Atlantic Park (The Wave)

Atlantic Park, formerly know as The Wave, is an ambitions plan to build a mixed-use development centered around a 2-acre Wavegarden Cove wave pool.

Wave Size and Shape

The flexibility of Wavegarden Cove technology will allow the pool to create waves that vary in size and shape to appeal to beginners, professionals and every surfer in between. It’s safe to assume that the pool will produce waves between two and six feet high on the face of the wave with rights breaking on one side of the pier and lefts breaking on the other. Advanced surfers will ride high-performance waves with barrel, air and vertical lip sections. Intermediate surfers will be offered slightly smaller waves with a more forgiving open face ideal for practicing turns, and beginners catch their first waves on whitewater rollers that are ideal for learning to surf.

Capacity and Frequency

A 2-acre Wavegarden Cove is small relative to the standard/full size Cove installation like The Wave in Bristol or URBNSURF Melbourne that occupy 5+ acres. The wave pool will still generate 1000 waves per hour, but those waves will probably only break once rather than reforming and creating an opportunity for a second surfer to ride. Given that, it’s safe to assume that productivity (rides generated per hour) at the Atlantic Park wave pool will be smaller than other “full size” Cove installations. We’re eager for more information, but the wave pool will probably produce around 1000 rides per hour, max (500 max on each side of the pool). The limited pool size and lack of reformed waves would also probably mean that the pool will dedicate each one-hour sessions to a particular level of surfing like the BSR Surf Resort.

The wave pool will be open year-round, but in the colder months surfers should expect to wear wetsuits.

The Atlantic Park team hopes to start construction in 2020. Once it commences, construction should take 3 years to complete.

Around the Wave Pool

The wave pool will occupy 2 acres of a 10-acre property. Surrounding the wave pool will be offices, living spaces and a variety of amenities including restaurants, retail, movie theaters, meeting facilities and a 3,500-seat live concert venue.

Project Costs

The construction of the entire facility will cost $328 million. The city will contributing $95 million of that amount primarily from money previously collected from tourism at the oceanfront. The funding from the city would be used for parking, entertainment venue and sidewalks.

With 19 million annual visitors and 21 million people within 5 hours drive of Virginia Beach, there is plenty of opportunity to fill the surf sessions, concert seats and restaurant tables. Once operational the entire facility would generate $150 million of economic activity annually resulting in $8 million in tax revenue according to The Virginian Pilot. It would also create 105 jobs once up and running.

The project has the support of Pharrell Williams, the music superstar who grew up in the area, and Venture Realty Group. In January 2019, the Virginia Beach Development Authority voted 9-1 in favor of moving forward with the project. According to local news reports, a notable number of locals spoke in opposition of the plan at the voting meeting. However, in November 2019, the Virginia Beach City Council approved the project with a 10-0 vote.

Pharrell and his team hopes to start construction in 2020. Once it commences, construction should take 3 years to complete.

Sources: Venture Waves LLC, Venture Realty, The Virginian Pilot