“My heart breaks to say that Chili’s MacArthur will close next Sunday June 25th permanently,” the restaurant’s general manager, Amberlynn Johnson, said on Facebook. “I knew this day would come, however we thought we had a little while longer.”

A Chili’s spokesperson confirmed the closure to The Pilot.

“We regularly review the performance of our restaurants and from time to time will make the tough decision to close a restaurant based on evaluative criteria, such as sales figures, lease agreements and other factors,” the spokesperson said.

The announcement follows a steady decline of the mall, losing anchor stores Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Nordstrom, and depreciating $126 million in value over the past five years.

Early this month, the city voted to purchase MacArthur Center for just over $11 million, and now owns the entire mall and parking garages, with the exception of anchor store Dillard’s. The space will remain a mall for the near future, as no redevelopment plan has been finalized.

The closure of the Chili’s in MacArthur will leave only one location left in Norfolk, the Norfolk Naval Base Chili’s at 9226 Mall Drive.

Johnson said she’ll work open to close Sunday to have “the best last day.”

“We would love to see friends, family, (and past employees) come out and support our last week open.”

Sydney Haulenbeek, sydney.haulenbeek@virginiamedia.com

Phase one of the project is an expansion of Ocean View Beach Park, said Chuck Joyner, assistant city engineer, as he presented during Tuesday’s City Council work session. It factors in public comments from Ocean View residents, and will feature a half circle of green space bordering the beachfront, a food truck area, paths to the beach and a public shower and footwash.

The city purchased the infamous bar and another nearby restaurant for $2.3 million and demolished it in 2018. The lot has sat vacant since then.

Redevelopment is expected to take some time. Joyner said the site plan will be submitted for review by this fall, and the project completed in spring 2025. It would cost an estimated $2.5 million.

The first phase of the proposal will have an extended boardwalk, and picnic tables and swinging benches. There will be handicap parking and a handicap accessible ramp to the oceanfront. There may also be canopies factored into the final design, and electric vehicle chargers in the future.

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The park is designed to optimize beach access and provide a small performance venue, Joyner said. It will also provide additional parking. New landscaping will be salt spray tolerant and blend in with existing plants.

“We wanted to add … a place where smaller events and small entertainment things can occur for the community and for others to organize events as well,” Joyner said.

Joyner also outlined future plans for the area, which would include upgrading the intersection where 1st View Street meets Ocean View Avenue. Overhead cable and electrical would be undergrounded and the intersection updated, a process which is estimated to cost $3.3 million.

The building Greenies was located in was built in 1918, and the bar moved in to the property in 1930. It remained open until September 2018, and was demolished that December. For decades, Greenies was a local staple among Navy sailors.

Initially, the space Greenies once occupied was set to become a parking lot.

Residents were split between beachfront views and another restaurant or bar, but all agreed on one thing: no residential development.

City officials didn’t discuss the second phase of construction during Tuesday’s meeting. In the past, proposed ideas for the property included a one-story waterfront restaurant with outdoor and rooftop dining or a bigger waterfront restaurant with outdoor dining.

Phase two would be built west of 1st View Street, expanding upon the Ocean View Beach Park property being developed in the first phase.

Sydney Haulenbeek, sydney.haulenbeek@virginiamedia.com