Discovered today.
"The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit sealed proposals to establish a contract through competitive negotiations for Architectural and Engineering Services to prepare a master plan for a new Municipal Center. The facility will be developed on City owned property. Selected firm must demonstrate experience and knowledge in the planning and design of a Municipal Center facility or similar facilities."
To be built on City property but where? For Inside Suffolk to have been totally correct it must be built in North Suffolk. But that would be too much of a kick in the seat of Downtown merchants, the final blow. We'd rather be wrong and have it somewhere in Washington Square. Place your bets on where they will find the money.
See the RFP at www.suffolk.va.us
17 comments:
MY bet is Garcia already has a drawer fill of blueprints that have been developed while visiting with the mayor at her home or at Obici house.
So the problem at city hall, they say, was soil compaction rules that were lax back when it was planned. Hmmmmmm, or was it really just the weight gain of employees over the years.
Well, there is always the maxim Mr. Brown devised when more money was needed for capital investment..
"We will just raise the means." And that, of course, means our assessments.
Didn't the city spend a million or so a few years ago to remodel the second floor staff offices. Surely there was an impact engineering study prior to tearing up walls. If this new building goes up north, and I would be surprised if the Mayor allows it downtown, what would that say to those who have struggled to keep Downtown viable?
Here is an opportunity to make sensible use of the SCCA, move the government in. The stage would allow more citizens to attend Council meetings. Ample parking, a snack after the meeting, or isn't that building safe?
North Suffolk here we come...a glorious place for city hall, it's the place of prestige, more fitting for the fast growing metropolis of modern Suffolk, our chance to break away from the "farm: mold. Go for it, Linda, it's been your dream for years. Now if we can just find a suitable scepter.
They must be serious because those architects don't work cheap. And then there would be the site work, this time done right. Then the "complex" construction could begin. Where, you ask? On the land where Obici Hospital once was. Down by the water, the finest city hall complex in Hampton Roads,out classing all othe cities, and all of this at the expense of the local tax payers. They haven't been holding that property for nothing...this may have been in the plans for years.
The Assistant City Manager said they are trying to provide a one-stop shop for citizens but can’t because city offices are scattered all over downtown. So if they decide to build a new city hall you can expect it to be much bigger in order to house all departments. And, referring to the plan for a new city hall he said, “This plan will allow us to look at how the pieces of the municipal center fit together.” Now that is thinking. The SNH quoted him as saying, “Critics had pointed out that the headquarters (police) was designed and built without consideration of how it could fit into a long-range plan.” Was it really? Then he uttered a clue as to where the building will be located. He said, “Before we make any more investments, we really want to understand what’s the plan…so we’re not focusing on just one building...How does it fit within the downtown area?”
Expect nothing less that a palacial palace for her Majesty to hold court in. The serfs of Suffolk will pay the bill and no cost shall be spared for what the Queen Bee wants and will demand.
We all can expect to see this effort as an opportunity to establish a legacy for Mayor Johnson, at our cost. A guilded place will be the order of the day, so that our mighty mayor has the true trappings of power.
Then the real hook will be set. Expect to see this sited further north, where the city is "growing". What about our downtown? What about continuing the connection to old Suffolk? Not an issue as this mayor and council have abandoned any pretense of supporting downtown, as we all can see for ourselves.
The real question to ask is, why is it necessary to build anything more than a functional modern office building? Why does the city hall have to include the trappings of the Queen's Palance? We surely can not afford it and it should not be so!
I say it is fine to build a solid and modern office building, but we do not need all the marble pillars of power trapings that surely will be proposed. Just look at how they design our new shcools for such an example of such excess. The Mayor and her minion on council do not need to build a Palace with our money! We hope such common sense will be applied in this project!
Well done comments. I also agree that the Queen of Suffolk will try to build a palace. This group on council has never seen one of my dollars they don't want to spend. In fact they have never seen many of my dollars but they want to spend even more!
I have made a few mistakes, like voting for Big Parr, but never again! He is a lap poodle for Johnson and it shows. He jumps at her command. I guess to get the dollars he thinks he will get.
Here are several suggested locations for the new City Hall: The party houses on the Nansemond River, Nansemond Parkway by SPSA, Lone Star Lakes, the Fairgrounds (soil compaction?), the Garden Hilton (also soil compaction?), Driver Transmitter Station, Copeland Road, the SCCA any property owned by Johnson, Brown, Gardy, Parr and/or their friends.
When the construction begins maybe the History Channel will send in a crew to cover it so it appears on the program Modern Marvels
The logical location for the new Linda Johnson Municipal Center is across the street from Nansemond Suffolk Academy. It's accessible from anywhere in the city and near the intersection of Routes 58 and 460. It happens to be near where Johnson and Parr have property holdings, but that's just a coincidence. It's amazing how they find the money for a new municipal center but replacing the Kings Highway Bridge lost out of their collective stupidity is out of the question.
Maybe they can get Centerpoint to donate 3.2 million for traffic control and improvements
Linda's crib is going to be in Sleepy Hole. No doubt about it. She unabashedly controls city council and has the money to back it up. Look for a undisclosed buyer on a Route 17 property.
Where do the City Council incumbents and challengers stand on financing and building a municipal center? What does Mike Duman think about spending millions for a Taj Mahal for city employees who already have a misguided opinion of their self-importance, while residents in the Chuckutuck Borough must drive miles out of their way because idiots allowed the bridge to Driver to be demolished.
Tomorrow's secretive Council Work Session is going to discuss the finance and construction of a new city hall. The finance arm will be our very own EDA and it's members that can't keep their mouth shut after a few beers over the Independence Day weekend. Remember the old saying; lose lips, sinks ships.
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