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City Council votes to buy two Ocean View businesses in effort to expand beach access

Norfolk City Council voted to buy the Beach Pub Restaurant and a neighboring apartment building off East Ocean View Avenue.

NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — The Norfolk City Council voted to buy the Beach Pub Restaurant and a neighboring apartment building off East Ocean View Avenue.

There's a push in Ocean View to expand the public beach access, and city leaders said for that to happen the two buildings approved for purchase would have to be torn down.

More development needed

Elizabeth Cajiao is a local business owner. She told 13News Now she agrees more development needs to happen but doesn’t believe small businesses should be torn down.

Earlier in the year, Cajiao got upsetting news herself. Norfolk City Council voted to purchase the building she rents to make way for more open space and beach access.

"When I think of Ocean View, it's a hidden gem," she said. "Now we are going to have to re-invest somewhere else just to do business. It’s not fair."

The same thing may happen to her neighbors. On Tuesday night council members will vote on whether to spend more than $1 million to buy the Beach Pub Restaurant and a nearby apartment building. Both properties are owned by Bay-B-Dal, LLC. The city's plan is to tear down both properties and add even more open space and more beach access.

"I just don't get it? I don’t know why they would take the bar and make a parking lot," explained community member Tony Thomas.

The council agenda lines out one of the reasons to tear down the properties is for "increased public safety purposes." Council Member Tommy Smigiel said he's for the future.

"To redevelop that as beachfront parking so more people have access to the beach there in the summertime or in the springtime even, so they have places to park to go to the beach," Smigiel explained.

Cottage Line Civic League President Ken Paulson said more beach access and more family-friendly activities are things citizens have wanted for a while. Paulson said he agrees with the city and hopes it decreases crime in the area.

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