THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 27, 1995 TAG: 9502250148
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Real estate professionals in Hampton Roads were surprised to see a small ad we ran last week.
The ad mentioned a Propertymart auction in New York that included a ``class A 14-story office tower, 300 E. Main Street, Norfolk, VA.'' The tower was described as 248,332 square feet, built in 1994 and located in downtown Norfolk.
Sound familiar?
Oddly enough, it appears to meet the same description as Main Street Tower, the blue glass building plagued by a notorious history and now owned by NeVa Properties.
When asked about the apparent impending sale of his company's building, vice president Dave Merker said the ad ran incorrectly in Norfolk and left off the ``For sale or for lease'' segment.
``With 22,000 flyers, we thought it would be good national exposure,'' for leasing, he said of the flyers being sent out for the property auction. ``For the right price, someone can buy it. It's not a fire sale. We're not under pressure to sell.''
Virginia business groups favored a new employment law. One measure would have blocked employees of companies employing fewer than 15 people from suing if they believed they had been fired because of racial, sexual or age discrimination.
But the House of Delegates reversed the measure. Del. Clifton A. Woodrum, D-Roanoke, proposed an amendment: People who work for companies employing more than five people sue in state courts. Damages would be limited.
``With this amendment you can still fire for good reason, you can still fire for bad reason, you can still fire for no reason at all. But you can't fire for discriminatory reason,'' said Del. Clinton Miller, R-Shenandoah County.
Speaking of business legislation, the Virginia Senate did score one on behalf of grocers. A Senate bill would allow convenience and grocery stores to sell low-alcohol spirit coolers. Opponents contended the measure was a step toward private liquor sales in the Old Dominion. by CNB