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GSA/Federal Courts Expansion issue

vdogg

By vdogg
in Norfolk

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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Is this a local GSA division that is making this decision?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

To answer your question after rereading the wtkr article on this project, yes it is a local GSA office in charge of this debacle. Mr. Tim Hile, with Norfolks GSA office, is the one who approached Buddy Gadams with the threat of condemning his property.

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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Someone should email him and tell him he is an idiot! That he needs to be fired for incompetence! Seriously someone should find his email and ask why in the world he waited this long and why he is trying to ruin the city!

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Diplomacy rus :thumbsup: . It's generally not a good idea to p**s someone off when you want something from them. Any such letter should only include a higlight of the terrible impacts the action they are taking will have on that area and Norfolk in general.

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okinawatyphoon Burg

okinawatyphoon

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Someone should email him and tell him he is an idiot! That he needs to be fired for incompetence! Seriously someone should find his email and ask why in the world he waited this long and why he is trying to ruin the city!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL. I agree with that but yeah...we don't want to tick him off. I could just see someone going up to him at a coffee shop or something and yelling their heads off!! :lol:

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rusthebuss Metropolis

rusthebuss

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Diplomacy rus  :thumbsup: . It's generally not a good idea to p**s someone off when you want something from them. Any such letter should only include a higlight of the terrible impacts the action they are taking will have on that area and Norfolk in general.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you noticed after I said all the nasty stuff i said seriously we should ask why he waited till now to try take the land.

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  • 5 months later...
Chesapeake Pirate Hamlet

Chesapeake Pirate

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Sorry if this is posted somewhere else, but those dedicated public servants from the GSA are holding another public hearing about expansion of the Federal Courthouse at 6pm tonight at Kirn.

Got to give them some kind of credit for at least discussing this proposed annex.

GSA Public Hearing Tuesday, January 10

Since it appears that the "west site" or Granby Tower site is only at minimal risk now, perhaps this subject now deserves it's own separate thread for the Federal Courthouse Annex project.

I attended the public hearing last night. It consisted on a short powerpoint presentation on the project and the four options under consideration and an open forum. GSA stated that they currently prefer the "south site" currently occupied by the historic 500 Granby condos and new Baxter's restaurant.

This hearing was much more contentious, pehaps because it was not held in the rarefied air of a federal courtroom or because the frustration level is up with those opposed to the "south site".

There were speakers fropm the local historical society, owners of Baxters, at least one resident of 500 Granby, local citizens, several architects, etc.

No one spoke in favor of the GSA plans to take the 500 Granby building, and the tone of the comments was that GSA was listening too hard to the preferences of a few federal judges and not being open enough and creative enough to satisfy the desires of the Norfolk citizens.

I think a Virginian-Pilot representative was there, and it will be interesting to see how they report this meeting.

Some people asked why GSA had not considered building up instead of just looking n, s, e or w. This included the possibility of filling the interior courtyard with a tower, or building a tower on the north parking area.

GSA has been citing a Federal Executive Order against building on a 100 year flood plain. GSA went further in their own regulation and upped the requirement to a 500 year flood plain. Only a small corner of the north site is within the 100 year flood plain. The 500 year flooding would only be at a 2 foot level and GSA refuses to consider building based on those conditions.

Unlike the first meeting, many of the speakers received applause for especially good points. Again, not one single speaker made any positive comments about the south site or the GSA plans in general.

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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Since it appears that the "west site" or Granby Tower site is only at minimal risk now, perhaps this subject now deserves it's own separate thread for the Federal Courthouse Annex project.

There is already such a thread. I'll rename it and move these comments in there. I do admit to slight fear that they could shift this back to the west after that type of public response, but i don't believe it is financially feasible at this point for them to do so.

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rusthebuss Metropolis

rusthebuss

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The GSA really needs to look at building a whole new courthouse. Its really frustrating to me to see them attack our development the way they are. I mean Norfolk is working on building a new courthouse complex that the new building could fit in with well. Then turn the old one into a nice library! Politicans make me sick with their BS!

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Padman Hamlet

Padman

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I like the whole new courthouse concept. Many cities seem to have gone that route and gotten nice architectural statements in the bargain. Sacramento and Richmond come to mind. The existing building, which will remain, does have historical significance, unlike that plain and dowdy 500 Granby building, which may or may not have true historical significance However, it should be left alone because of the recent investment and because it has residential tenants. Closing off Monticello Ave. seems drastic, although part of it could be closed, with perhaps one way pairs leading elsewhere at the terminal point.

Library for the old courthouse? That's an interesting thought, but the expense of retrofit might make it difficult. Well worth investigating. It could also serve for office and retail use.

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vdogg Megalopolis

vdogg

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Closing off Monticello Ave. seems drastic, although part of it could be closed, with perhaps one way pairs leading elsewhere at the terminal point.

What gets me is that part of Monticello is already gonna be taken up by light rail. I wonder how this project will tie in or conflict with that.

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lammius Burg

lammius

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A new courthouse at the Greyhound site or elsewhere & old courthouse conversion into a library to replace Kirn is an idea I've long advocated. The "retrofit" wouldn't require much structural change, and would be less costly than a conversion to commercial or residential use. The difference is the investment would be public.

Monticello Ave could stand to lose a lane or two. Six lanes for such a low-volume of traffic is unnecessary and takes away from the pedestrian scale a downtown area should have.

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Chesapeake Pirate Hamlet

Chesapeake Pirate

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The GSA really needs to look at building a whole new courthouse. Its really frustrating to me to see them attack our development the way they are. I mean Norfolk is working on building a new courthouse complex that the new building could fit in with well. Then turn the old one into a nice library! Politicans make me sick with their BS!

The GSA claimed last night that among the options considered was the building of an entirely new courthouse, but simply stated that it was considered not feasible cost wise. They provided no cost figures nor any details on their analysis. Remember, the judges are on record as saying they don't want to move and it seems their opinions and desires are being given greater weight than those of the citizens and taxpayers of Norfolk. GSA claims they have many stakeholders to answer to, not just the taxpayers. It appears to me that GSA's entrenchment with or influence by the judges is holding them back from looking at this challenge with creativity and optimism to overcome the objections to the south site.

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hoobo Burg

hoobo

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So I've been smoking a lot of crack lately and thought if the GSA says an expansion costs $40 million while a new building is $80 million, why can't Norfolk/Commonwealth foot the difference? If the Fed Courts and the GSA won't budge and continue to threaten to take 500 Granby or all of Monitcello (versus a couple lanes as Norfolk proposed) then help them build a new facility at Kirn as long as it is outside the 500-year flood plain (which probably requires a Cat 2 or higher direct hurricane hit for a 500-year flood to occur). Part of the deal would be a land swap giving Norfolk the old courthouse to house an expanded Kirn library. Basically, Norfolk is paying for a new library, an open road for traffic and LR, and continued tax dollars from 500 Granby and whatever develops on the Greyhound site.

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