THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 15, 1994 TAG: 9409150471
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
A proposal this week to upgrade public housing to complement downtown revitalization may take years to implement.
But City Hall already is talking about taking the first steps and creating a role for tenants in the process.
City Councilman Herbert Collins said tenants must be included ``at the highest level'' of discussions.
``Perception is very important,'' he said Wednesday. ``Nobody should plan their destiny without them.''
The downtown public housing neighborhoods - Tidewater Gardens, Young Terrace and Calvert Square - have 1,677 apartments and about 4,000 residents.
Collins said he wants tenant representation on the mayor's Downtown Development Committee, a panel of top city officials and business leaders.
Mayor Paul D. Fraim says he wants to hear Collins' ideas. But he said other forums would be more appropriate for including tenants.
``I wouldn't see a role for them at this level because this development committee is more of a think tank,'' he said. ``There's plenty of opportunity for citizen participation after a plan is formed. That's the way we address most everything in the city.''
Fraim said he hopes to begin internal discussion at City Hall in the next few days.
Collins also urged the Downtown Norfolk Council, a nonprofit group that promotes development, to include tenants in its programs.
But officials there said public housing residents never respond.
Dianne Elliott, membership services director, said tenant leaders are invited to monthly meetings of a committee on downtown safety and environmental improvement.
Those comments, however, puzzled Evelyn Powell Porter, a long-time leader of the Tidewater Gardens public housing neighborhood.
``I've never seen the first invitation, and I open the mail,'' said Porter, who is office manager of the Tidewater Gardens Resident Management Corp., a tenants group. ``That's the first I've heard of it. I'd be more than happy to attend if I was informed.''
Despite the differences, all sides agree it is important to discuss how public housing will co-exist with multimillion-dollar developments such as the MacArthur Center shopping mall and the Nauticus waterfront attraction.
``We know that with these improvements, we're going to have to deal with some of the problem areas in the downtown area,'' said William L. Craig Jr., Norfolk's Planning Commission chairman. ``One of the things that we think will help deal with those is to improve the lot of the people who live in the downtown area.''
The Planning Commission raised the issue Tuesday with the City Council.
Since then, some downtown activists said they are glad City Hall is responding. They said many civic and business leaders have been reluctant to broach the subject, concerned it could have been misinterpreted along racial lines.
``Unfortunately that probably is the case,'' said Cathy Coleman, executive director of the Downtown Norfolk Council. ``It is unfortunate because most of the civic leadership is not racially motivated in what they do. However, there are times that the greater good is misunderstood, and certain decisions are viewed as racially motivated.''
Coleman said housing improvements will help residents as well as downtown businesses and tourism.
``I've always believed that we have to blur the edges between public housing and the rest of downtown and figure out a way to make it all better. Then everybody benefits,'' she said.
Developer Harvey L. Lindsay, whose projects include Waterside, also said he is pleased.
``I know there's been a lot of concern about it from a lot of constituencies. So I think it's a good time to take a look at it,'' he said. ``It's not an easy problem. But I'm glad it's going to be addressed.''
Public housing residents, too, say they want the issue discussed.
Jacqueline Cook, former president of the Young Terrace Resident Management Corp., said tenants want to prepare for job opportunities that downtown renewal promises to provide.
But residents also worry about the future of their neighborhoods, despite federal law prohibiting demolition unless units are replaced.
``I'd like to stay and see the upgrades,'' said Bertha Reynolds, president of the Tidewater Gardens Resident Management Corp. ``Fix these buildings up so they look like something. They're too dingy.''
The Rev. Anthony Paige, the planning commissioner who raised the issue, wants large-scale improvements.
``With the marshaling of resources . . . the right kind of creative energies and the cooperation of the community,'' he said, ``those neighborhoods could be beautiful, attractive, safe, inviting.'' by CNB