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<br />R-12-34
<br />
<br />A RESOLUTION CONCERNING DEMOLITION OF THE PORTSMOUTH CIVIC
<br />CENTER IN ORDER TO MAKE POSSIBLE TAXABLE REDEVELOPMENT.
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, the present Portsmouth "Civic Center," which houses all Portsmouth courts,
<br />the offices of the Clerk of Circuit Court and the clerks of the other courts, various support offices
<br />and facilities, and the Portsmouth City Jail, was built in 1969; and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, the City has just constructed and dedicated a new Judicial Center, which
<br />will house all Portsmouth courts, the offices of the Clerk of Circuit Court and the clerks of the
<br />other courts, the office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, and various support offices and
<br />facilities, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS when the Judicial Center is occupied in the very near future, the only
<br />remaining principal activity in the Civic Center will be the Portsmouth City Jail, with the
<br />remainder of the Civic Center becoming vacant, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, the Civic Center is badly deteriorated, is at or past the end of its usable life,
<br />and has no realistic potential for adaptive re-use on financially prudent terms, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, the 2009 Downtown Master Plan, which was duly adopted by City Council,
<br />identified the Civic Center site as a long-term development opportunity, and as early as 2007
<br />City Council adopted a resolution directing the City Manager to plan for relocation of various
<br />judicial facilities, including the jail, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, if the Civic Center can be demolished, it will create an exceptional
<br />downtown waterfront development site, with the potential to help bring commercial and
<br />residential taxable development to the downtown area, and such development could help
<br />revitalize the entire city, increase the quality of life for all citizens and also contribute to reducing
<br />the real estate tax rate, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, the operating systems of the Civic Center, including water, sanitary sewer,
<br />HV AC, electrical, communications, and parking are interconnected between the various
<br />structures there, thus making it unfeasible to leave the present jail in place while demolishing the
<br />remainder of the Civic Center, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, in order to realize the great development potential of this site, it is in the
<br />public interest to find alternate means to house .the inmates in the jail at a different location or
<br />locations so that the entire Civic Center may be demolished, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, the new Washington Street Pump Station is now under construction, and
<br />once completed it will provide adequate utility service for the desired private sector
<br />redevelopment of the Civic Center site, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, said Master Plan and the City's strategic interests call for a reduction in
<br />tax-exempt property on the downtown waterfront and a conversion of such property to taxable
<br />
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