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>>> IT WAS THE ADMINISTRATION'S INTENTION TO BRING THE
RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO WATERSIDE AT THE TUS MEETING IN
APRIL AND -- FOURTH TUESDAY MEETING IN APRIL AND THIS HAS
BEEN ABLE TO SNEAK UP ON ME, SO WE'RE HERE.
WITH THAT SAID, THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION TODAY, VERY
SHORT, ABOUT 15 SLIDES, IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN UPDATE ON
WHERE WE ARE WITH THE WATERSIDE RECOMMENDATION AND THERE'S NO
COUNCIL ACTION THAT'S RIERT AT THIS TIME -- REQUIRED AT THIS
TIME. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A
COUPLE WEEKS AGO ABOUT THE RECENT ENTRY, AND I WON'T SPEND
A LOT OF TIME THERE, BUT JUST TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 2010
WHERE THERE WAS A SURVEY OF ABOUT 3,000 RESIDENTS AS WELL AS
IN THE FALL OF 2010, THERE WAS -- YOU HAD FIVE INDEPENDENT
CONSULTANTS COME IN AND PROVIDE YOU WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT
TO DO WITH WATERSIDE. TWO OF THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
THEN WERE, ONE, TO TURN IT OVER TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO MANAGE,
AND NUMBER TWO, THAT WHATEVER THE CITY DOES, IT SHOULD BE A
PART OF A GREATER WATERFRONT STRATEGY.
WITH THAT SAID, IN THE 2011 COUNCIL RETREAT, I PROVIDED YOU
AN UPDATE WITH THE -- OUR FINDINGS AS RELATED TO WATERSIDE
WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO GO OUT WITH AN FP -- RFP.
IT WENT OUT IN OCTOBER, WE GOT THE RESPONSES BACK IN IN
DECEMBER. THEY WERE FIVE RESPONDERS.
WE GOT DOWN TO THE FINAL TWO, HL DEVELOPMENT AND THE CORDISH
COMPANY, AND TODAY I'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE THERE.
JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW. I THINK YOU'VE SEEN THIS A FEW
TIGERS BUT WITH THE HL DEVELOPMENT, BASICALLY THEY HAVE
THE WATERFRONT CONFERENCE CENTER WITH THE MULTI-LEVEL PARK,
PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY, A COUPLE HOTELS, NEW OFFICE BUILDING AND
THE EXPANDED MARINA WITH A RESTAURANT.
ONE OF THE KEYS IN THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL, THE
RECOMMENDATION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO DEMOLISH THE WATERSIDE
FESTIVAL MARKETPLACE. CORDISH COMPANY, THE PROPOSAL,
BASICALLY YOU HAVE AN OPEN-AIR DEVELOPMENT WITH A CLEAR ROOF,
ABOUT 122,000 FEET OF DINING, ENTERTAIN.
AND RETAIL SPACE. IT WAS BASICALLY PROVIDED TO US
AS THE LIVING ROOM FOR DOWNTOWN. IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
COMMUNITY TO GATHER IN WHAT SOME CALLED AN EATERTAINMENT
ARRANGEMENT. SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAD TWO
ADDITIONAL CONSULTANT REPORTS AND INTERESTING ENOUGH, BOTH OF
THE REPORTS SUGGESTED THAT EACH PROPOSAL COULD WORK.
SO WITH THAT SAID, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST TWO WEEKS, WE
HAVE SHARED THOSE REPORTS WITH YOU AND WITH THE COMMUNITY SO
THAT YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO YOU
THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE TO US. SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE
RECEIVED OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST ABOUT SIX MONTHS, AND I'LL
JUST GIVE YOU SOME OF THESE EXAMPLES.
I BELIEVE YOU RECEIVED THESE LETTERS ALSO.
