Upon realizing that declaring victory stopped supporters from being able to sign, we have started a part 2 petition which can be found at 

change.org/BeachCinemaAlehouse

 

 

We may have spoken too soon about the victory. The issue is now going before the City council on May 20th 2025. So please continue to write letters and emails and please show up to speak in person at the City council meeting. 

• Support in the form of emails to city council, planning comission, and /or speaking at the hearing at 12pm on  April 9th 2025 at Vb city hall, or via web link, and signatures and comments on this petition are the best way to have your voice heard. 
• Update- To everyone who has signed and shared this petition, commented, sent emails and letters to the council members, and has spoken in opposition to this permit being granted, THANK YOU! The hearing was yesterday, and the decision was deferred for 30 days, due in large part to your voices, and  the voices of our community. This gives us 30 more days to gather support and get the word out. We got 1,300 signatures in just 2 weeks, let's see what we can do in 30 days!  

Again, thank you so much for your support and kind comments. Keep them coming!

 

 

 

This is not simply a petition to keep a venue alive, it's a plea to preserve my home - our home - and a substantial piece of Virginia Beach's history. I've been working at the Beach Cinema Alehouse for 10 incredible years, alongside a dedicated team of locals.

This place is more than a cinema, it's a memory box filled with stories from the Virginia Beach Drive-in theater that launched in the 1950's, it's successors, Surf 'n' Sand theater, Beach Movie Bistro,  and now Beach Cinema Alehouse. This land has been home to a theater for nearly 75 years, contributing significantly to our community's cultural life and acting as an iconic touchstone for multiple generations.

An application for a condtional use permit on the land has been submitted to allow a religious group to move their headquarters there. The V.B Planning Committee has a hearing on March 13th, 2025 at 12pm, during which the public is encouraged to have their voices heard either in person, via WebX, a written submission, and/or by signing this petition. If the conditional use permit is granted, that would mean the closure of B.C.A by June of this year. 

Besides lost employment for more than 40 people. It would mean one fewer independantly owned businesses, one that adds so much value to Virginia Beach. One that is part of the fabric of the Oceanfront.The City of Virgina Beach would lose all tax revenue generated  by Beach Cinema Alehouse, as religious groups are tax exempt, including nearly $40,000 a year in property tax .

A  church has a wide variety of options for the type of property and building that would work for their purposes.  A movie theater, not many, and the theater is akready here, operational and beloved

Take a stand with us and lend your voice to protecting Beach Cinema Alehouse by persuading the V.B Planning Committe to reject the conditional use permit. The hearing is on March 13th, 2025 at noon.

 If you wish to speak in person or via Webx, please send an email to alebailey@vb.gov. She will get you on the list and provide instructions.

I encourage anyone to add their own stories, memories, and testimonials or attend the hearing, and  of course to sign this petition.

 Let's ensure our kids and grandkids get to experience the magic of movies, community, and history that we have been privileged to enjoy. Let's keep the reel running.

• 100% OF DONATIONS/ CONTRIBUTIONS GO TO THE CHANGE.ORG WEBSITE.
•  WE ARE HOPING FOR VOCAL, WRITTEN, IN PERSON OR ONLINE SUPPORT TO MAKE CLEAR THE COMMUNITIES VOICE.
• WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANY SORT OF DONATIONS OR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS 
• Thank you friends and neighbors, please share and leave comments.