VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Over the years, there has been a lot of construction on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach, and one ongoing project will bring retail, apartments and a traffic signal.
“To be honest, I’m a little scared to go out this way,” Christine Brown, who lives near Laskin and Winwood Drive, said.
Brown said she prefers to avoid making left turns onto the busy thoroughfare when out with their four-legged companion, Captain Bubbles.
“We never drive out that way because it's so dangerous," Brown said. "I actually witnessed a really bad accident there about a month after we moved in."
However, things may improve for Captain Bubbles' owners thanks to a development by the Franklin Group, known as The Canopy.
“If you drive by on Laskin, you’ll notice that the framework is going up for 132 luxury apartments," Christen Faatz, from the Franklin Group, said. "Below those, we will have 10,000 square feet of retail space. Eventually, there will also be an outparcel redeveloped at the corner of Winwood and Laskin roads.”
The Franklin Group purchased the former Laskin Road Annex from the Virginia Beach School Board and plans to redevelop part of that area as its future headquarters.
In conjunction with this development, a new four-way traffic signal is planned for Laskin Road.
“I think it's going to be a huge win for Linlear specifically because right now, if you try to turn left out of that neighborhood, you're crossing a lot of lanes of traffic," Faatz said.
This change could also enhance walkability for those visiting the Hilltop shopping centers and the retail space associated with The Canopy.
“Captain Bubbles says safety for everybody—that’s what makes her happy too,” Brown said.
The apartments are expected to be completed this winter, with initial move-ins slated for March.
