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<br />R-11-16 <br /> <br />A RESOLUTION CONCERNING RELOCATION OF THE PORTSMOUTH CITY JAIL. <br /> <br />Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, that: <br /> <br />A. WHEREAS, Portsmouth constructed the complex known as the Civic Center, which <br />contains courts, court support facilities, and the City Jail, approximately forty years ago, at a time <br />when the downtown area contained many de.caying and substandard buildings, and also obsolete <br />and run-down maritime facilities, and the area was often known for gambling, fighting, and other <br />untoward activities; and <br /> <br />B. WHEREAS, the City's purpose in developing the Civic Center at this location was to <br />displace undesirable uses so that they could be replaced with better and higher uses; and <br /> <br />C. WHEREAS, that original purpose has now been largely achieved; and <br /> <br />D. WHEREAS, the Civic Center now occupies a key portion of the downtown waterfront <br />that has great potential for private, taxable investment and development, yet its continued <br />presence there prevents such investment and development from occurring; and <br /> <br />E. WHEREAS, the courts and court support facilities that occupy the Civic Center are <br />now in the process of being relocated to a new judicial center in a nearby area of downtown, and <br />the space they occupy in the Civic Center will soon become vacant; and <br /> <br />F.WHEREAS, when the courts relocate, the only remaining use at the Civic Center will <br />be the City Jail, but it will not be possible to demolish and redevelop the Civic Center property <br />until the jail can be relocated; and <br /> <br />G. WHEREAS, in past years, several prior City Councils have recognized the strategic <br />importance of moving the jail off the downtown waterfront, including the Mayor's Blue Ribbon <br />Commission, duly ~stablished by former Mayor Dr. James W. Holley, III; however, a practical <br />and affordable plan has never been developed for achieving the desired relocation; and <br /> <br />H. WHEREAS, it is now critical to the City's future that a practical and affordable plan <br />be developed to relocate the jail so that the Civic Center may be demolished and then privately <br />developed. so as to increase the tax base of the City and the population of the downtown area; <br /> <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Portsmouth, <br />Virginia, as follows: <br /> <br />1. City Council hereby finds and determines that it is in the public interest to relocate the <br />Portsmouth City Jail away from the downtown waterfront so that the entire Civic Center area can <br />be made available for private, taxable development. <br /> <br />2. The City Manager shall assemble and direct a project team to develop a strategy for <br />relocation of the jail. The City Attorney shall assist the City Manager as needed and as <br />