THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 8, 1995 TAG: 9501060145
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
The proposed Portsmouth Community Health Center Inc. is going to accomplish a lot in one fell swoop when it opens late this spring at the corner of Lincoln and Seventh streets.
The most obvious and most important accomplishment, of course, will be the provision of affordable health care for those who have low income and/or inadequate insurance.
In addition, the center will be in an area of the city that is grossly underserved by the medical profession here.
All of us recognize the importance of the health care aspect of the project.
But also important is the choice of a vacant building near the Abex Superfund site as the location of the health-care center.
The commercial area, already in decline, has suffered from the publicity over the clean-up of the heavy metals on the old Abex foundry a few blocks away. The building chosen for the health center once housed a grocery store that served as an anchor for the now almost-abandoned shopping center.
The Environmental Protection Agency has investigated and found the site to be a safe choice. Runnymede Corp., owner of the building, has agreed to fix up the property, not only for the health center but for other potential tenants attracted by the health center, which is expected to draw thousands of clients a week.
The revitalized commercial center will pay more taxes when it is occupied and, furthermore, because the health center will lease the building, Runnymede also will pay real estate taxes on the building and grounds.
The headlines and the talk about the lead contamination in the soil over the past several years have damaged the prospects for that area of the city. Much of the talk has been exaggerated and, according to assessments from the EPA itself, the area is safe as long as you don't eat the dirt.
Even the playground adjacent to the old foundry site was pronounced safe last summer by the EPA. But, as usually happens, people remember only the worst rumor they heard. They don't pick up on the truth as it comes out.
Ultimately, the rumors could destroy one whole quarter of the city.
Opening the health center in that area of the city should help dispel that negativism, ultimately bringing more life back to the commercial center.
Abandoned buildings not only don't pay the taxes the city needs to be getting from them. They also are great breeding places for crime.
A busy, thriving health complex in the center of it all should help the city more quickly bring the area around to the point that it makes a fair tax contribution to the city.
Aside from the privately held property, such as the Runnymede-owned shopping center, the city itself owns a lot of valuable vacant property in that vicinity. Getting some life in the areas of the abandoned buildings should make that property more attractive to developers.
Nothing damages this city's image more than the vacant buildings all over town, starting with Kings Crossing on the waterfront and working all the way to the city line in any direction.
Last year we seemed to be making some headway when the city announced several new businesses that would remodel old buildings. Even now, City Council and the Economic Development Department keep going into executive sessions to discuss the sale of city-owned property.
But no announcements have been forthcoming.
The health center is a wonderful and much-needed addition to the city, no matter where it is. But it certainly will be located in a good place to spur more good developments.
At the risk of repeating myself, I again note that two of the city's largest projects finally are open. The Children's Museum really has exceeded everybody's speculations. The TCC art center will open this week.
The health center is an important announcement, another milestone reached.
All have certain positive implications but even all of them together are not enough to make Portsmouth totally healthy again. The empty spaces in PortCentre and, even more important, the empty buildings all over town must be filled.
We can't stop and rest, even for a minute. We must push ahead, making one more announcement, then another and another, to polish Portsmouth's tarnished image. by CNB