Recording producer and business mogul Pharrell Williams in conjunction with various companies is planning to open a new set of attractions at the Oceanfront throughout 2025. The first attraction set to open is the Wavegarden Cove wave machine.
According to the Wavegarden website, it will generate “waves for beginner and experienced surfers ranging between 1 to 6ft (0.3 to 1.8m).”
Developers are busy working on constructing The Wavegarden Cove’s 2.67 acre surf machine. Virginia Beach will be the first of many cities across the United States to have this state-of-the-art surfing technology.
The Wavegarden Cove surf park has been in development since 2017 and construction began between late 2022 and early 2023. The surf park is currently scheduled to open in the spring or summer of 2025.
Opinions are split on whether the project will be beneficial or harmful to the city of Virginia Beach.
“There are already such great tourist attractions [at the Oceanfront], the traffic would just get worse,” said junior Marriah Guzman. “There are already so many accidents from people having too much to drink or just being bad drivers.”
Concerns regarding the attractions’ location at the Oceanfront and the effect they may have on pre-existing housing have also been raised.
“We do not need any of this,” said Guzman. “If any of this would improve the living conditions and affordability of life there, then sure. [However], this does not. This greatly disappoints me and I wish our city planners would think of the people and situation of the people currently living there.”
On the flip side, junior Keeley Bolling is a fan of the new development.
“I honestly think that the new attractions will be a great addition to the Oceanfront,” said Bolling. “It’ll allow families to get together and have the community grow.”
The 350 million dollar project was spearheaded by local developer Venture Realty Group in addition to Williams. It will also include a 70,000-square-foot concert venue named, The Dome.
“I think that it sounds really cool honestly,” said sophomore Rosie Banks. “I think that the new attraction might bring in a wider variety of audiences.”
A predecessor of The Dome, The Virginia Beach Civic Center, also known as The Dome, was demolished in September 1994. The event center hosted acts such as Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and Ray Charles.
The new version of The Dome will be able to house 3,500 people with the possibility of expanding to 5,000 total guests, with the use of retractable hangar doors.
Additionally, “the Atlantic Park venue will also include new-to-market restaurants, experiential retail, residential and office space, as well as state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor entertainment facilities.”
For more information on the Atlantic Park projects, visit wavegarden.com, atlanticparkvb.com, or venturerealtygroup.com.
