The arena was just a start for Virginia Beach. It has fueled a broader vision in which the 19th Street corridor becomes the city's engine for year-round tourism and a draw for large conventions.
City leaders see concertgoers from a new 18,000-seat arena dining and shopping at a redeveloped old Dome site, in the ViBE arts district and at the Old Beach Farmers Market. They see trade shows and national groups coming to the nearby convention center, with people staying at a connected headquarters hotel. They want a field house for sporting events that can help fill hotel rooms in the off-season.
And city officials think now is the time to strike. That’s because Virginia Beach’s $1.4 billion a year tourism industry is losing tens of millions of dollars as planners for large conventions choose other cities that offer visitors — especially from national organizations and businesses — more of what they’re looking for.
