VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach city leaders are considering a new parking garage near the Virginia Beach Convention Center and the Virginia Beach Sports Center to help address ongoing parking shortages during large events at the Oceanfront.
The proposed garage would be built at 19th Street and Parks Avenue, replacing just more than 100 existing parking spaces with more than 950 spaces. Plans also include two stories of retail space and an area that could serve as a shelter for the farmers’ market during rainy weather.
Dwayne Appleton, owner of Java Surf Cafe and Espresso Bar on 19th Street, said parking is often difficult to find during major sporting events and conventions.
“They have one of the largest wrestling events and one of the largest cheerleading events on the entire East Coast hosted right here in Virginia Beach,” Appleton said. “Those events are so big they don’t have enough parking.”…