New Virginia Beach Sports Center to Open in 2020

The Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced plans for the development of a new sports center in the city’s Oceanfront district. Earlier this month, the Virginia Beach City Council passed a resolution that would allow the city to contract with MEB General Contractors to design and construct the new facility for a maximum of just over $68 million.

The 285,000-square-foot venue will consist of 117,000 square feet of multipurpose space that can accommodate 12 basketball courts (convertible to 24 volleyball courts). The venue will also include a 200-meter indoor hydraulically banked track, dual jumping pits, dual pole vault pits, seating for nearly 5,000 track spectators, concessions areas and meeting rooms.

The project is expected to break ground this fall and is scheduled for completion November 2020.

“Virginia Beach has established itself as a sports tourism destination for the last 20 years, hosting 100 events per year,” said Nancy Helman, director of sports marketing at the Virginia Beach CVB. “Not only will our state-of-the-art indoor venue enable us to host a variety of sporting events for youth and adults, but it will also allow us to continue to elevate our offerings to sports groups, a number of which have already shown tremendous interest in the new facility.”

The new facility will be able to accommodate a variety of sporting events, including gymnastics, wrestling, futsal and field hockey. Additional meeting space for event organizers is available across the street at the 500,000-square-foot Virginia Beach Convention Center.

“The Sports Center will continue to enhance the coastal city’s appeal as a year-round tournament destination,” said Brad Van Dommelen, director of the Virginia Beach CVB. “Families often choose between vacation and sports opportunities for their children, but Virginia Beach allows them to do both. We look forward to welcoming them to Virginia Beach for these tournaments, and we’re eager for them to see everything the destination has to offer beyond the beach.”