THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504190173
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS
SOURCE: MIKE KNEPLER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Rob Cooper now faces a 180-mile commute to his job.
That's because he wants the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority to buy his house in East Ocean View before he goes broke.
The problem: the city designated a 90-acre East Ocean View redevelopment tract in 1993 without the money to buy all the properties.
That means purchases are being phased, starting at 23rd Bay Street and East Ocean View Avenue.
There are loopholes. The redevelopment agency will jump property up the list that's severely damaged or owner occupied. The latter will be Cooper's gambit.
``I don't see any other alternative,'' said Cooper, a Norfolk native now working in Northern Virginia.
He tried being a landlord. But he says he can't find or keep good tenants in this blighted neighborhood.
``I had a tenant in here for almost 10 years, but one of the reasons he moved was because of the drug dealing and hearing gunshots in the neighborhood,'' Cooper said.
As Cooper told his story, three cars, over the course of an hour, parked briefly in a nearby vacant lot. The occupants sauntered into the back of an apartment building facing the next street, then left.
Cooper evicted his last tenant after two months. She didn't pay her gas bill, and she let her dogs urinate in the house. The place reeks. There are dark stains on the hardwood floors. Tooth and claw marks mar window sills.
He doesn't fault City Hall for making the neighborhood a redevelopment area. He even hoped for revitalization efforts when he bought the house in 1984.
In 1993, Cooper said, a redevelopment official told him his house would be bought in 1 1/2 years.
NRHA officials now tell Cooper they don't know when. They have $9 million for more than $27 million worth of property.
``It just seems grossly unfair that the city took this action and did not have the financing lined up to do it,'' Cooper said. ``Is it fair to freeze someone's assets and not move swiftly on it?''
Because the house is in a redevelopment area, Cooper doubts he can find a private buyer or refinance his two mortgages. His debt costs $875 a month. Cooper offered to sell to redevelopment for what he owes: $36,000. The city assessment is $47,220.
No deal. Redevelopment officials advised Cooper to repair his house again for renting.
R. Patrick Gomez, community development director, says he believes it's possible to attract decent tenants because other nearby landlords still thrive. He also said crime problems began long before redevelopment. Otherwise, the agency does not have answers.
``There are others like him,'' Gomez said. ``If this was an isolated case, it would be easier to address.''
The agency has not considered helping to find good tenants.
City Councilman Randy Wright, who spearheaded the redevelopment project, agrees that Cooper is caught in an unfair situation.
``It's not the NRHA's fault. It's the city's fault,'' Wright said. ``The city's administration has not been able to put together a financing package that would allow us to purchase all the property. That's the bottom line.''
Wright said he's pushing for full financing or a stop-gap allocation in the 1995-96 budget.
``He's got a legitimate concern and a legitimate gripe,'' Wright said. ``We need to get our act together. I've told the (city) manager's office.''
Even if money can't be found, Wright said, he wants a firm schedule for buying the properties.
``We owe them that,'' he said. ``Fairness begins with being honest and being able to tell them when.'' by CNB