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June 13, 2025


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What’s going on

  • The VBDA has a 25-year vision for Innovation Park — the large business/industrial area in Virginia Beach — to guide how the land will be used, developed and connected.¹
  • They note that only about 31 acres of developable land remain in the current Phase 1 of the park.²
  • Because of that, they’re proposing future phases (Phase 2 & Phase 3) to expand the park to keep Virginia Beach competitive for business investment.³

Key numbers & land-use plan

Here’s how the land is planned to be distributed:


  • Phase 1 (existing): ~31 ± acres.²
  • Phase 2 (next expansion): ~68 ± acres.³
  • Phase 3 (future, larger expansion): ~298 ± acres.³
  • In addition: ~25 ± acres set aside for “passive recreation” (open space), and ~100 ± acres for “preservation” (agricultural/environmental uses).⁴

What this means for the community (and your taxes)

  • With Phase 2 + Phase 3 fully developed, the projected assessed value of new property is about $355.7 million.⁵
  • That level of value would generate estimated annual property tax revenue of around $3.45 million.⁵
  • It also shows estimated job creation: about 741 jobs in Phase 2 and 3,245 jobs in Phase 3.⁶
  • These jobs and valuations help support local tax revenue (and can reduce pressure on residential taxpayers) because more businesses mean more contribution to the tax base.

Infrastructure & site-challenges

  • The plan acknowledges there are soil/ground issues (poor soils) and significant stormwater/wetland concerns. These influence where buildings go, where storm-ponds must sit, and how the land is laid out.⁷
  • To reduce future costs and make the site more “ready” for business, the plan proposes extending roads (like Landstown Road) and building infrastructure in a way that limits extra expenses later on.⁸

Investment attractiveness & deal-example

  • One highlight: a business expansion deal in the Park (for the company Acoustical Sheetmetal Company) is presented as a deal-term sheet. They proposed acquiring ~21 acres, making $45 million+ of investment, creating 350+ new jobs.⁹
  • That deal includes special terms: city/authority will help clear trees and remove “spoil” dirt (extra cost) in exchange for the business committing to investment and job creation.¹⁰
  • This shows how the Authority is willing to invest up-front (in infrastructure, clearing and readiness) in exchange for business commitments — a foster-business model to strengthen tax base.

Taxpayer implications & what to watch

Pros:


  • If successful, more non‐residential development means more jobs, more business property tax revenue, and less burden on homeowners.
  • The plan sets aside recreation/preservation acreage, so it balances business growth with open space.
  • Infrastructure plans aim to reduce future “surprise” costs for the city by planning ahead.

Risks / What to watch:


  • The large projections assume the business community will take the land and invest — if they don’t, the value and revenue may lag.
  • Infrastructure and readiness (roads, stormwater, soils) cost money; if costs overrun or business uptake is slow, the city could end up having to pick up costs or face delays.
  • The use of incentives (clearing trees, removing dirt, offering land at favorable price) means the city is “subsidizing” land readiness — taxpayers should ask: are these fair deals, and will they pay off?
  • Since only ~31 acres remain currently, timing is critical. Delays could reduce momentum and lead to loss of opportunity.

The takeaway for a taxpayer like you

This master plan is the city/authority’s strategic “road-map” for how to make the Innovation Park a strong business corridor. It’s not just about more buildings—it’s about jobs, tax revenue, and maximizing land value while balancing environmental/open space obligations. For you as a taxpayer, the big question is: Will this plan deliver real value (jobs + tax base) for the investment (infrastructure + incentives)? If yes, it helps your tax burden stay manageable and improves community prosperity. If no, you could be left with expensive infrastructure and idle land.

