Who are the investors in Sen. Lucas' project?

PORTSMOUTH

The list of nearly 600 investors in state Sen. Louise Lucas' proposed hotel and convention center reads like a Who's Who of prominent and civically active black residents.

They are educators, NAACP leaders and politicians, fraternity and sorority members.

Together, they've provided more than the $1.8 million in seed money. They also have lent a strong support base for an at-times controversial plan to build a $65 million convention center and hotel in the heart of Portsmouth's new Victory Village commerce park.

"You might call it grass roots, but these are Portsmouth's finest citizens," Lucas said Monday. "It's not just me - it's all these others who are saying when we have something we have to go to Virginia Beach, to Chesapeake. We have to go out of town.

"These are the people who were born here. These are people who went to school here. We take pride in having our activities in Portsmouth. All we want is an opportunity."

Portsmouth's City Council is scheduled to vote today on whether to approve $50 million in federal bond financing for the project. Although Lucas' initial proposal called for about $13 million in city funding, that plan was scrapped once it faced public outcry. The city has no plans to give money or to back the bonds, which would help Lucas obtain low-cost financing.

The list of 586 investors Lucas provided to The Pilot on Monday includes state Sens. Mamie Locke of Hampton and Yvonne Miller of Norfolk. Retired Portsmouth Circuit Judge Archie Elliott has invested, as has former Newport News Circuit Judge Verbena Askew. Norfolk Councilwoman Daun S. Hester and Chesapeake Councilwoman Ella Ward also are investors.

In Portsmouth, Circuit Court Clerk Cynthia P. Morrison has signed on. So have Councilwoman Marlene Randall's husband, Vernon, and Councilman Charles B. Whitehurst Sr.

Some of them signed onto the project years ago, when it started as the "Delta House." Then, members of Portsmouth's chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority - which includes Lucas - were tired of searching for places to host functions and frustrated at the cost of renting facilities, especially when so many were outside the city.

Local Alpha Kappa Alpha members felt the same way.

"Each month, we go from place to place like little vagabonds," said Costella Williams, a member of AKA and a newly elected Portsmouth School Board member.

So Lucas said that when she decided to build a center where community groups could host functions, there was a lot of support.

The project became bigger than the original idea, and its name became the Victory Conference Center. Lucas, a Democrat from Portsmouth who runs several group homes for people who have mental and physical disabilities, went to community organizations with the idea and watched as word of mouth spread beyond city limits.

The minimum investment: $2,000.

"That was the beauty of the project. It was affordable to most," said Williams, who is also on the project's executive committee. "I can't even call myself an investor, the money was so little. It was the idea of the community thing - coming together to do something good for the community."

Lucas soon came back again with an idea that was even bigger. Consultants recommended an adjacent hotel to support the conference business.

Mel Milton, a retired Portsmouth middle school teacher active in his civic league and on several city commissions, heard about it from another retired educator.

After one investor meeting with Lucas and her consultants, he was hooked. He liked the idea of the center's proximity to the new Tidewater Community College campus now under construction.

"They got me all warmed up, and I went to the bank and got my money," he said, describing his investment as "small."

"I'm still excited about it, even though it's having its ups and downs," he said.

"It's not about the investment thing. It's about being able to help the city move in a different direction. It's a little legacy here that I made a contribution."

At a recent council meeting, Lucas was backed by dozens of former and current Norfolk and Portsmouth school administrators, officers in the local NAACP and clergy members.

The investors aren't limited to African Americans, and Lucas has courted partners from outside the area as well. There are supporters from Michigan, Georgia, Ohio and Northern Virginia. The majority, however, are from Portsmouth or Chesapeake. Nearly a quarter are from Lucas' own Portsmouth ZIP code.

Jeff Waugh, one of the newest investors, lives down the street from the senator. The Crystal Lake resident and business owner - Waugh runs an auto mall in Portsmouth - said he invested to support economic development in the area, particularly work done by a largely African American partnership.

"I feel real, real proud of just being a part of something that could have a huge impact on our community," he said. "It's not every day you get to be a part of that."

Williams said she and other early investors wouldn't mind seeing the project return to its original scope - to provide a meeting and banquet facility. However, she said she plans to attend the meeting today to back Lucas' newest vision.

"You don't become successful by backing down or turning your head," she said. "We're still very supportive and behind her 100 percent."

Meghan Hoyer, (757) 446-2293, meghan.hoyer@pilotonline.com