THE DNC BASICALLY SAID WHATEVER OCCURS, WE SHOULD HAVE A
WELL-DEFINED VISION STATEMENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND IT SHOULD
COMPLEMENT NORFOLK IN GENERAL. REVISION NORFOLK, I BELIEVE YOU
ALL RECEIVED A LETTER THERE FROM THEM WITH A COUPLE OF -- A
NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT BASICALLY, THEY KEPT COMING BACK
TO THAT THERE IS A WATERSIDE BRAND THAT WE HAVE WITH THAT
BUILDING AND ADAPTIVE REUSE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE
SPECIAL. OVER THE COURSE OF TIME AGAIN,
THERE HAS BEEN THIS CONSISTENT MESSAGE OR CONSISTENT THEME, ONE
BEING THAT THE PROPERTY SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND
THE OTHER BEING THAT THE PROPERTY SHOULD BE TURNED OVER
TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN TERMS OF MANAGEMENT AND A REOCCURRING
THEME HAS BEEN THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS, IT NEEDS TO BE A FAMILY
TYPE AMENITY. WITH THAT SAID, AND ACTUALLY
BUILDING ON THE DNC INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED ABOUT THIS
WATERFRONT STRATEGY, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE HUNTLEY PARTNERS
CONSULTANT REPORT, ONE OF THE THEMES THEY CAME UP WITH AFTER
NUMEROUS INTERVIEWS WITH INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE
COMMUNITY, IS THAT THEY BASICALLY SAID THAT NORFOLK, YOU
HAVE VIRGINIA'S URBAN WATERFRONT PARK, PREMIER PARK, AND YOU CAN
BUILD ON THAT. BASICALLY IN THE RFP WE SENT
OUT, WE DISCUSSED THAT WATERFRONT GOING ALL THE WAY
FROM THE WISCONSIN HARBOUR PARK, BUT IN THAT REPORT, WHAT WE
FOUND WAS THAT THERE COULD BE SOMETHING THAT ACT AS A
CATALYST, NOT JUST FOR THE WATERSIDE BUILDING, BUT FOR THE
ENTIRE WATERFRONT AND THAT THE CATALYST WOULD BE CONSISTENT
WITH THE BROADER VISION OF THE CITY, SO WITH THAT SAID, I
RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD WITH THE CORDISH PROPOSAL.
THAT IS MY RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL TODAY FOR A VARIETY OF
REASONS. ONE, SOME OF THE STRENGTHS OF
THE CORDISH PROPOSAL, THERE IS NO UPFRONT CASH.
IT ALSO SHIFTS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FISCAL AND THE PHYSICAL
REQUIREMENTS FROM THE CITY TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
IT ACTIVATES THE WATERFRONT AND MAYBE MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT
ACTUALLY EXPANDS THE NUMBER OF DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS AND
ENTERTAINMENT OFFERINGS. BACK TO THE HUNTLEY EVALUATION,
ONE OF THE CONCERNS WAS THAT, AT THE BEGINNING, IF YOU HAD THIS
TYPE OF CATALYST, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, WHAT WOULD IT DO TO
GRANBY STREET AND WHAT WOULD IT DO TO COLLEY AND 21st STREET,
AND BASICALLY OVER TIME IF YOU GO BACK TO 2004, THE MARKET
SHARE OF RESTAURANTS HAS DECREASED BY ABOUT 20%.
SO IN THAT STUDY, BASICALLY THE RECOMMENDATION WAS -- OR THE
FINDINGS WAS THAT THE MARKET COULD ACCOMMODATE THE CORDISH
PROPOSAL WITHOUT CANNIBALIZING SOME OF THE EXISTING RESTAURANTS
ON GRANBY STREET AS WELL AS COLLEY AND 21st.
SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS IF YOU APPROVE
THIS RECOMMENDATION MOVING FORWARD WOULD BE THE NUMBER AND
TYPES OF RESTAURANTS. I THINK IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO
START SO BIG. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO -- IF
THIS IS A TRUE CATALYST, THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO
BASICALLY GROW INTO SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY BE BIGGER.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THE WATERSIDE
MARINA. THAT MARINA HAS BEEN A PUBLIC
TRANSIT MARINA AND I DON'T THINK IT'S WISE RIGHT NOW TO LOOSE
LOCAL CONTROL OF -- LOSE LOCAL CONTROL OF THAT.
THE LINKAGE BETWEEN TOWN POINT PART AND THE FACILITY IS
IMPORTANT. THE USE, ACTIVE USE AS WELL AS
PASSIVE USE AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT
CAME OUT OF STUDY IS THAT WHATEVER OCCURS, THERE SHOULD BE
CROSS-MARKETING. IT'S NOT JUST A FACILITY OR
SOMEBODY FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT NOW IS TAKING OVER THE
WATERSIDE, THE FACILITY, BUT IT'S HOW CAN WE HAVE
CROSS-MARKETING BETWEEN THE DNC AND ALSO BETWEEN FESTEVENTS SO
ONCE AGAIN WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE FROM THE OUTSIDE TO THE CITY.
THE FINANCIAL OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSAL, BASICALLY LONG-TERM
MASTER LEASE OF 50 YEARS. $26 MILLION MUCH INVESTMENT, BUT
THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THE TENANT BUILDOUT AND THERE WOULD BE SOME
TYPE OF PERFORMANCE-BASED GRANT WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ADMISSIONS
TAX, FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX, AND SALES TAX, JUST THOSE THREE.
THERE WOULD BE NO BREAK IN REAL ESTATE TAX RATE.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE NEXT SLIDE, THE SELECTED NEGOTIATING
POINTS, WHAT WE TRIED TO DO IS PULL TOGETHER ALL THE
INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED UP TO THIS POINT ABOUT WHAT SHOULD
BE SOME CONCERNS MOVING FORWARD IF YOU APPROVE THIS, WITH THE
CORDISH PROPOSAL. AND THE ONE THING I'D LIKE TO
SAY IS THAT EVEN IF WE USE URBAN OUTFITTERS FOR AN EXAMPLE, THIS
WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO THE POINT WE ARE WITH URBAN
OUTFITTERS AND DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE
BULLETS COULD POTENTIALLY HARM OUR NEGOTIATING POSITION.
WE STILL WANT TO HAVE THE BEST OUTCOME FOR THE CITY, BUT AGAIN,
THESE ARE SOME OF THE POINTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING THAT
WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH IF YOU APPROVE THIS RECOMMENDATION.
THE LEASE TERMS AND THE LENGTH, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF MINIMUM
PERFORMANCE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE, WHAT TYPES OF RIGHTS TO
TERMINATE THE LEASE, WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF ANY TYPE OF
PERFORMANCE-BASED GRANT IN TERMS OF ANY TYPE OF SHARING OF THE
REVENUES, IN THIS CASE WHETHER IT'S ADMISSIONS, SALES TAX, AND
FOOD AND BEVERAGE. AGAIN, TO WHAT EXTENT CAN WE
INCORPORATE LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND HAVE A LOCAL FLAVOR INTO
THIS PROPOSAL. THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF
RESTAURANTS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS COME UP.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE SECURITY, WHAT TYPE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY
STANDARDS THAT WE WOULD HAVE. IN CONCLUSION, I BELIEVE THE
CORDISH COMPANY DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE A CATALYST FOR
DOWNTOWN, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE DON'T NEED TO GIVE UP ON
THE DISCUSSION OF A HOTEL-CONFERENCE CENTER.
IF ANYTHING, THE HARVEY LYNCH DEVELOPMENT HAS REIGNITED THAT
CONVERSATION. IF YOU GO BACK TO THE OTHER
CONSULTANT REPORTS, THEY TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE CITY, SO IF WE'RE IN THAT EITHER/OR
CATEGORY, I DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE.
