Portsmouth faces legal action over documents related to Lucas project

"Portsmouth is the only city that does NOT have a conference center."

What do you call the Renaissance?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine if one conference center is losing money two will lose more and both will suffer. Guess what, both black and white citizens of Portsmouth pay taxes. The city council made the decision not to authorize the bonds based on NEED and for once listened to the tax payer. It is unfortunate that some people are too simple minded to see that and want to make it into a racial issue.

LMundon said, "We all know the negative undertones of racism, classism, and cultural insensitivity that continue to impede the economic growth of the Hampton Roads area".

If white people are as inherently racist as you imply, Obama would have never been able to win the white mid-western states. Even more importantly, if whites are as racist as you claim, Obama would have NEVER been able to beat the Clinton Machine and clinch the nomination.

The race card is worn out. I'm sure white people are sick of being constantly accused of something they know within their hearts they're not guilty of. I'm sick of hearing it, and I'm only half white! White people have passed laws to give black people preferential treatment in education, hiring, and promotions, over their own children! If that’s not enough for you, you need to stop whining and grow up.

As one of the investors in this project, I am opposed to what is taking place and will be requesting my money back. This is neither what I bargained for nor hundreds of others. There has been no communication to investors except what is read in the paper. I am opposed to suing or taking legal action against the city. This has gone too far.

"I am sure this project was carefully planned with all i's dotted all t's crossed. They have a right to ask "why" and receive an answer"

Then you should not need any public money. ISn't that the problem here? You have an investment that will not pay for itself, based on a poor business model and want tax payers to foot the bill? Since no one is Ok w/ it that is holding the purse strings you cry racism. You all are now trying to litigous attempt at kicking and screaming to get your way.

Yeah, your the reason. That should save you some time.

The point is that those on Portsmouth City Council that COULD vote did so and the project was voted down. They voted in the best interest of the city and its citizens and that should be the end of story. Period. Done. Over with. Finito. Decisions like this are voted on every month in every city and when the day is done and the motions have been voted on city councils and citizens move on to the next item of business. The investors in this particular project need to realize that their shot came and went and they now need to let it go and move on. It may be hard to swallow but it's a fact of life. And another thing to anyone in a position to know.... Is Mayor Holley a defendant in this lawsuit or not? Is he an investor in the project or not? Why won't Senator Lucas give up the list of investors? If Holley is on that list that's yet ANOTHER reason to give him the boot!

"No" is hardly ever the final answer, instead it's a mere road block.

The Victory area of Portsmouth is a good location and has the potential to be an additional hotspot in the city. With Victory Crossings and the peripheral shops and restaurants along with the new Portsmouth campus of TCC; the conference center/hotel will fit greatly into the equation. Portsmouth is the only city that does NOT have a conference center. It will not take away from the Renaissance hotel. There are many people and businesses eyeing our city and the Hampton Roads area for conferences and other major ventures but if we don't have the capacity to support such efforts we will continue be overlooked.

Whatever is said about Sen. Lucas, no one can deny that she is a visionary with great business savvy. I am sure this project was carefully planned with all i's dotted all t's crossed. They have a right to ask "why" and receive an answer. We all know the negative undertones of racism, classism, and cultural insensitivity that continue to impede the economic growth of the Hampton Roads area and its ability to economically compete with other cities of similar size and demographics. Therefore, what may a

1) Yes, I smell some form of "race" issue coming from this charade.

2) It is interesting that the the city doesn't need the facility, the voters don't want (and council voted accordingly), yet Sen Lucas wants to try to backdoor this issue now.

3) I do hope she is charged for all her frivolous requests of emails, council notes, meeting minutes, etc.

It's aggravating that folks work so hard to get something for nothing. If they'd just work as hard to get something they deserve, it would be admirable...

Dear, dear Hubert. You surely have my sympathy. Many of us do not live in P-Town and can forget about this when we walk away from the keyboard. You cannot. Do try to put it out of your mind this weekend.

Laugh about it. After all...you can't make this stuff up.

Dennis said, "Does anybody else out there smell a (frivilous) discrimination-based law suit?"

That all depends. If you tell one group "No", that's blatant racism and discrimination. If you tell another group "No", it's not.

