The Virginian-Pilot 
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, September 21, 1994          TAG: 9409210441
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                     LENGTH: Short :   45 lines

AUTHORITY CHANGES VIEW ON CORPORATE LANDING THEATER TO PROVIDE MORE JOBS, THE OFFICE PARK SHOULD RETURN TO ITS MISSION, MEMBERS SAY.

A little more than a month ago, a plan to build a multiplex movie theater was touted as the salvation of the city's troubled Corporate Landing office park.

But Tuesday, the Virginia Beach Economic and Development Authority turned away from the proposal, saying the mission of the 400-acre park on General Booth Boulevard should not be changed. They will recommend the withdrawal of the movie theater application when it comes before the council next month.

Councilman Louis R. Jones, the council liaison to the authority, said the group made the decision after it realized it had neither public nor council support for the movie theater.

``They recognized the will of the public and decided to back off.''

At a public meeting last week, representatives of 17 civic groups in the area around the industrial park voted unanimously against the movie theater and in favor of maintaining the park's original mission of providing more jobs as an office park.

``The community out there feels that a commitment was made to them at the time that Corporate Landing was rezoned that there would not be any retail strip zoning along General Booth Boulevard. While this application does not exactly fit that description, it's about as close to it as you can get.''

Retired Army Col. Henry L. Gordner said he believes the city should sacrifice the short-term benefits the theater might have brought in exchange for the longer-term benefits of an office park.

``They should develop it properly so that it will be beneficial to the city as a whole when it's all done,'' said Gordner, vice president of the Courthouse-Sandbridge Coalition of Civic Leagues and the Strawbridge Civic League. ``It's the desire of the Coalition of Civic Organizations that that original plan be pursued.''

KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL MOVIE THEATERS CORPORATE LANDING

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