THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502260049
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Two months after the Suffolk housing authority voted to move out of the city's downtown - a move the City Council vehemently opposed - the council is trying to woo the authority back.
The Housing and Redevelopment Authority has not committed to staying downtown. But it has agreed to discuss the idea with city officials, despite setting aside $400,000 to purchase and renovate a new building about a mile away.
The authority closed on a deal in January to relocate their offices to the Paul D. Camp Community College building on Pinner Street.
The current offices in the city-owned Human Resources building are too small, and the authority wanted to consolidate space for its administrative and maintenance operations, housing officials said.
City Council members expressed displeasure with the move. Not only was the council not informed ahead of time, but the authority also was leaving Downtown Suffolk, where the city is building a $13 million to $15 million courthouse and renovating other buildings to revitalize the historic district. The authority's decision was seen by many on the council as countering the city's efforts.
The compromise involves the formation of a committee to examine moving the authority back downtown. The city's mayor and vice mayor, the authority's chairman and vice chairman, and the city manager and authority's executive director will serve on the committee.
A number of options are available to the committee. Mayor S. Chris Jones said Friday that one includes having the city build and lease a new home for the authority within the central business district. Another option would be to have the city help sell, or buy and sell, the authority's newly purchased headquarters on Pinner Street.
``I look forward,'' said Suffolk City Manager Myles E. Standish, ``to representatives from both the city council and the authority's board, as well as their respective staffs, to work together to review what's feasible and practical - the goal being the council's reinvestment strategy in the central business district.''
The housing authority, an autonomous body, has no legal obligation to inform the council. However, after federal and state authorities accused the housing authority of mismanagement in a rental housing program, the council and the housing authority had promised each other to better communicate.
James P. Armstrong, the housing authority's executive director, said Friday that ``any options are available.''
``It may be that, in the final analysis, the economic decision may be Pinner Street. I just think we're remaining open and continuing to discuss and exchange information about that so that we don't end up doing damage to the collaborative relationship we've been building with the council in the last year.''
Armstrong said the authority paid $175,000 for the Paul D. Camp building and planned to spend less than $225,000 for renovations on it.
If the authority is persuaded to move downtown, Armstrong was confident that no money will be lost.
``Whatever decision comes out of this series of discussion, it seems like the decision will be better than the one we started with,'' Armstrong said.
``I just think it's a shame that we had the misunderstanding. It would have been easier if we had been able to cover these bases in the fall rather than now.'' by CNB