The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
City leaders will hear details today on a proposal for a new YMCA recreational and child care center in Park Place, a community that officials have been trying to revitalize for years.
The Landmark Foundation recently committed $4 million to the project, said Frank Batten Jr., chairman and CEO of Landmark Media Enterprises LLC, which owns The Virginian-Pilot. But for the project to be built, more money is still needed from the business community and the city, said Chuck Harris, president and CEO of the YMCA of South Hampton Roads.
The YMCA wants Norfolk to contribute about $925,000 to help acquire land, Assistant City Manager Stanley A. Stein said. Most council members, including Andy Protogyrou and Barclay C. Winn, have said they need to learn more about the facility before they make any financial commitments.
YMCA officials have been working on the project for two years, Harris said. The $10.5 million facility would sit on Granby Street just south of the intersection of Granby and Church streets. It would have a 32,000-square foot main recreation facility, a 7,000-square foot day care center and an outdoor aquatic park.
Without the Landmark Foundation gift, the facility would not be feasible, he said. "It's the most generous gift that the YMCA has ever received," Harris said.
Batten said the foundation refocused its charitable giving after the recession "to human needs and human services."
Recent gifts from the foundation and the Batten family have included $5 million to the endowment fund for the Kroc Center, a $30 million Salvation Army community center to be built in Broad Creek and tens of millions of dollars to the Virginia Zoo and a new downtown library.
The city has struggled to revitalize Park Place, a low- and moderate-income neighborhood sandwiched between more upscale neighborhoods. Alton Robinson, who heads the Park Place Civic League, said the YMCA "would make a huge difference in our community. We really hope it happens."
The YMCA currently operates a small office on Colley Avenue that provides limited recreational services for children. Stein said a new facility would also serve nearby neighborhoods such as Villa Heights, Lindenwood, Olde Huntersville, Riverview and Colonial Place.
Membership at the YMCA is $61 for an individual and $86 per family. Harris said the Park Place YMCA would have a sliding scale based on income.
Harris is scheduled to make a presentation to the City Council at noon today on the tenth floor of City Hall.
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com
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At tonight's council meeting...
The council will also be deciding to spend $1.2M to buy the 7-Eleven at Princess Anne & Ballentine. What could they possibly want with a busy convenience store? Why to tear it down and give the land away, of course. As you may recall, that very corner is the proposed site of the Kroc Center mentioned in this article. Arguably a worthwhile project, but $1.2 million for a 7-Eleven? I'm currently at an older computer that's not compatible with the Norfolk AIR web site, but I'm willing to bet that if some checks they'll find the "fair market value" assessment of 3025 E. Princess Anne Road is considerably less.
Stop spending money!
I love the YMCA. I think they do wonderful work everywhere they go.
However
The City of Norfolk is Broke! The city will be cutting even more from its budget next year. City emloyees have not had a raise in 3 years and it has become all to apparant that the powers that be in Norfolk City Government have been boarderline criminal when it comes how they continue to spend and spend and spend. Wake up, the city is broke. You can not fix it by continueing to spend us out of debt. I believe there needs to be a spending freeze. Someone please take away the credit card!!!
Broke?...Sure doesn't show
They are ready to pay the first $29 million for LRT, and the city manager isn't even batting an eye. They provide multi-thousand dollar a golden parachute to the outgoing city mananger. They can provide $144 thousand a year to own part of the HRT CEO. Thousands to developers for empty dirt lots.
Norfolk has money. They just don't have fuduciary responsibility when it comes to spending it.
I wonder.
When was the last time (or EVER) that Frank Batten, Jr., or Paul Fraim, or any members of their families used the facilities of a YMCA?
When was the last time (or EVER) that Frank Batten, Jr.,....
How would I know? How would YOU know? What does it matter? Let's assume that he wouldn't go in a YMCA for any reason. In spite of that, his foundation is contributing $4 million to this cause...what have YOU done lately?
close the one on bute st
some of the Y's patrons just use the place to window shop. Close that Y and more than half of the car break-ins go away almost immediately.
counteroffer
Instead of just giving away the land, how about a swap for the Hunton YMCA building on south Tidewater Drive? Doesn't look like there's a lot going on at that building, and it looks even more run-down than the surrounding housing projects.
"City leaders" (aka Paul Fraim).
Like every other issue before City Council, this will go in the direction Paul Fraim dictates.
While there might be some weak, token opposition, he will snear down at it, brush it aside, and do whatever he wants.
In this case, since fellow blue-blood, Frank Batten, Jr., is involved, you can expect the money to be "found somewhere."
No Taxpayer Money for this
Our taxes already pay for the Norfolk rec. centers, we don't need to pay for the private facilities of the YMCA. Also, city counsel needs to take a walk through the locker room at the current Norfolk Y to see all the homosexual activity that the management is doing nothing to prevent nor discourage (good for their business I guess) and ask is this what our taxes should be paying for. NO. It is not family friendly.
Clientele.
Why do we keep wasting hard working peoples tax money on a proven track record of disrespect and destruction of anything "given". Perhaps if the main recipients of a designated project had to work and earn it then the inevitable destruction and disrespect would perhaps be limited or hopefully stopped.