Since the 1950’s, one of the sights in Virginia Beach was the Viking Motel with its 2nd level swimming pool featuring an underwater window facing the Atlantic Avenue resort strip.
In 2009 the Patel family, owners and operators of the Viking and other resort properties made the decision to replace the aged motel with a new, multistory retail center catering to the small shops and restaurants that line the landside of Atlantic Avenue.
The City’s Resort Area Design Guidelines recognize that the resort area is urban, rather than suburban, in character. Accordingly successful resort area planning and architecture strives to create humanely-scaled outdoor spaces, storefronts with large sheltered windows, discreet signage, and architecture that supports the experience of the resort area as a shopping district.
The Design Collaborative, and MSA, Civil Engineers, Landscape Architects and Planners, worked closely with City Planning Staff and the Design Review Committee of the Virginia Beach Resort Area Advisory Commission to fine tune the project design.
The Ocean Sky Retail Center’s design and planning features include a small urban plaza at the northeast corner, pedestrian-friendly recessed storefront windows close to the sidewalk, extra building height to encourage window displays, warm and bright colors, awnings and Bermuda-shutter style sun louvers.
J.B. Denny started construction on the shell building and sitework in November of 2010. Tenant improvements will commence in the Fall of 2011, with shops and restaurants opening throughout the Winter and Spring of 2012.