VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A longtime fixture at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront is set to close next year, clearing the way for a new police substation.
Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson confirmed to News 3 that the Dairy Queen at 17th Street and the Boardwalk will close in 2027, with the city planning to convert the property into a Virginia Beach Police Department substation.
The city purchased the property from owner Richard Maddox nearly five years ago. The purchase also included the park in front of the Dairy Queen Chill & Grill.
Wilson said moving police to the site will give officers greater visibility in a busy part of the Oceanfront while allowing the nearby open space to remain.
“We want to continue having open space, but that's going to make it much safer,” Wilson told News 3. “They have the little parking lot, you can have the police cars right there so people can see them.”
Police currently have an Oceanfront substation on Atlantic Avenue near 21st Street, but Wilson said the 17th Street location would provide a more noticeable police presence.
Wilson said the property is expected to be turned over to the city on Nov. 1, 2027. She hopes the new substation can be operating by the following spring.
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