I DO BELIEVE THERE IS STILL AN APPETITE FOR SOME LEVEL OF A
HOTEL/CONFERENCE CENTER. I WILL TELL YOU THAT OVER THIS
WHOLE PROCESS, I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, BUT
ALSO THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, THEY HAVE BEEN TWEAKING
PROPOSALS ON BOTH ENDS AND I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT THE
HARVEY LINDSEY PROPOSAL HAS MORPHED INTO SOMETHING THAT
LITERALLY COULD BE ON THAT SITE WITH A CONFERENCE CENTER AND A
HOTEL. I WOULD GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW,
ONE OF THE THINGS I DIDN'T EMPHASIZE THIS BEFOREHAND, ONE
OF THE DRIVING FACTORS OF THIS RECOMMENDATION TO YOU IS THAT IT
APPEARS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDINGS STILL HAS A LOT OF
LIFE IN IT. IT'S A COMMUNITY -- THAT THE
COMMUNITY STILL BELIEVES THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE
DONE WITH THE BUILDING. THAT HAS A PREMISE OR A
FOUNDATION, IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KNOCK THE BUILDING DOWN, THEN
THERE WOULD BE REUSE OF THE BUILDING, SO I GUESS WHAT I'M
SUGGESTING IS THERE'S STILL -- THAT PROPOSAL STILL HAS A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LOCAL PARTICIPATION.
IT IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE OTHER CONSULTANT STUDY PROVIDED,
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT, TOO, COULD BE THERE FOR SOME TYPE OF
HOTEL/CONFERENCE CENTER DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CORDISH
PROPOSAL, BUT AGAIN, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE HARVEY LINDSEY
PROPOSAL HAS REIGNITED THE DISCUSSION OF A HOTEL/CONFERENCE
CENTER. >> WE HAVE ABOUT A HALF HOUR FOR
THIS DISCUSSION BUT WE CAN TAKE A LITTLE LONGER.
THE MANAGER HAS MADE HIS RECOMMENDATION.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WHAT WE SHOULD DO AND AT LEAST
WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE AND THE COUNCIL CAN DO WHATEVER WE NEED
TO DO, IS THAT MAYBE HAVE A WORK SESSION WHERE WE ALL TALK ABOUT
THE CORDISH PROPOSAL, MAYBE WHAT WE LIKE OR WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT,
WHAT CAN BE BETTER, AND THEN SEE IF WE CAN MASSAGE, AT LEAST OUR
DISCUSSIONS TO GIVE THE MANAGER SOME GUIDANCE THAT WE CAN ALL
GET OUR HANDS AROUND IT. UNLESS ANYBODY HERE THINKS THE
MANAGER IS OUT ON A LIMB SOMEWHERE ON HIS RECOMMENDATION,
I THINK MAYBE HE COULD USE -- WE COULD ALL BENEFIT FROM ALL OF US
TALKING AT ONE POINT ABOUT WHAT WE LIKE AND THEN AT SOME POINT,
WE NEED SOME PUBLIC FEEDBACK. THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
>> I DON'T THINK THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TODAY IS --
THAT SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD. I THINK HE'S JUST GIVING US HIS
RECOMMENDATIONS TOO, AND THEY'RE LITERALLY TENS OF QUESTIONS,
HUNDREDS OF QUESTIONS THAT GO FROM THE LEAST TO THE ISSUE OF
PERFORMANCE GRANTED THAT HE MENTIONED -- GRANTS THAT I
MENTIONED THAT NEEDS TO BE EXAMINED AND DISCUSSED AND THAT
TYPES TIME AND HOMEWORK. THAT WOULD TAKE A CONSIDERABLE
AMOUNT OF TIME AND PREPARATION. FRANKLY, I'M NOT PREPARED TO GO
INTO THAT TODAY. I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THE
DOCUMENTS ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE AND MORE SPECIFICS ON THE ISSUE
OF THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU MENTION
PERFORMANCE GRANT. I THINK WE NEED THAT --
>> I MEAN, I THINK THE PROPOSAL BY THE PROPOSE YES, THERE WAS A
NOTION THAT THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DEBT ON THE WATERSIDE
FACILITY RIGHT NOW. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> AND THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO TAKE -- THEY WOULD
ASSUME THAT DEBT. I MEAN, WE CAN GET INTO ALL
THAT, BUT I MEAN I KNOW THAT WILL BE A TALKING POINT.
