Bravo! Cucina Italiana is building on Block 8  of The Town Center of Virginia Beach.

Cheesecake Factory -- One of Many New Stores 
Coming to The Town Center of Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA:  The more The Town Center of Virginia Beach grows, the easier it has been to secure new tenants, according to Gerald Divaris, chairman and CEO of Divaris Real Estate, Inc.  “We’ve turned down several offers because we are very cautious about getting the appropriate tenant mix.  We could fill every square foot of space tomorrow, but we want to make it the most dynamic and exciting mixed-use development possible.” 

The $300 million Town Center of Virginia Beach is proving to be the center of it all in Hampton Roads, a multi-city MSA located in southeastern Virginia with a population of 1.6 million.  With 321,000 square feet of Class A office space, 42,000 square feet of retail space and a 1,284-car, city owned, free parking garage -- Block 4 is complete.  Nearby, Block 5 has One Columbus Center, a 134,000-square-foot, Class A office building; a new 176-room Hilton Garden Inn; and Towne Bank, a freestanding 16,000-square-foot, two-story building.

Yet, 2003 was only the beginning for the project.  Four new city blocks will increase the upscale urban lifestyle feel in the new city center, and give people more reason to want to work, shop, dine and live here.   Ultimately spanning 17 city blocks, The Town Center will provide a mix of Class A office, multi-level upscale retail, deluxe residential, a performing arts center and an array of restaurants and business-class hotels. 

The development is already looking like restaurant row with the first wave of merchants comprised primarily of nationally recognized restaurants.   P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Cold Stone Creamery, California Pizza Kitchen, Town Center City Club, D’Mustard Co. and Red Star Tavern have been drawing hungry hordes.  Yet, patrons’ dining options are about to get even better. 
 

California Pizza Kitchen  is one of many restaurants  open in The Town Center  of Virginia Beach.

 

On Block 3, The Cheesecake Factory has begun construction on its 11,507-square-foot restaurant, the first full-scale version of this major dining concept outside Northern Virginia.  The Calabassas Hills, California-based casual dining chain is expected to pull in tons of traffic to The Town Center of Virginia Beach, as it has in the country’s 63 existing Cheesecake Factory restaurants.  Typical sites generate $1,000 per square foot in sales, or twice the average of others in its category.   The 200 items on its menu include 40 variations of cheesecake and desserts, plus pizza, gourmet salads, seafood and various Asian culinary specialties.  The restaurants, which typically average about 10,000 square feet, feature rich, upscale décor, with hand-painted ceilings and wall murals, Egyptian columns, lots of cherry wood, limestone marble and handblown glass fixtures.  This is surprising considering the average check is under $20!

In the next block from The Cheesecake Factory, Bravo! Cucina Italiana is building a 7,946-square-foot, restaurant on Block 8 with 1,200 square feet of outdoor patio dining area fronting an open public plaza with fountains and landscaping.  Bravo Development Company, the parent company of Bravo! Cucina Italiana and Brio Tuscan Grill, operates several highly successful restaurants throughout the country. 

A two-floor comedy club will occupy 9,500 square feet in Block 8, including 2,500-square-foot mezzanine level.  Funny Bone is a concept developed by owner and founder, Mitch Kutash, who also runs a Funny Bone in Richmond, Virginia.   Additionally, he operates five Improv Comedy clubs in Florida and Ohio as a franchisee.  Kutash’s clubs feature the stand-up comedy acts of first-rate entertainers. 

Occupying 6,225 square feet in the existing Block 4, at the opposite end from California Pizza Kitchen, is Red Star Tavern, an updated version of the classic American pub.  The owner is Chicago-based, multi-concept operator, Restaurant Development Group (RDG), which owns 34 restaurants nationwide.  Its portfolio of concepts includes: Bar Louie, Nick & Tony’s, Bluepoint Oyster Bar, The Grillroom and more.   Red Star’s wide-ranging menu offers hearty sandwiches, salads, savory seafood and steaks. Accommodating 100 at the bar and 200 in the dining room, the interior conveys an intimate feel with design elements that include a fireplace, curved leather booths, wood-paneled walls, flagstone, custom lighting and eclectic artwork. 

The Town Center City Club is a second-level, 8,368-square-foot private club, also on Block 4. The elegantly styled establishment features dining rooms, a bar, a cigar lounge and meeting rooms. Exclusive memberships are offered on an individual or corporate basis.

Luxury apartment homes in The Cosmopolitan will bring a built-in market to the Town Center tenants, and increase the 24-hour activity in the area.   There will be 14 floors and 341 choices of chic studio suites, or one-, two- and three-bedroom city apartment homes with dimensions up to 1,576 square feet.  Two floors of The Cosmopolitan will feature luxury penthouses, with views of both Downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.  The $60 million building will include first floor retail on the street, and a public parking garage for 856 cars.

Apartments will all contain quick-touch fireplaces, granite countertops on kitchen islands, and top-notch lighting systems.  A full array of services and amenities will be offered including a rooftop plaza with gardens, heated swimming pool and cabana; a fitness center; a community room with a catering and demonstration kitchen; a boardroom with high-speed internet access; and an after-hours doorman.  Additionally, concierge services will help residents attend to many daily details.  The apartments are expected to be available for occupancy in the summer of 2005. 
 

Galyan's opened its 84,000- square-foot store at The  Town Center of Virginia  Beach in April 2004.

Other shopping opportunities in The Town Center of Virginia Beach include Galyan’s Trading Company, a seller of upscale sporting and outdoor lifestyle goods.   Galyan’s opened the doors to its 84,000-square-foot, two-story store on the corner of Columbus Street and Independence Boulevard in April 2004.   The Plainfield-Indiana-based retailer targets both outdoor and traditional athletic market segments with an amazing 90,000 items from private-label and proprietary brands.

The 23-story Armada Hoffler Tower is fully occupied, with the biggest names in law, finance and technology.  Office tenants in The Town Center include:  Armada Hoffler; Morgan Stanley; Wilcox & Savage; Cherry Bekaert & Holland; Pender & Coward; Senator George Allen; Thomas Rutherfoord; Troutman Sanders; Legg Mason; Mass Mutual; Faggert & Freiden; Williams Mullen and the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development. 

One Columbus Center, an existing 11-story Class A office tower is getting a facelift.   The building was designed and built in 1983 with the new city center in mind, establishing a high-rise focus for the new Virginia Beach skyline.   One Columbus Center has remained fully leased since it opened and is still in great demand.   Its tenant roster is a Who’s Who list including Divaris Real Estate, UBS Financial Services, Bank of America, BB&T Insurance/Pioneer Title, Columbus Executive Suites, HBA Architects and Wolcott Rivers. Exterior and interior renovations are underway and expected to reach completion in the summer of 2005.

The entire central business district is benefiting from the investment in the area.   Across Virginia Beach Boulevard, two new restaurants have opened on outparcels at Pembroke Mall.  Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Max & Erma’s are taking advantage of the synergy between workers, shoppers and diners at The Town Center.

Patrons are already making the development their destination for an evening out.   They start with dinner at one of the several eateries, then take a quick stroll to the movie theatre or a browse around Barnes & Noble, capping off the night with ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. 

The Town Center of Virginia Beach is leased and managed by Divaris Real Estate, Inc. and Divaris Property Management Corp.   The project is being developed and constructed by Armada Hoffler.   Divaris and Armada Hoffler are principals in the project.