THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505190183
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
A three-hour discussion of the Galaxy proposal and how it fits into the Vision 2005 economic development plan did not move either the project or the plan very far.
I left the NAACP meeting at Ebenezer Baptist Church with a sad feeling that we might never color the chasm between black and white with green.
Harvey Johnson Jr. has been dreaming for years about Galaxy in the form of an enclosed entity on two city blocks. The vision of a place to promote black entrepreneurship is a noble one, just as Johnson is a noble man dedicated to the betterment of people in this city.
I don't believe anyone is opposed to black entrepreneurship, as some speakers seemed to imply. In fact, the economy of this city needs more entrepreneurs to boost the tax flow - and, most important, to increase opportunities for citizens who want to spend their money within the city.
We need those entrepreneurs right there in the Effingham Corridor, the planning designation for an area bounded by Washington and Chesnut streets.
We need businesses to stop the 800,000 out-patients who visit the Naval Hospital every year. We need businesses to entice the 5,009 - soon to increase to 7,000 - employees of the hospital, many of whom zoom in and out of work without ever spending a penny in this city.
The Galaxy as an open village perhaps could draw that traffic. As an enclosed entity, it is not likely to stop anybody.
I have wrestled in my head about this project. My main concern has been the tendency of people to envision Galaxy as ``black businesses'' catering to black people, rather than ``businesses owned by black people'' catering to all people.
Whatever goes in that space must have broad appeal to all people if those who invest their energy and their money are going to succeed.
Over in London Plaza, businesses aimed primarily at blacks come and go. I cannot produce numbers but over 16 years I have not seen much small business success there. Only the chain stores last.
Yet the location, like MidCity, has high traffic counts. It is in the front yard not only of the Naval Hospital but of two other hospitals and several nursing homes, all large employers. Thousands of Naval Shipyard, Coast Guard and City Hall employees zoom right on by London Plaza at least twice a day.
The big boys at London Plaza no doubt make money, but the little ones don't. I think the same thing would happen to small business even in a new Galaxy.
And that is my concern about this project.
Perhaps had I not been stopping at London Plaza over the years, I would not be so skeptical. Perhaps I could be swayed by a noble idea if I had not talked to some of the folks who could not find success which hinged on stopping some of that speeding traffic.
This city cannot afford a failure in the Effingham Corridor. It cannot afford to give away land to any project that has no major funding source.
I admire Harvey Johnson and I love noble ideas. But noble failures don't do anybody any good.
Since last week's meeting, I have struggled in mind and in heart over this project. I have no answers.
I hope the people who volunteered at the meeting to work on city committees for Vision 2005 will follow through and participate in the brain-storming sessions.
I think the conflict over goals for Effingham Corridor is more perceived than real. But we must resolve perceived conflict in a way that will create success for everybody.
Despite my feelings of despair after the NAACP meeting, I am convinced that we can accomplish this. by CNB