 17th St Planning Workshops Summaries.

17th Street corridor improvements from Pacific Avenue and Birdneck Road will be implemented in two phases: Phase I from Pacific to Cypress and Phase II from Birdneck Road to Cypress Avenue.

Phase I - Pacific Avenue to Cypress Avenue

Capital improvement funding was made available in FY 2016-17 CIP budget for preliminary design (see CIP 9.020.017/100459) and additional funding was adopted in the FY 2019-20 CIP budget for design and construction (CIP 9-039/100001). This project will provide essential corridor connectivity and improved aesthetics through the implementation of an 80-foot typical section consisting of wide sidewalks, street trees, bicycle lanes, traffic signals, curb and gutter, four lanes of traffic, and utility and accessibility upgrades. Design alternatives for Phase I Improvements have been identified under the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) to help develop the scope of the project improvements.

Full construction design is underway with construction beginning as early as October 2023.

Phase II - Cypress Avenue to Birdneck Road

Design funding for Phase II from Cypress Avenue to Birdneck Road was adopted in the FY 2019-20 CIP budget (CIP 9-063/100002) to determine the full scope and cost of the improvements needed. A preliminary engineering study for Phase II is currently underway.