Rudee Park is now expected to break ground in late fall 2027 and take about two years to build, the city told City Council Tuesday. Here is the timeline and the money.
Construction of Rudee Park at the south end of the Oceanfront is now expected to begin in late fall 2027 and last about two years. That puts the opening no earlier than late 2029.
The park’s designers briefed the Virginia Beach City Council on the project at its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 20. The city set out the timeline in a post on its website after the meeting.
The park will replace the parking lot and event staging area at Rudee Loop, an 8-acre site beside Rudee Inlet, according to the city’s Rudee Park project page.
Where the design stands
City staff and the design team led by Dills Architects have been turning the 2025 master plan into construction drawings. The city said:
- the 60% design documents went in in August and are under review by city staff and the Planning Department
- the 90% design documents are due by the end of this year
- the final design is due in early 2027
Those drawings will set the layout, the utility needs and, eventually, the cost estimate for the final build. The city said the plans “will remain true to the spirit of the master plan” while working around space limits, access needs and building codes.
The features it said are staying in the design are:
- the Beach Village, a hub with restrooms, showers and food and drink
- the Community Lawn
- the Nature Play Area
- the Picnic Grove
- the Event Pavilion
Votes still to come
The council has more decisions to make before anyone breaks ground. The city said permits for construction, street closures and park activities such as food trucks will need a council vote, likely in mid-2027.
A nonprofit conservancy is also in early development to run the park once it is built. Through the budget process, the council will have to approve the conservancy and its scope. It will also have to fund a position to run the fundraising campaign, set up a conservancy board and adopt policies.
The money
The city has partnered with the Virginia Gentlemen Foundation to raise private money through sponsorships, donations and naming opportunities. Early outreach to possible donors has begun, the city said. A public campaign is to start in 2027, with pledges paid over up to five years.
The city has not published a new cost estimate. The last public figures came when the council approved final design in August 2025. The project then had $50 million appropriated for design and construction, according to the city’s account of that vote:
- about $2.5 million already spent
- about $4 million for final design
- the remaining $43.5 million for construction
At that time the city estimated a capital campaign could raise about $20 million. That money would repay the city’s Tourism Investment Program fund. It would not be spent up front: the city said construction cannot proceed until the project is fully funded.
The council chose a surface lot over a parking garage to keep costs down. The plan has 397 public parking spaces, against 392 at Rudee Loop now. The site will also be raised to the level of the Boardwalk, which the city said sits about 48 inches higher.
What it means for you
Nothing changes at Rudee Loop yet. Parking and festival staging there carry on until construction starts.
- Watch for: the 90% design documents by the end of 2026, and the council’s permit and conservancy votes in 2027.
- See the presentation: the city said a recording will be on its YouTube channel, and the slides are in the City Council document archive.
- Ask a question: the project team is at RudeePark@vbgov.com, according to the project page.
For more on the south end of the resort area, see our Oceanfront and boardwalk guide and parks and trails in Virginia Beach.
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