>> OKAY. >> WE ARE OPEN-MINDED TO SMALL
BUSINESSES BEING INVOLVED, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND I THINK THAT'S A
HUGE PART OF IT. >> WELL, THEIR PROPOSAL IS FOR
SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS AND WE CAN EXPAND ON IT.
I AGREE THAT WE NEED TIME AND I THINK A WORK STUDY IS A GOOD
IDEA, BUT IS THERE A TIME CONSTRAINT HERE AT ALL?
I MEAN, ARE WE -- ARE THERE ISSUES THAT CORDISH NEEDS TO
MOVE ON OR -- >> I THINK, ME PERSONALLY, I
JUST HOPE THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT WE DON'T TIE THEIR
HANDS, YOU KNOW, TO THE POINT THAT IT BECOMES -- THE GOAL WAS
TO BRING PEOPLE IN HERE THAT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, SO AT
SOME POINT, YOU GOT TO LET PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY DO.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A PROCESS THAT THEY WILL TAKE THE CITY
THROUGH AS A WHOLE. THEY WILL GO BACK AND DO THEIR
DUE DILIGENCE IN TERMS OF MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND
GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THE TYPES OF EATERIES, TYPES OF
BUSINESSES THAT THEY WANT TO SEE IN THE ESTABLISHMENT, AND A PART
OF THAT IS TO INCORPORATE LOCAL ENTITIES, ICONS, IF YOU WILL, OF
THE COMMUNITY, INTO THEIR ESTABLISHMENT, SO I WOULD HOPE
THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE TABLE,
THAT YOU GUYS WILL TAKE A TRIP AND LOOK AT IT SO YOU UNDERSTAND
HOW IT FITS INTO THE FABRIC OF THIS COMMUNITY.
MORE SO THAN JUST TALKING ABOUT IT AT THE TABLE, BECAUSE THEN
YOU GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO AND
IT'S NOT WATERSIDE 28 YEARS AGO. IT'S SOMETHING TOTALLY
DIFFERENT. >> WE STILL HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE
TO THE VERY -- >> VERY MUCH SO.
>> -- TO THE EXISTING SMALL BUSINESSES, AND NOT NEGATIVELY
IMPACT ANYBODY'S WORK IN THIS CITY AND TO GIVE THEM A CARTE
BLANCHE, I'M NOT GOING FOR THAT. >> ALL I'M SAYING IS THERE'S A
PROCESS, THERE'S A COMMUNITY OF FOLK THAT FEEL LIKE IT WOULD
NEGATIVELY IMPACT BUSINESS UP AND DOWN GRANBY STREET, I THINK
IT WOULD DO ABSOLUTELY THE OPPOSITE.
I THINK IT WOULD BREATHE LIFE INTO GRANBY STREET.
I THINK IT WOULD BRING BRAND-NEW MONEY INTO THIS CITY FROM A
RETAIL STANDPOINT AS WELL AS FROM A COMMERCIAL STANDPOINT.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WILL ALLOW
THEM TO COME TO THE TABLE AND SHOW US MODELS AND NOT JUST RELY
ON WHAT WE THINK AND LOOK AT THE DATA AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE
DECISIONS AS RELATES TO THIS AT THE END OF THE DAY.
