By Associated Press
The city of Virginia Beach has released money needed to renovate a municipal building where 12 people were killed in a May 2019 mass shooting.
City officials this week gave the green light to spend $30 million on several projects that had been put on hold during the pandemic, The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported. One project refurbishes Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, which was abandoned after the shooting.
“These projects were teed up and ready to go,” Deputy City Manager David Bradley said. “We just decided, let’s be extra cautious.”
Building 2, which could reopen by spring 2022, will now house the police department headquarters and a police precinct . Previous city employees of Building 2 — currently working from home or in temporary office space — ultimately will return to other buildings.
Civil engineer DeWayne Craddock, who worked in the city’s public utilities department, used two handguns to kill 11 of his co-workers and a contractor who had stopped at the building to get a permit. Four others were critically injured. Craddock was killed in a gun battle with police. Reports released months later by police and an independent security firm couldn’t provide a motive for the shooting.
The money released Tuesday will be part of $83 million in expenses to renovate three buildings at the city complex over the next several years. Bonds are funding the projects.
A new city hall is already getting built and will open in fall 2021.