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August 14, 2012
<br />Motion by Mr. Heretick, and seconded by Mr. Edmonds, to adopt the following
<br />resolution, and was adopted by the following vote:
<br />"RESOLUTION CONCERNING DEMOLITION OF THE PORTSMOUTH CIVIC
<br />CENTER IN ORDER TO MAKE POSSIBLE TAXABLE REDEVELOPMENT.
<br />WHEREAS, the present Portsmouth "Civic Center," which houses all Portsmouth
<br />courts, the offices of the Clerk of Circuit Court and the clerks of the other courts, various
<br />support offices and facilities, and the Portsmouth City Jail, was built in 1969; and
<br />WHEREAS, the City has just constructed and dedicated a new Judicial Center,
<br />which will house all Portsmouth courts, the offices of the Clerk of Circuit Court and the
<br />clerks of the other courts, the office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, and various
<br />support offices and facilities, and
<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 />WHEREAS, the Civic Center is badly deteriorated, is at or past the end of its
<br />usable life, and has no realistic potential for adaptive re-use on financially prudent
<br />terms, and
<br />WHEREAS, the 2009 Downtown Master Plan, which was duly adopted by City
<br />Council, identified the Civic Center site as a long-term development opportunity, and as
<br />early as 2007 City Council adopted a resolution directing the City Manager to plan for
<br />relocation of various judicial facilities, including the jail, and
<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
<br />help revitalize the entire city, increase the quality of life for all citizens and also
<br />contribute to reducing the real estate tax rate, and
<br />WHEREAS, the operating systems of the Civic Center, including water, sanitary
<br />sewer, HVAC, electrical, communications, and parking are interconnected between the
<br />various structures there, thus making it unfeasible to leave the present jail in place while
<br />demolishing the remainder of the Civic Center, and
<br />WHEREAS, in order to realize the great development potential of this site, it is in
<br />the public interest to find alternate means to house the inmates in the jail at a different
<br />location or locations so that the entire Civic Center may be demolished, and
<br />WHEREAS, the new Washington Street Pump Station is now under construction,
<br />and once completed it will provide adequate utility service for the desired private sector
<br />redevelopment of the Civic Center site, and
<br />WHEREAS, said Master Plan and the City's strategic interests call for a
<br />reduction in tax-exempt property on the downtown waterfront and a conversion of such
<br />property to taxable status,
<br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of
<br />Portsmouth, Virginia, that:
<br />1. The City Council hereby finds and determines that it is in the public
<br />interest to demolish the Civic Center as soon as it is practicable to do so.
<br />2. The City Manager is directed to proceed with implementing the Downtown
<br />Master Plan and Waterfront Strategy, with particular regard to the Civic Center.
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