VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The future of Building 2 at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center Complex is currently unknown, according to Mayor Bobby Dyer.
The building, which is now better known as the site where a gunman left 12 people dead and four others injured, is closed “indefinitely” while it is being processed by the FBI.
However, even after the crime tape comes down, no decision has been made on whether or not business will continue inside.
Dyer spoke about the building’s future following Tuesday night’s council meeting. It was the first time council convened since Friday’s mass shooting.
The meeting was preceeded by a moment of silence for the victims of the massacre. Afterwards, council members shared their thoughts on the victims and the events of Friday.
VIDEO: Council holds moment of silence ahead of meeting
Now the city is mulling what to do with the building that was the site of the deadly shooting. “I tell you what, it’s up for discussion,” Dyer said.
The 3-story, 40-year-old building is 92,404 square feet according to Virginia Beach Property Records. Sitting next to City Hall, it is also known as the “operations” building, serving as the office space for Planning; Public Utilities; Public Works; Permits & Inspections; Zoning; Traffic Engineering; Information Technology; and print services.
While the rest of the city offices reopened Tuesday, all non-essential staff from Building 2 have yet to return to work.
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“I can imagine there are some employees that will not go back there,” said Dyer. “Can you imagine the trauma some of those people who survived are experiencing?”
When looking at other mass shootings that have occurred across the country, often times the building in which they occur are never reopened.
“We are going to make a good decision on that going forward,” Dyer said. “You know personally, I think we need to find another alternative.”
Any alternatives are speculative at this point. But Mayor Dyer did bring up the upcoming construction of a new City Hall.
“Maybe we can incorporate, kind of alternate plans that would accommodate everything,” Dyer said.
Mckenzie Construction recently submitted the lowest bid to construct the new City Hall for $37 million.
