VIRGINIA BEACH, Vga.
The City Council officially killed the controversial deal to build a four-star Hyatt hotel near the Virginia Beach Convention Center, an action that opens the door to other proposals.
While the public-private partnership was all but dead after losing political support earlier this year, the City Council's action was needed to end exclusive negotiations with Armada Hoffler, the development company that would have built the hotel. The decision means the City Council can begin considering other convention center hotel proposals, and at least one company has expressed interest in submitting one.
Officials with Harmony Hospitality Inc. have said they soon will unveil a plan to renovate the existing DoubleTree by Hilton hotel owned by the company that sits near the convention center for use as the facility's official hotel.
In a preliminary plan outlined last year, Harmony officials said they would spend about $25 million to expand and upgrade their hotel while seeking city funds for an enclosed walkway between the hotel and the convention center, plus other infrastructure improvements.
Courtesy of The Virginian-Pilot
