The Virginian-Pilot
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PORTSMOUTH
A proposal to demolish the old Cradock High School and build about 200 houses in its place moved closer to approval Tuesday.
The City Council voted unanimously to begin negotiations on the project and to give the developer more time to study its feasibility. The project would be the largest new residential development in the city in years, Councilman Bill Moody Jr. said.
Bob Arnette of Coastal Virginia Developers and Gary Werner of Franciscus Homes want to build 206 single-family detached homes on about 42 acres off George Washington Highway.
The main concern for neighbors is the loss of a recreational center in the old high school, which would have to be demolished. The Cradock Civic League has given conditional support for the project as long as the city replaces the center with another facility in Cradock.
The Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority is looking at James Hurst Elementary School as a possible site for a new recreation center. Officials plan to present options to the community in the next few weeks, said Kathy Warren, deputy executive director for the authority.
Werner told city officials Monday that he hopes to be ready to negotiate a sales price for the city-owned land by the end of the year. He hopes to begin building homes as early as next summer, he said.
The neighborhood could incorporate aspects from the high school, including street names.
Dave Forster, (757) 446-2627, dave.forster@pilotonline.com
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Section 8
I can't comprehend people who wants to comment on section 8 people and don't know how section 8 works. Don't get mad at the people who have section 8. You should get mad at the people who owns the property. Section 8 voucher holders can not get a section 8 authorize housing unless and owner/landlord puts his/her property on the HUD list for leasing. You have to have a credit check let alone good credit. So stop the hating. And be glad that it cuts down on homelessnes. And as for the new apartments being built. They should be for low-income families, they need a place to live to, after working two jobs and can't get affordable housing. Some americans you all are.
Respectfully...
...the Section 8 program sounds good on paper...but the reality for neighborhoods experiencing an influx of Section 8 renters is harsh. As a homeowner in Cradock, I experienced the reality. Houses that used to be lived in by the owners, went downhill once they were lived in by Section 8 renters. No one takes care of a home like the person who owns it.
I hope this is the answer
There are 67 homes for sale in Cradock right now. It took us 7 months to sell ours...a beautiful, all brick, colonial....and, when I say we had to bend over to sell it, I am not kidding.
I also just moved to olde
I also just moved to olde towne portsmouth. when will people get over the misconception that if you step outside in portsmouth you will be shot. sure there are a few rough areas, but none more than norfolk. portsmouth is wonderful, and not just olde towne, churchland is a fine area. this development might be a good plan. it's going to put affordable, but quality homes in an area that needs revitalization. if cradock is going to come back, it needs something like this. it's been trying to come back for a while and couldn't before the housing bubble burst. it's not like they are building huge houses that either wont sell or would put people in a lot of debt--these are homes that a young professional can afford, and yes, young professionals would move to portsmouth--i'm one myself and i see plenty others around the neighborhood
greenbrier
I love your enthusiasm, but you need to take off the rose colored glasses. Noone, & I repeat noone is moving to P-town. They're moving out. Even in Newport they aren't selling those new homes. That's the cause for the shift from single family homes to apartments there now. The only types they are drawing to those apartments are section 8, which means more subsidized housing, no thanks. This reminds me of the old gov't saying, just do something, even if it's wrong, just do something. Sorry, P-Town can't keep doing wrong to just be doing something.
Right on.
It is a minority town, with the minority being the majority. We probaly have more Sec 8 per capita then any city around, except maybe Newport News. Crime just seems to breed in those areas.
wrong
I just moved to Portsmouth... I have an amazing apartment in Olde Towne. So, someone is moving to Portsmouth. I love it here!
It's a stupid idea
Ther go the leaders again making stupid decisions. We are in a recession, close to a depression. All that land on Greenwood Dr being developed has just about come to a standstil. You can't hardly sell houses in Portsmouth now much less in the Cradock area. The housing industry is in the worst funk ever. It's not going to turn around anytime soon. I have seen 3 periods like this in the last 30 years & this is the worst ever. Before the banks, car dealers, insurance companies & whoever else didn't have to be bailed out. The unemploment didn't go down to record levels like they are now. There are in Portsmouth alone over 80 houses on the market for less then $80,000. The new Holiday Inn came to a standstill. The property where that use to sit can't be funded. What part of these facts don't the city council understand. Are they still in LaLa land. You are building apts right now that eventually will become low income in different parts of the city. There are not that many people dieing to move into Portsmouth. People are moving out of the city because of the schools or they don't want to send their kids to a high crime area for school. Wake up.
Check your facts please
" People are moving out of the city because of the schools or they don't want to send their kids to a high crime area for school"
Actually if you check your facts you would find that enrollment has increased in the school system over the past few years -- mainly on the elementary level so some people are moving into or even staying in Portsmouth otherwise enrollment would be falling.
IF the development comes together I would hope that the recreation center would be built with money from the sell of the property. This project is still in the planning phase and if the developers can get financing I think that the city council should if possible encourage the developers to work with PORTSMOUTH based business and venders for the project. IF the project comes about.
Do you really think....
....that people are moving into Portsmouth based on the number of new elementary school enrollees? A more likely scenario is the number of Portsmouth residents who now have children reaching school age. Hey VP- do a little investigative reporting and check to see how long the parents of the new elementary school age kids have lived in the city. This developement is indeed a stupid idea. There are too many vacant properties already and we don't need to add another 200+. Just my opinion!