VIRGINIA BEACH — In a first step to kick-start a multimillion-dollar renovation of the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex, the City Council on Tuesday approved $170,000 for site plan and engineering work.
Twenty-five years ago, Virginia Beach provided the local soccer community with 75 acres off Princess Anne Road — behind the amphitheater.
Using funds raised by a large-scale sand soccer tournament, the Hampton Roads Soccer Council, a nonprofit organization, built 26 fields, including two of artificial turf.
But after years of wear and tear, the complex is in need of an overhaul.
The Virginia Beach complex is falling behind other leading venues in the nation, Jon Schmeider, founder and CEO of the consulting firm Huddle Up Group, told the City Council last month.
To compete with other facilities in the mid-Atlantic region, the complex needs more turf fields, additional lights and parking lot upgrades.
“These are what the event owners are looking for nationally when they’re choosing a destination to place their events,” Schmeider said.
The estimated cost of the upgrades is $15 million and city financial support will be needed, Lauren Bland, executive director of the soccer complex, said at the November meeting. It’s the first time the group has asked the city for financial help, Bland said.
The complex hosts tournaments, league matches, practices, camps and clinics with an annual attendance of 750,000. On most Saturdays, the parking lot is overflowing and the sidelines are filled with families and fans.
The facility hosts other local sports leagues, including lacrosse and flag football.
Converting six of the existing grass fields to turf will attract more regional and national tournaments, Bland said.
“We’ve made it on our own, and we’ve done really well, but it’s really hard to compete with other venues that their cities are helping to fund,” she said.
The North American Sand Soccer Championships, held annually at the Oceanfront, pay for operations and maintenance of the soccer complex. The event, founded by Dick Whalen, will celebrate 30 years in 2024. It features professional soccer players and more than 750 teams from across the country.
Using its existing money raised from sand soccer, the nonprofit will spend nearly a million dollars to replace the two existing turf fields soon, Bland said.
A recent festival report showed the sand soccer tournament provided the city the most return on its investment, with more than $15 for every dollar spent. It also drew the greatest percentage of non-resident visitors to Virginia Beach at 77%. The city invested only $44,000 in the event this year, a significantly lower amount than other large-scale events at the Oceanfront, according to the report.
After hearing an update to a study on what Virginia Beach is missing in terms of sports facilities to attract overnight visitors, the City Council committed to upgrading existing venues, rather than building new ones. The soccer complex was among those identified in the report as needing enhancements.
Hampton Roads Soccer Complex was slated to receive financial support in last year’s draft budget, but the City Council decided at the last minute to reallocate the funds to the Atlantic Park project.
The $170,000 approved for the site plan will help tee up the first phase of renovations, and Bland hopes the City Council will set aside more money in the upcoming year’s budget.
“If and when we get capital funding, we can be shovel ready to start the project this summer,” she said.
Several City Council members voiced support for investing in the soccer complex, including Councilwoman Barbara Henley, who represents the district.
“It’s not just for our own usage, which is a great thing,” she said. “It’s also an economic development thing. I’m all in.”
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, [email protected]
