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Save This PageThe Wilder administration's proposed public marina could cost $17.7 million to build, but Richmond officials say all but $550,000 could come from selling city land and from fees from a developer.
City officials also are exploring operating the proposed marina as a public-private venture with the developer of the Village of Rocketts Landing, a residential and retail project now under construction that straddles the Richmond-Henrico line.
Sheila Hill-Christian, the city's chief administrative officer, and others presented the outline of the marina project to the City Council yesterday during a two-hour work session.
The session came after weeks of trying to arrange a meeting so that the council as a whole could hear more about Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder's proposal for a marina at the city's Intermediate Terminal, which he announced last fall.
The Wilder administration says a public marina, paired with a private one at Rocketts Landing, could usher in water-based tourism, including tall ship festivals.
Wilder's proposal, which could include land planned for the proposed Echo Harbour high-rise condominiums, has upset that developer.
Council members greeted yesterday's presentation with a mix of skepticism and tempered enthusiasm.
After sitting through a slide presentation and seeing maps, photos of tall ships and lists of other marinas, Councilwoman Kathy C. Graziano remarked, "There's no mention of money."
Jeannie Welliver, project manager for the city's economic development department, then offered up figures. Hill-Christian cautioned, "This is really premature."
But council members said they needed to know what kind of dollars are involved, especially because Wilder is asking the council for authorization to buy the Lehigh cement property along the riverfront.
Welliver offered the following cost breakdown:
To pay for that, the city and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority would sell about 30 acres in the area at an estimated $11.25 million, receive $6 million in sewer tap fees from the developer, The WVS Companies, and accept $1 million from the developer toward the road project.
Jason Vickers-Smith, vice president for WVS, said this month that the company was working on a deal with the city and housing authority to buy some of the property. He also said the company, which plans to build its own marina on its property, was exploring constructing the city's marina in lieu of the $6 million sewer hook-up fee.
Later in yesterday's meeting, Councilman Bruce W. Tyler asked why the city should build a marina if Rocketts Landing is planning its own. "What sense does it make for the city of Richmond to be in the boat business?" he asked.
Welliver said the goal is to maintain public access to and from the water and encourage outside visitation.
Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson wondered why the administration asserted a "public necessity" as a reason for proposing that the city buy the Lehigh property. Administration officials said they chose that language to show officials from Lehigh, who are willing sellers, that the city was serious about a purchase. Jane Ferrara, the city's real estate services director, added that the property would be used for a park and trail.
"So the necessity is for us to have a public park on the river?" Robertson asked.
"That's correct," Ferrara replied.
Council President William J. Pantele wondered why the city couldn't just sell the Intermediate Terminal to the developer, let them develop it and have the city recoup tax revenue.
Hill-Christian said, "That's absolutely an option."
Contact Kiran Krishnamurthy at (804) 649-6810 or kkrishnamurthy@timesdispatch.com.
