Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 20, 1990 TAG: 9007230067
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-2 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A committee of three council members appointed by Mayor Noel Taylor last month to consider the issue will make a report to the full council.
The committee has not released a copy of its report, but Vice Mayor Howard Musser, chairman of the group, has requested a closed session today to consider the disposal of publicly held property to TAP.
The land has not been identified, but the city's Redevelopment and Housing Authority owns most of the property along Henry Street.
Council's decision apparently will help determine whether TAP's new headquarters is on Henry Street or in the old Stone Printing Co. building on Jefferson Street.
If the city does not provide land or money for a Henry Street site, TAP apparently will consider exercising its option to buy the Stone Printing building, now occupied by Frame One.
TAP officials have said they can't build a new headquarters on Henry Street without help from the city, although that is the anti-poverty agency's preferred site.
A third alternative that had been discussed earlier - the city's Booker T. Washington school administration building at Douglas and Orange avenues - apparently has been ruled out.
Under this proposal, the school offices would move to old Jefferson High School, which will be renovated and converted into an arts, educational and office complex. This would free the school administration building for TAP.
But the school administration building wouldn't be available for two years and TAP said it needs to combine all its operations at one location as quickly as possible.
The anti-poverty agency's old headquarters on Shenandoah Avenue Northwest was destroyed by fire two days before Christmas.
TAP's operations are now scattered among several sites, including an old Norfolk and Western Railway building at Norfolk Avenue and Second Street Southwest.
TAP's board of directors discussed the headquarters issue during a closed meeting earlier this week, but put off a decision until after council meets. The board voted to authorize its executive committee to meet then and act on the issue.
The option on the Stone Printing building expires July 27.
Some city officials said earlier they were concerned that TAP's purchase of the Stone Printing property might interfere with the city's plans for a trade and convention center. But city administrators and three council members told TAP officials last week there are too many unknowns about the convention center project to determine whether the building might be needed.
The property is next to Norfolk Southern's old office buildings, the recommended site for a convention center that would be tied to Hotel Roanoke.
TAP obtained an option on the old Stone Printing building because of earlier uncertainity about whether a Henry Street site would be available.
by CNB