VIRGINIA BEACH — After spending more than $3 million for an elaborate design that would overhaul the resort area’s main thoroughfare making it more pedestrian-friendly, the City Council is putting the brakes on it, for now.

Instead, council members want a taskforce to whittle down the wish list of improvements and come up with a less costly, but “exciting” vision for Atlantic Avenue. The street is an iconic symbol of the Oceanfront and home to hundreds of small businesses and hotels. It’s also used for parades, races and summer entertainment.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson suggested spicing up Atlantic Avenue with decorative arches and lighting as well as encouraging business owners to upgrade their storefronts by providing them with matching city grants.

“Atlantic Avenue is our main street,” said Wilson, who represents District 5, which encompasses the south end of the resort area. “We all know it needs to be refreshed; it also needs to be a little more exciting than it is.”

Councilman Worth Remick, who represents the resort area’s north end, agreed.

“We ought to be a little more creative and make it more attractive like the ViBe,” he said, referring to a creative district west of the avenue. “That type of attitude or approach to enhance, to make it more fun.”

The city set aside $48 million from a tourism tax fund to rehabilitate Atlantic Avenue, using more than $3 million of that last year for the design, which is 30% complete. Part of the plan included adding designated bike lanes and removing trolley lanes.

At the City Council winter retreat in January, members learned that the project cost had increased to $100 million based on the design, which took cues from the 2022 Resort Area Mobility Plan, a planning guide focused on the flow of transportation at the beach.

Sticker shocked, the council asked city officials to go back to the drawing board and figure out what could be done with the money currently allocated.

Emily Archer, deputy director of economic development, presented three options at Tuesday’s meeting. The costliest upgrades at $48 million include removing the trolley lanes, adding bike lanes and bumping the curb out between 17th and 25th streets. That option also includes roadway and sidewalk repaving, new light fixtures and landscaping at either end of the avenue.

“When you start moving curb lines is when we incur the more expensive cost,” Archer said. “Utilities have to move; underground considerations come into play.”

The least costly option came in at $26 million and includes minimal upgrades between 5th and 25th Street. It would include bike lanes.

“You’ve given us a roadmap, so to speak,” Wilson said. “I’d really like to see if we can get some more creativity and fun into it.”

She recommended dedicating money from the city’s Facade Improvement Grant program for businesses on Atlantic Avenue. The program provides matching grants up to $10,000 for business and property owners who enhance the exterior of their building.

“Storefronts are part of the problem, too,” Wilson said. “That money could go a long way… to really improve the look of Atlantic Avenue.”

The council gave City Manager Patrick Duhaney the green light to terminate the city’s contract with Archer Western and Rinker Design Associates because it could take nearly a year for the council to move ahead with any recommendations on Atlantic Avenue from a taskforce. Several local subcontractors were also on the design team.

“We might as well cut our ties and not further expend any funds with that contractor,” Duhaney said.