VIRGINIA BEACH — A popular Oceanfront park that once was the center of a controversial land deal will be renamed after former Mayor Will Sessoms.

The City Council on Tuesday voted 10-1 to approve the renaming of 31st Street Park to The William D. Sessoms Jr. Neptune’s Park.

“I can’t begin to tell you (how) humbling it is and how appreciative I am of this great honor,” Sessoms, 71, said in an interview Tuesday.

A Virginia Beach native, Sessoms served as mayor from 2008 to 2018. He was first elected to the council in 1988, and held the seat as vice mayor from 1992-2002.

Councilwoman Jennifer Rouse was the lone vote against the name change. Most of the other council members had requested the resolution.

“I thought that was too big of a renaming to not ask the public what they think of that,” said Rouse on Wednesday. “He can be a controversial figure depending on who you ask.”

Sessoms played an integral role in the creation of 31st Street Park, though its history is mired in controversy. In a 2000 ballot referendum, which was not binding, 58% of residents voted to have a park where the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront hotel on 31st Street is now.

Rendering of the new canopy at Neptune’s Park on 31st Street in Virginia Beach.

In 2003, the Virginia Beach Development Authority approved a public-private partnership with developer Bruce Thompson for the hotel, a parking garage and a public park. The City Council’s decision to move forward with the public-private partnership upset the opponents of the hotel and garage.

Sessoms was serving as vice mayor and supported the idea for a hotel as a tax revenue generator.

“The people wanted it to be a park, and we said we could develop it and also have a very nice park, and that’s what we did,” he said.

In 2018, Shamin Hotels bought the Hilton and the park land from Thompson, but the city maintains an easement on the park, ensuring the amphitheater and open space will be maintained and remain open to the public.

Sessoms himself also faced controversy while serving as mayor. He faced criminal charges in a conflict of interest case, following an investigation by The Virginian-Pilot.

Sessoms pleaded no contest to a single misdemeanor charge of violating the state’s Conflict of Interest Act for a vote he cast that benefited a borrower of TowneBank while he was a president there. As part of a plea agreement offered by the special prosecutor, four other charges were dropped.

In 2018, Sessoms voluntarily resigned from his position as mayor during his third term. Current Mayor Bobby Dyer took over the seat after a special election was held.

“I was handed the tiller of a very well run ship,” Dyer told Sessoms at the Tuesday council meeting. “Thank you.”

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Sessoms has dedicated much of his life to volunteering in the community and civic organizations including the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center and the Neptune Festival, among many others.

He recently led efforts to fundraise for the survivors of the 2019 mass shooting at the city’s Municipal Center as well as the families of the police officers who were shot and killed this year.

Sessoms was also integral in helping to fundraise for the King Neptune statue, which was installed 20 years ago adjacent to 31st Street Park. It has become an iconic landmark for the city and one of the most photographed destinations at the beach.

The park has been informally referred to as Neptune’s Park over the years. The park’s stage is named after Nancy Creech, who lead the Neptune Festival for decades. While the park will take on the former mayor’s name soon, it will also retain its Neptune moniker.

“I don’t want to take one thing away from Neptune,” Sessoms said. “He’s the king.”

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/09/03/oceanfront-park-renamed-will-sessoms/