The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
The city's development authority unanimously recommended Tuesday that City Council spend $5 million to buy the vacant Circuit City property next to Town Center.
Beach officials are eyeing the property for a possible light-rail station and potential expansion of Town Center.
The 3.74-acre site is assessed at $5.8 million, according to the Beach's latest tax records.
The land backs the Norfolk Southern right of way, the probable path of a light-rail line from Newtown Road to Birdneck Road. Virginia Beach officials are in final negotiations to buy the right of way from the railroad company for $40 million, and Hampton Roads Transit just launched a study on the feasibility of light rail.
The Circuit City land is in a key location, said Mark Wawner, the city's project manager for Town Center.
If the land is used to continue Town Center across the railroad tracks, the city needs to ensure that other companies are involved in the development and that the process of selecting a developer is fair and transparent, said Page Lea, an authority member.
Armada Hoffler and its partners are the sole developers of Town Center.
The City Council likely will vote on buying the Circuit City land in August.
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The state gave you 40 Million Virginia Beach to buy the line!
I think the City of Virginia Beach needs to pay the State back the 40 million if they don't approve Lighrail.. The reason the state gave the City of Virginia Beach 40 million was to help buy the Norfolk Southern Right away so they can extend lightrail to the oceanfront. It should be Federal Law. Using State money for fraudulent purposes. And the City does not need a referendum. If you cant do your job. you dont need to be in office. that is why we elected you people to lead our city!.. This is the future of Virginia Beach people.. Mass Transit into Town Center, to the convention Center/19th to the Dome Site and to Laskin Gateway. Wake up and smell the coffee.
Where is it ever going to go?
It goes to Norfolk. Yipee. It's faster and easier to drive yourself. If it went to the Norfolk Airport, Newport News Airport, Busch Gardens, Richmond Airport, Fredericksburg and up to Norther VA, I'd be all for it. It goes to Norfolk. Period. It isn't worth a penny.
The light rail is past due...
In terms of the money life cost money, anything worth while costs money, moving into a house in a better neighborhood cost money. The point is that HR mass transit is lacking on all sides the only way to improve is to do excatly what the city is doing, spending money to address an issue. This area needs a strong mass transit the same way Charlotte, Fairfax, and the Northern VA area as a whole needed strong mass transit. Va Beach keep the good work up, just hurry and get the analysis and implementation done you have the support of the recent college grads who have been to other cities and understand what we lack as a region...we are the future, change is the future.
next year
the cash reserve is gone, council stole the reserve fund from the school board too, tourism is WAY off, home values have do be assessed downward. This is why there's such a hurry to ramrod this worthless people mover through now. I have plenty of friends at the treasurers office. The city's in trouble and the stuff will hit the fan on the next budget. Political deception at it's finest.....
Is this a surprise?
I think not.
Why return them to office?
Actually LarryR, the Beach did not suffer the reductions in employees or services like the other cities; we planned ahead and had a reserve and increased revenue from commercial projects to provide a stable budget environment in a troubling recession. However, your suggestion that the city take on the responsibility of the Commomwealth of Virginia to maintain the interstate is absurd. Why not elect Delegates to the House of Delegates who will fulfill the responsibilies of their office? Why return Bob Purkey or Sal Iaquinto to office, or elect Stolle? They will simply vote as the Speaker of the House Bill Howell tells them to vote, and that won't be to fund maintenance for interstates. No, over the last decade in office, a once proud and efficient transportation system has become a deteriorated mess, with potholes, closed bridges, tall grass, close rest stops, and cancelled projects worthy of a third world country. Don't even consider voting for these guys who simply won't vote in our interest.
We need more Buses
Will there be more buses and longer run times in our near future.Most of the buses stop running at 6pm near Pleasure House rd.If I rode the bus to the train, traveled to the Oceanfront,got back to the station after 7pm, I would be stuck at Town Center.I think they need to fix the bus
system first.I would much rather ride the bus,I hate to drive.
Right now it takes me about 25 minutes to drive to work,if I rode a
bus, with transfers, it would take 2 hours.But then again, if I get off
work after 6pm.,I would not be able to get home.More buses running 24 hours would be what needs to happen first.I know lots of people who would
use the bus system if only there was one to ride.If Im going to drive to Town Center,find parking,buy tickets wait for train,I might as well just
drive to the beach in my car.
what the?
what the?
Instead of spending all that
Instead of spending all that money on the rail right-away and the Circuit City site, that money should be applied towards the budget to restore services that have been eliminated or reduced. Or, to fix I-264, which the state is unable to do. 264 is beginning to be an amusement park ride. Before going any further the city should wait until after the September pubic meetings. To me, right now, a "yes" to light rail is a "no" in the ballot box.
I've got an idea. Let's tax
I've got an idea. Let's tax everyone, and spend a lot of that money to implement a grand expense. I'm a forward thinker!