Footnotes

  1. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — Vision & Purpose Slide
  2. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — Phase 1 Land Remaining Slide
  3. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — Phases 2 & 3 Land Use Map
  4. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — Recreation & Preservation Acreage
  5. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — Estimated Property Value & Tax Revenue
  6. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — Job Creation Estimates
  7. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — Soil & Stormwater Constraints
  8. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — Infrastructure Extension Strategy
  9. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — ASC Term Sheet (Acoustical Sheetmetal Company)
  10. Source: VBDA Presentation, June 2025 — Incentives & Site Preparation Terms


Published October 2025

Due By November 21, 2025




Citizen Briefing: What the VB National Golf Club RFP Really Means — and Why It Deserves a Hard Look

The City of Virginia Beach has quietly released a Request for Proposals (RFP #ED-25-04) for the sale or long-term lease of roughly 350 acres at the Virginia Beach National Golf Club — one of the largest remaining open-space assets in the southern part of the city.


On paper, it looks like a routine solicitation.


The current leaseholder feels differently:


"The City of Virginia Beach has published a request for proposals to sell the land where Virginia Beach National Golf Club sits to a developer in hopes to replace it at least in part with residential development.

The Virginia Beach National (formerly Tournament Players Club (TPC) of Virginia Beach) is a championship, eighteen (18) hole, 7,432-yard course designed by Pete Dye for both tournament and public play.

We believe the city must maintain control of this land to protect the quality of life in Virginia Beach and maintain its focus on sports tourism, especially in this part of the city."


Facebook Post


Request for Proposal



1. What the City Is Asking For

The RFP invites private developers to propose:


  • A purchase or lease of the 350-acre property
  • A plan that keeps an 18-hole golf course, but does not define how much land must remain golf
  • Additional uses such as “compatible development,” subject to zoning
  • A concept plan including stormwater, traffic access, and land use
In short: “Keep golf… but tell us what else you want to build.”

That opens a wide door to other development types.

2. Why This Land Matters

This site is not a random tract of dirt:


  • It sits inside the Transition Area and ITA (Interfacility Traffic Area)
  • Much of it is under 65–75 dB jet noise, limiting residential compatibility
  • The property serves as a major open-space buffer between suburban neighborhoods and rural communities
  • It is a key part of the City’s long-standing development strategy:
  • Growth north of the Green Line, conservation and low-impact use south of it


Citizens have spent 30+ years defending this balance.

This RFP touches that balance once again.


3. What Citizens Should Be Thinking About

You don’t have to be for or against development to appreciate the due-diligence questions below.

This is the kind of risk assessment a business owner, not a bureaucrat, would ask.

A. Density & Compatibility

  • Can residential homes be built responsibly inside jet-noise zones where the Master Jet Base requires 1 dwelling per 15 acres?
  • Does residential development here increase the City’s long-term liability for noise complaints or land-use conflicts?

B. Infrastructure Burden

  • Who pays for expanded roads, stormwater upgrades, and public-safety coverage?
  • If taxpayers end up subsidizing infrastructure for a private development, is the return-on-investment meaningful?

C. Loss of Open Space

  • The golf course currently acts as one of the few large green buffers protecting nearby neighborhoods from density creep.
  • Once land is gone, you can’t un-develop it.

D. Strategic Precedent

  • Transition-Area decisions rarely happen in isolation.
If development is allowed here, does it set a precedent for other parcels south of the Green Line?

E. Transparency & Process

Healthy cities don’t make big land-use decisions in the dark.

Taxpayers deserve to know:


  • Did discussions began privately with one or more developers?
  • Why the public is only now seeing the RFP
  • Whether a developer was given early access or influence
  • Whether the RFP is being used to “retrofit” a pre-baked development idea

4. Why This Matters Now

The RFP deadline is November 21, 2025 — only weeks away.

That is not much time for the public to digest a potential generational change to the landscape of the Transition Area.

Citizens deserve the opportunity to:


  • See the proposals
  • Understand what’s being asked
  • Evaluate taxpayer risk vs. reward
  • Make their voices heard before decisions become irreversible


This isn’t anti-growth.

It’s pro-process and pro-transparency — the basics of responsible governance.

5. Final Thought for Residents

Every major development choice in Virginia Beach comes down to one simple question:

“Will this decision leave our city better off — financially, environmentally, and in terms of quality of life — 20 years from now?”

That’s the lens taxpayers should use here.