The vision for the Pembroke SGA is a central urban core with a vertical mix of urban uses; great streets, mobility and transit alternatives; urban gathering places; environmental and neighborhood preservation and enhancement; green buildings; and infrastructure opportunities providing a variety of civic, commercial, artistic and ethnically diverse areas.

Interested in developing in the Pembroke SGA?

Virginia Beach welcomes projects of all shapes and sizes, and the City’s Planning staff can help guide new development ideas from conception to final inspections. Development Liaisons are available based on a project’s proposed location, development type and current phase.

• Connect with the Development Liaison Team

​​​​​The SGA Now

The Pembroke SGA is a 1,200-acre tract of land bound by Thalia Creek to the east, Jeanne and Broad streets to the north, Clearfield Avenue to the west, and Bonney and Baxter roads to the south.

This SGA reflects a classic suburban pattern of development. It includes some residential and institutional uses but is dominated by commercial and industrial structures. An exception is Town Center. This vibrant, mixed-use urban center has become a special destination within Virginia Beach and the larger metropolitan area. It features a complement of office, retail, residential, educational, entertainment, cultural, restaurant, open spaces and other uses.

Interstate 264 and two major arterial roadways, Virginia Beach and Independence boulevards serve the Pembroke SGA. An unused rail line passes through this area extending from the Norfolk city line to the Oceanfront resort area vicinity.​​​

The Plan

The Pembroke SGA Implementation Plan details policies for six subareas as shown on the Urban Master Plan/Districts Map. These include the Central Business District’s core, Bonney and waterfront areas. It also encompasses the Central Village, Western Campus and Southern Corporate districts. This framework concentrates a high density mix of complementary urban uses within a defined central area that creates a skyline for Virginia Beach and provides for decreasing land use densities from the core.

Key Recommendations

• Implement transit-oriented development around planned transit stations.
• Establish policies for alternative/workforce housing.
• Tailor a form-based code for each district.
• Establish a cultural arts district in the core area.
• Expand the Pembroke SGA to include Mount Trashmore Park and South Independence commercial corridor.
• Design and build the entire length of Cleveland Street to Greenwich Road as a "complete street" to be an attractive and efficient thoroughfare serving many modes of travel.
• Develop a public facilities strategy for City-owned lands considering recreation, library, museum, theaters and other uses.