Two additional city blocks are under construction in The Town Center of Virginia Beach to include Westin Hotel & Residences, retail space and The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts.

in Virginia Beach Town Center
 

Phase III Construction Underway for Westin Hotel & Residences
and Performing Arts Center

VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA —“The Town Center of Virginia Beach has far surpassed our expectations. The success of our tenants has been phenomenal and the economic impact is extending beyond the Town Center’s borders. Several of our national restaurants are among the top producers, in terms of sales, for their chain. Our retail offerings continue to expand, as national companies catch on to the excitement and success of The Town Center. And with the completion Virginia’s tallest building in 2007, the Westin Hotel and Residences, we will hold a product unique to this region. The concept of high-end condominiums atop a four-star hotel is seen in places like New York, Chicago and Miami, but will be very new to Virginia,” said Lou Haddad, president and CEO of Armada Hoffler, the developers of The Town Center of Virginia Beach.

One recent addition to the upscale retailers in The Town Center of Virginia Beach is Brooks Brothers.   “346” is a new prototype concept for Brooks Brothers, developed for The Town Center and located on the first floor of Block Three which faces The Town Center’s fountain plaza. 

            Stretching the project another two blocks west, toward Indepndence BoulevardPhase III construction of The Town Center of Virginia Beach is well underway.  Two additional city blocks include The Westin Hotel and Residences, The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts and 100 Market Street, a mixed-use retail, office and residential building. The Westin will be a 236-room hotel and spa, with a 10,000-square-foot conference center and 119 condos above, with a social room on the top, 37^th floor.  When finished, the building will be the tallest structure between Philadelphia and Charlotte, at over 500 feet.  The parking garage will have 947 spaces, 212 of which will be owned by the condo residents; the remainder will be offered as free covered public parking to match the rest of the existing city parking garages in The Town Center of Virginia Beach.

     The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts will feature a 1,200-seat, state-of-the-art auditorium, with a glass enclosed courtyard and a three-story atrium.Also on this block will be a mixed-use retail, office and residential building, located in the plaza, known as 100 Market Street. It will have first floor retail to be occupied by McCormick & Schmick’s fine seafood restaurant, with office space and residential lofts topping off the red brick and glass building. 

McCormick & Schmick’s fine seafood restaurant is a natural fit for an upscale center, in a coastal city like Virginia Beach.  Since 1979, the company has expanded to more than 50 McCormick & Schmick’s restaurants throughout the country.  They take a fresh approach, not only to the menus that they print twice daily, but also to the architecture and design of their restaurants.  No two restaurants are alike.  Each McCormick & Schmick’s reflects the heritage of its city down to the indigenous wood species that are used.

“The Town Center of Virginia Beach is providing a much needed unified center of commerce for our outstanding community.   Its strategic location at the center of South Hampton Roads and its complementary mix make it one of the most critically important developments in the history of Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads region.  This project is signifying the start of a whole new era of economic vitality and success for Virginia’s most populous city,” according to Don Maxwell, director of the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development whose offices are located in the Armada Hoffler Tower in The Town Center of Virginia Beach. 

The development broke ground in 2000 and has since grown to include such retail heavy-weights as Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Red Star Tavern, Ann Taylor Loft, Stanley Adams Stationers, Keagan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, Bravo! Cucina Italiana, California Pizza Kitchen, Funny Bones Comedy Club and Restaurant and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Ruth's Chris Steak House opened in the plaza of The Town Center of Virginia Beach.

Recent additions to the roster include Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro, Kuhlman’s, Vie de France, Johnny Rockets, Honey Tree Children’s Boutique, Gordon Biersch Brew Pub, Daily Grind Unwind coffeehouse, Sunglass Hut, Origins, Brooks Brothers, Blue Taxi Clothing and Relax the Back Store. 

Kuhlman’s is a Minneapolis-based men’s apparel retailer that offers the luxury of European craftsmanhip, with a single-priced strategy.Gordon Biersch Brew Pubs have been brewing the finest hand-crafted beer and serving them in an attentive and friendly manner to customers who enjoy the relaxed and inviting atmosphere as much as the fresh foods and other select wines, premium spirits and high quality mixers.

Sunglass Hut is part of the leaders in the optical industry, Luxottica Group S.p.A., which includes LensCrafters and EyeMed.  The specialty niche retailer has 1,500 Sunglass Hut locations in a wide variety of high-traffic shopping and tourist destinations worldwide. Brands available at Sunglass Hut include Ray Ban, Oakley, Maui Jim, Versace, G-Shock and many others.

            The Daily Grind Unwind store in The Town Center of Virginia Beach will be run by husband and wife franchisees, Frederick and Juliet Smith.  The 40-store chain has been operating for more than ten years, throughout Virginia’s Shanandoah Valley, in West Virginia and Maryland. 

Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro offers a combination of romantic, upscale dining, gourmet foods, and a large selection of nearly 100 delicious wines that is unique in Southeastern Virginia.

Blue Taxi Clothing will cater to the high-end fashion-conscious shopper in Hampton Roads.  Targeting customers of all ages who have become accustomed to traveling to major metropolitan areas to find their favorite exclusive brands, Blue Taxi will bring the luxury items right to central Hampton Roads.   

“We have chosen The Town Center of Virginia Beach to ensure that we maintain an image that promotes the boutique/specialty store setting.  We also would like to be highly visible to those dining in the surrounding restaurants.   Frequent diners of those restaurants tend to have the money for frequent shopping.  Our goal is to build a loyal customer base, while standing apart from other retail and specialty stores.  Blue Taxi will strive to provide a shopping experience that is typically found in a major metropolitan area,” said owner, Manny Calayo who founded Blue Taxi.

If all the many shopping bags weigh down visitors to The Town Center of Virginia Beach, Relax the Back has the solution to ease those tired muscles.  The national retailer offers posture and back support products and self-care solutions from 80 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.   Products are merchandised in one of five lifestyle zones:  office, home, sleep, travel and health and fitness, in order to address customers’ needs, 24-hours a day and wherever they go.

Pampering the skin and promoting beauty and wellness through multi-sensory products and feel-good experiences can be found in Origins.  The use of aromatic plants, earth and sea substances and other natural resources from many different cultures and healing traditions are the foundations of Origins efforts to celebrate the connection between Mother Nature and human nature.  Sensory therapy from essential oils combine with the practicality of moisturizers, firming treatments and gentle, natural dermabrasion age erasers are part of Origins extensive product lines.

New office tenants to join The Town Center of Virginia Beach include American Express and Ferris Baker Watts.  Also, in 2005 the first round-the-clock residents of The Town Center moved into the 11-story Cosmopolitan apartment building, located on Block Ten.

 “With each passing year, the project becomes more full and vibrant and is stretching out in all directions.”  Gerald S. Divaris, chairman and ceo of Divaris Real Estate, Inc.  The Town Center of Virginia Beach is leased by Divaris Real Estate and managed by Divaris Property Management Corp.

“There really is no other mixed-use project of this scope anywhere in Virginia, outside the Washington, D.C. area.” Divaris concluded.  Construction will start in 2007 on the second office tower to match the 24-floor signature Armada Hoffler Tower.