01-07-2025
A mixed-use development is under construction at former Virginia Beach elementary school site
The 12-acre site where Linkhorn Park Elementary School was located for more than four decades is transforming into a mixed-use development.
The Canopy, a nearly $80 million project consisting of residential, retail and office space, is under construction on Laskin Road near the Hilltop shopping district in Virginia Beach.
'It's a really big legacy project for us,' said Christen Faatz, senior vice president of corporate finance and accounting for The Franklin Group. 'We're really excited to see it come to life, come out of the ground and come alive. We've been working on it for almost four years at this point.'
The project began in 2021 in response to a city request for proposals, followed by the demolition of the old school building, Faatz said. The company bought the site last year for $7 million.
The finished project is slated to have 132 apartments, 10,000 square feet of ground-level retail space and 50,000 square feet of office space.
The apartments — featuring 40 one-bedroom, one-bath units; 60 two-bedroom, two-bath units; and 32 three-bedroom, three-bath units — are anticipated to be complete by February. The first move-in should be in March, Faatz said.
Amenities include a resort-style infinity pool, two pickleball courts, an event lawn at the rear of the building, a covered cabana with an outdoor kitchen, fire pits, walking trails, a fitness center and electric vehicle charging stations.
Various businesses, including a fast-casual restaurant, fitness studio and a coffee shop, have expressed interest in leasing the retail space beneath the apartments, she said.
A 1-acre outparcel, on the corner of Laskin Road and Winwood Drive, will also be available for development and lease. An additional stoplight will be placed at that intersection as part of the project.
The five-story tower, with roughly 10,000 square feet of office space on each floor, will be built on the easternmost corner of the property — starting in late 2026 or early 2027 — once the apartments are leased and stabilized.
The Franklin Group plans to move its corporate headquarters into 30,000 square feet within the tower in early 2028. The other 20,000 square feet will be available for lease, she said.
The company currently occupies 18,000 square feet within the Sidney Kellam Building developed by Gold Key/PHR on 32nd Street in Virginia Beach.
'Gold Key has been really wonderful partners since we started in 2013,' Faatz said. 'We've grown and grown and grown and taken up almost two full floors now and we just need additional space eventually.'
The Franklin Group now manages close to 38,000 apartment units in 11 states. Its continued growth will lead to more hiring, she said.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836,
