To the Editor:
With the primary election day less than one week away respectively, I think it prudent to evaluate the performance of our governing bodies, the school board, mayor and city council with respect to real estate development. Let us revisit the largest projects undertaken during the past seven years and grade the result of these projects based upon what was promised and what was produced. With all the talk of the Potomac Yards Metro, what has the city's success been in real estate development?
The issue of real estate development is a story of the city's most loyal and revere constituents: the developers. Let us begin with the the BRACC, that monster of a building on Seminary Road which was built with government funds and was predicted to deliver gobs of money thanks to extensive commercial development around the site – a boom for the West End we were told. Originally intended to occupy the Victory Center in Eisenhower Valley, DOD to save money moved the BRACC to Mark Center eliminating the need for a Metro attachment. DOD started construction immediately, and Mayor Euille and the City Council completely unaware of this action were duped and the rest is history. We will forego millions of dollars in tax revenue forever on this land as the structure is a government building. A grade of F for Mayor Euille and the council composed then of 4 of the 6 current members.
Moving on, the Dominion Boat Club finally caved in to years of turmoil agreeing to be sold and relocated. It did not stop fighting the battle, it lost to the threat of eminent domain, a back door maneuver employed by the city to obtain property under the premise that it will be converted for public use, a park today but what about tomorrow? A grade of D for this project because we did get some green space.
What about Jefferson Houston, budgeted at $36 million, built with a price tag of $44 million — now just 56 percent occupied and non accredited. The school stands as a monument to the total ineptness of the City Council and school board in perusing a project for their self interest when the state ruled against it. What has been the return on this gem — zero. Grade F — better used as a middle school later .
Ah yes what about T.C. Williams High school — budgeted at $89 million quickly raised to $99 million but the final cost was closer to $125 million plus after all the finishes . Will we ever stay within the confines of a budget? It is currently over enrolled — a lack of foresight and either an addition or a new school is in the works over the next three years. Grade A for upscale appearance but grade F for foresight
I am aware of the need for a modern police facility but the one we built is the Taj Mahal. Did we really need an $80 million police station — $30 million would have covered it and the rest could have gone for a raise in pay for the most underpaid police force in the area. Grade D: much too expensive.
So here we have the major completed projects of the past seven years. What is your opinion of the development issues in our city? Are you comfortable with these projects? Can you visualize that Potomac Yards Metro — branded as a sure thing — may not be the the city's lottery ticket? How can we pin our hopes on that venture when so many have turned up wrong. There are no winners in this bunch so the cumulative grade is an “F”. In this environment, it is too expensive to fail. Our financial ratios which formerly governed prudent spending spending are long gone. We are running out of options. The cost for this project will be much greater than current estimates as has been the case in every major project.
We will no longer settle for what has not worked. We will no longer settle for votes already counted and decisions already made, familiar faces bespeak old ideas. We desperately need new faces and new ideas and a commitment to measured growth which will stand the test of time. Vote for economic sanity, vote for growth at a reasonable price, vote Allison Silberberg and take back our city from the developers before it is too late.
William A. Goff
Alexandria