The Fort Monroe Authority and its consultants have invited public input about the fort\u2019s future. As they go through this process, I encourage them to consider an idea that at first glance may fall outside the usual range of suggestions, but in fact respects the fort\u2019s unique location, its history, the potential of all of its open space and its vulnerability to changing environmental conditions in a way that other ideas don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Environmental conditions are more than an academic consideration. Fort Monroe\u2019s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay impact crater zone call for solutions that make good economic use of the location, but are also adaptable over time to rising waters and land subsidence.<\/p>\n
One flexible solution we haven\u2019t heard discussed so far is using the underdeveloped areas of Fort Monroe outside the fort\u2019s historic district for the creation of a Tivoli Gardens-style entertainment and amusement venue.<\/p>\n
Denmark\u2019s Tivoli Gardens is one of the world\u2019s most beloved and longest running entertainment and recreational attractions. Located in the center of Copenhagen, Tivoli Gardens is a clean, safe \u201cisland of fun\u201d with rides, entertainment and cultural programming that attracts millions of visitors each year.\u00a0 More than an amusement park, Tivoli is a beloved cultural hub and green space for Copenhagen residents and not just a tourist attraction. It significantly improves local quality of life by providing an accessible, affordable and multi-generational gathering place for entertainment, recreation and community-driven events.<\/p>\n
Waterfront fun parks such as Buckroe, Bay Shore, Ocean View, Seaview and Seaside have a long and cherished history in Hampton Roads. They appealed to people of all ages and were popular with overnight visitors. So much more than a passive city park, a Tivoli Gardens-style development could provide just the energy and innovation needed to reintroduce Fort Monroe to the region and the nation.<\/p>\n
With its history and a location unlike anywhere else in our region, it is not hard to Imagine:<\/p>\n
A distinctive, one-of-a-kind waterfront campus that, along with the Virginia Air & Space Museum, draws a larger critical mass of visitor attention to the Peninsula.
\nGardens for beauty, for strolling and to respectfully connect the modern areas of the fort to the adjacent boating facilities, historic fortress and residences.
\nRides for children of all ages.
\nSpace for outdoor concerts, festivals or even a summer circus.
\nBeaches and playgrounds for sunning and playing in the Chesapeake Bay.
\nPlaces for visitors to dine and watch ships come and go.
\nLawns for lounging in the sun.
\nA new destination for recreational boaters up and down the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic coast.
\nRestoring Point Comfort as a destination for coastal cruise vessels as it once was for the Old Bay Line.
\nA flexible site for scalable development.
\nIncreased visitation and economic rejuvenation for Phoebus and downtown Hampton.
\nJobs and economic opportunities for businesses to operate the gardens and serve visitors.
\nOpportunities for boat and ferry transportation from South Hampton Roads to Fort Monroe without adding vehicular traffic.<\/p>\n
Is this a pie-in-the-sky notion? Perhaps. But against the usual mix of real estate proposals that have not gone anywhere after 13 years of study, it\u2019s an idea worth exploring to ignite public interest, create something new and exciting and increase Hampton pride.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t have to happen overnight. Rather, aspects of it can be developed incrementally over time in such a way that the interpretation of Fort Monroe\u2019s history is respected and the quality of life of current residents and tenants is preserved.<\/p>\n
After all, you don\u2019t make big strides if you don\u2019t dream big.<\/p>\n
Chris Bonney is a Virginia Beach-based marketing researcher and former chairman of the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Fort Monroe Authority and its consultants have invited public input about the fort\u2019s future. As they go…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":122919,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[6],"tags":[108,10049,4623,18325],"class_list":["post-122918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-copenhagen","tag-copenhagen","tag-latest-headlines","tag-opinion","tag-opinion-columnists"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@dk\/116868372585865592","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}