THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, October 6, 1996               TAG: 9610040232
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 07   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Opinion 
SOURCE: BY JAMES W. HOLLEY III 
                                            LENGTH:   47 lines

MIDTOWN HAS MAYOR'S BACKING

The July 28 Currents editorial addressed the results of the July 26 Midtown Vision 2005 Committee meeting, which was convened to review progress and to discuss ongoing projects in the area.

You correctly reported the sense of frustration voiced by the merchants present who have worked very hard with city officials to develop the Vision 2005 plan for Midtown.

The plan was approved by the Mayor's Steering Committee in June and has been acknowledged to be the most complex and perhaps most expensive part of the larger Vision 2005 plan.

I am committed to moving ahead with the plan for Midtown, as is Councilman Cameron Pitts, chairman of the Midtown Vision 2005 Committee. The restoration of Midtown as a major retail center in our city is absolutely essential and was the principal reason for the development of the ambitious and comprehensive Vision 2005 plan for Midtown.

I have asked the city manager to prepare a plan of action and milestones that we will use to assess our progress as we move forward over the coming year.

We will review that plan of action in early October and with continued support from the Midtown Portsmouth Association and all the members of Councilman Pitts' committee, we will continue the progress toward revitalizing Midtown.

Additionally, I have asked Sentinel Real Estate Corp., owners of Mid-City Shopping Center, to come join us in redeveloping the area. They report that they have worked hard in recent years to find new tenants for the center, but without success.

I believe they may be ready to work with us on a team basis, as we look at new ideas and new approaches to carry out our plan to restore Midtown as a vibrant retail center in our city.

I am very grateful to Mary Curran and the Midtown Portsmouth Association and to Councilman Pitts and his Midtown Vision 2005 Committee for their sustained commitment and hard work over the past year. Together they represent years of strong business experience and great leadership, which we will continue to count on as we move ahead in the coming year. MEMO: James W. Holley III is the mayor of Portsmouth. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Mayor Holley by CNB