Minutes 05/25/2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 25. 2011 Financial Impact: . There will be a substantial capital cost to the City to relocate the jail. That cost cannot be reasonably determined at the present time. Once the jail is relocated and the Civic Center site is redeveloped for private, taxable use, there will be significant new tax revenue generated for the City. The amount of that new revenue cannot be reasonably determined at the present time. Recommended Action: . Adoption of the resolution IS recommended. Vision Principle: Bold New Directions. Next Steps Following Council Action: . The City Manager will assemble a project team to conduct the study and evaluation. . The City Attorney will assist the City Manager as needed and as requested. . The City Manager will make status reports to City Council from time to time. 1. Mark Geduldig-Yatrofsky, 2713 Sterling Point Drive, spoke in opposition to this item. Motion by Mr. Whitehurst, and seconded by Mr. Heretick, to adopt the following resolution, and was adopted by the following vote: "RESOLUTION CONCERNING RELOCATION OF THE PORTSMOUTH CITY JAIL. Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, that: A. WHEREAS, Portsmouth constructed the complex known as the Civic Center, which contains courts, court support facilities, and the City Jail, approximately forty years ago, at a time when the downtown area contained many decaying and substandard buildings, and also obsolete and run-down maritime facilities, and the area was often known for gambling, fighting, and other untoward activities; and B. WHEREAS, the City's purpose in developing the Civic Center at this location was to displace undesirable uses so that they could be replaced with better and higher uses; and C. WHEREAS, that original purpose has now been largely achieved; and D. WHEREAS, the Civic Center now occupies a key portion of the downtown waterfront that has great potential for private, taxable investment and development, yet its continued presence there prevents such investment and development from occurring; and E. WHEREAS, the courts and court support facilities that occupy the Civic Center are now in the process of being relocated to a new judicial center in a nearby area of downtown, and the space they occupy in the Civic Center will soon become vacant; and F. WHEREAS, when the courts relocate, the only remaining use at the Civic Center will be the City Jail, but it will not be possible to demolish and redevelop the Civic Center property until the jail can be relocated; and G. WHEREAS, in past years, several prior City Councils have recognized the strategic importance of moving the jail off the downtown waterfront, including the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Commission, duly established by former Mayor Dr. James W. Holley, III; however, a practical and affordable plan has never been developed for achieving the desired relocation; and H. WHEREAS, it is now critical to the City's future that a practical and affordable plan be developed to relocate the jail so that the Civic Center may be demolished and then privately developed so as to increase the tax base of the City and the population of the downtown area;