VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach School Board officials unanimously voted Tuesday night to convert the former Bayside 6th Grade Campus on Jericho Road into a neighborhood park.
A 14-acre portion of property located on the campus will be transferred over to the City of Virginia Beach for recreational purposes, according to the school board.
Last school year, school leaders decided to close the Bayside 6th Grade Campus and merge the grade level into Bayside Middle School.
A committee was formed to explore potential uses for the vacant space, and with ongoing requests from residents to build a park in Aragona Village, school leaders hoped to fulfill that desire.
Watch previous coverage: Aragona Village residents seek community park following Bayside campus closure
"The committee voted unanimously to recommend to the school board that this property be gifted to the city, and then for the city to turn this space into open space, a park, or a playground," said Carolyn Weems, vice chair of the school board, in a previous interview with News 3.
It's been a push for some residents since 2016 to see a green space open up for their neighborhood, which came to pass Tuesday night.