Denying the monetary support for this privatre venture was very right. Nothing in any city document will incriminate that deceision. I suggest that they make a request from Norfolk for a copy of all of their correspondence to this monetary request for this private venture, Norfolk had to provide their legal opinion on this project as well because it was enpowerment enterprise grant money from the federal government. They voted no as well. But the difference with asking Norfolk for info is It will a cold day in heck before they give up anything - pound sand is their frequent response to these request and Portsmouth should say the same, pound sand.

Intimidation comes in all forms. Just look who filed the paperwork, a judge and a lawyer. They know what it takes to intimidate people and cities. They should be ashamed of themselves. It is nothing but a ploy to force the city to contribute to a hotel/convention center that is not needed in the form planned. Please city council, hang tough and do not bow to the extortionist disguising themselves as interested parties. Just how much money do they think this project will make? Not much, since the hotel/convention center now open is not being used anywhere near capacity. Rethink your plans and make it an appropriate venue. Also, voters please remember these events and vote according to your values and ethics, not ethnicity.

This smells like a future discrimmination suit is in the works. (Throw the race card! Throw the race card!)

Perhaps if Lucas and her cronies would revise their plans, to include the new courthouse and jail complex at the same location as the "conference center" and "hotel", and (make an empty) promise to build it all for the same amount of city-backed money, the city council might be persuaded to change their votes.

Yeah, go figure!

Sen. Lucas need to pick-up her "Ball and Jacks" and go home. Sen. Lucas hotel/convention is not for everyone. She plans to use the facility for personal and 600 friends only. It's not surprising Sen. Lucas has not started to pressure Mayor Holley to change the vote. Because Sen. Lucas and Mayor Holly are two-of-a-kind!

Interesting to note that the only member of city government NOT listed as being a party to the suit is the mayor. I still can't help wondering if he's an investor in this debacle. Remember- he did say it wasn't over and that it was not going to go away! Sounds to me like this woman has an INSIDE MAN feeding her info on what to ask for in her FOI request. I say we get Holley out ASAP!

With a bare minimum of 600 investors, it seems as though there is not much financial interest in this project. The citizens of Portsmouth do not want this project and the council has voted that there is no need for this venture and in fact it may damage the ability of the Renaissance to make the necessary revenue to reimburse the city for taxpayer funding that went into that project. The prospect of using Enterprise Zone funds to create 36 full time jobs and a host of part-time minimum wage jobs is just galling. Portsmouth needs real jobs with real salaries and benefits.

In respects for a request for city documents related to other projects where Portsmouth has approved similar bonds or have not complied during the past ten years, wouldn't you have to have the same players involved? Is city council chained to having to follow what those before them have chosen? This is why we have elections. If we do not like what council has done in the past, we vote them out. What difference does it make what someone voted for ten years ago. The times are a changing!

Lucas and her band of investors, (including the unbiased judge from Newport News) will eventually find a way to convince (force) city council to vote in favor of this project, receive the enterprise zone tax-exempt bonds and build their hotel. Eventually, it will fail (the economics of this project do not add up) and then the City will once again be pushed to take it over. I certainly hope that city council, the city manager and anyone else being pulled into this three ring circus will make it very clear that the city and city tax payers will not bail them out!

What a load of crap. Raise your hand if you're glad you don't live in Portsmouth!

I mean honestly, how do they ever expect respectable shops, businesses, and people to relocate to P-Town if every time City Council has a meeting, someone sues or goes on a racial rant. Ridiculous.

Just like the Hampton Roads Transit Authority,
they wait until the public is distracted and start the process to backdoor this project. She is going to do everything she can to get the cities to apporve this weather the people want it or not.
The people begged City Council to say no, and surprisingly they heard the people and voted accordingly. Sen. Lucas is not for the people she is only for herself and her freinds that stand beside her waiting for a handout.

Does anybody else out there smell a (frivilous) discrimination-based law suit? If it comes to fruition, I hope the P-Town Commonwealth's Attorney counter-sues the Lucas "600" and makes enough to build our new courthouse/jail complex!

It looks like some people can not handle beening told no to getting to use other people money for thier project. Just give them the records that ey requested and charge them $1.00 for each paper sheet.

Scare tactics. Some people cannot handle being told "NO". Stick to your guns council. Let them get their own funding.