VIRGINIA BEACH – Additional funding has been allocated for the construction of a memorial park to honor the victims of the May 31, 2019 mass shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.
The City Council unanimously approved transferring $4.3 million from the general fund to the 5/31 Memorial project last Tuesday.
It is the third allocation for the park, with a total cost now of $14 million. The city previously approved $1.2 million for design and $8.5 million for construction.
On May 31, 2019, a city employee killed twelve people and injured four others before police killed the gunman in Building 2 of the Municipal Center.
The park will be built on 1.3 hectares of city land at the corner of Princess Anne Road and Nimmo Parkway, across the street from the municipal complex. It will include timelines representing the 12 people who died. It will also include a grove of trees paying tribute to survivors, and a large “hero tree” dedicated to first responders.
The Virginia Beach Memorial Committee selects a design to honor victims of mass shootings
In 2020, a 5/31 Memorial Committee was formed to explore ideas for a park. The committee recommended Dills Architects’ design concept to SWA, the lead designer of the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial, which honors the victims of a mass shooting in Connecticut. The city council approved the design last year.
Dills Architects, a Virginia Beach firm also working on the $60 million Rudee Loop Park design, originally estimated the 5/31 monument would cost $5.8 million. But bids for the project exceeded budget. The designers were able to scale back some features during negotiations with the lowest bidder, Clay Dills, owner of Dills Architect, said at a memorial committee meeting early this month.
The 05-31 monument is expected to be completed by May 31, 2026.
James Moore, a survivor of the shooting, spoke at a council meeting last week before the vote. He expressed concern about the rising costs of the memorial and his desire to see the money instead used to help survivors recover.
“I am not opposed to honoring my colleagues who were tragically lost that day,” Moore said. “Those millions could be spent addressing the ongoing needs of the victims, those who are still struggling every day to overcome the trauma they experienced.”
Tara Reel, who was working for the city when the shooting occurred and is a member of the memorial planning committee, said she is in contact with survivors who still struggle to talk about that day.
“My only hope is that the legacy of this monument will ultimately bring them peace, comfort and a place for reflection,” she said, “and when they see it, they will know they have never been forgotten.”
Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