>> I AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK THAT WE -- AND I ALSO
AGREE WITH ANDY. I THINK THAT FINANCIAL ASPECT OF
IT, WHERE THE CITY IS CONCERNED, IS VERY IMPORTANT, AS WELL AS
MAKING SURE WE HAVE LOCAL BUSINESSES INCORPORATED, BUT
WHEN YOU HAVE PROFESSIONALS AND WHEN THIS IS WHAT THEY DO EVERY
DAY FOR A LIVING, WE CAN'T TIE THEIR HANDS BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE
ASKING THEM TO DO IS SOMETHING NEW.
IT IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO
BASICALLY TAKE WATERSIDE OFF OF LIFE SUPPORT, AND, YOU KNOW, LET
IT BREATHE AND LIVE AND GROW ON ITS OWN.
SO I THINK WE'RE KIND OF ALL SAYING THE SAME THING, BUT I
TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU IN THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
DON'T -- WE'RE NOT SO RESTRICTIVE.
WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE THEM CARTE BLANCHE, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE
SO RESTRICTIVE THAT THE PROJECT DOESN'T WORK.
>> WELL, I THOUGHT THAT THE DECISION HASN'T EXACTLY BEEN
MADE YET, AND I -- YOU KNOW, SO I'M NOT PREPARED TO SAY WHAT I'M
GOING TO DO FOR THE CORDISH. I'M PREPARED TO TALK IN A WORK
STUDY PLAN AND WE'LL LISTEN TO EXACTLY WHAT ANDY IS TALKING
ABOUT AND PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT AND THEN WE DECIDE AT THE END OF
THE DAY WHETHER WE GO AHEAD. AND I AM NOT PREPARED FOR A RUSH
TO JUDGMENT HERE. I MEAN, WE EITHER DO IT RIGHT OR
I THINK WE DON'T DO IT AND WE PULL BACK AND WE LOOK AT IT, BUT
I -- YOU KNOW, I THINK MARCUS HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF SUMMING
UP MANY GOOD PLANS AND NOW I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US TO FIGURE
OUT IF THAT'S GOING TO WORK FOR US.
>> I THINK THAT'S -- >> YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE'RE
THERE. >> RIGHT.
>> YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO LET
THEM DO. I'M NOT SURE WE'RE THERE YET.
>> THE PROCESS WAS HE WAS TO BRING BACK -- THAT'S WHY I ASKED
IN THE LAST MEETING WHERE THIS WAS -- WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS
GOING TO COME TO A FORMAL VOTE, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS
GOING TO COME TO A FORMAL VOTE. >> RIGHT.
>> THAT'S WHY I ASKED, WHAT IS THE PROCESS?
I DON'T WANT TO SIT ON THIS FOR 90 DAYS OR ANOTHER YEAR.
>> NO. >> SO SOMEBODY HAS TO COME UP
WITH A PROCESS THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE TO WORK FROM AND BE ABLE
TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE MANAGER BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND BE ABLE
TO SAY THAT, LOOK, I MADE MY RECOMMENDATION TO THIS BODY.
NOW, THIS BODY IS GOING TO DELIBERATE OVER THIS FOR, WHAT?
THE NEXT, WHAT? THE NEXT WORK SESSION?
JUNE, JULY? >> WELL, WE OUGHT TO MAP
SOMETHING OUT THAT WE ALL AGREE WITH AND NO ONE IS -- I MEAN, IT
NEEDS TO BE TIMELY. BUT I AGREE, WE DON'T WANT TO
RUSH. I THINK THERE'S A SWEET SPOT
HERE FOR EVERYBODY. THERE'S A LOT -- WAIT A MINUTE.
THERE'S A LOT OF -- WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT EXACTLY WHAT
THE CORDISH PLAN HAS IN IT. I'VE BEEN PART OF SOME EFFORTS
IN THE PAST WHERE WE HAVE OVERPROMISED SOME UNDELIVERABLE
PROJECTS. I'D LIKE TO BE PART OF A PROJECT
ONE TIME WHERE WE SORT OF UNDERPROMISE AND OVERPERFORM.
>> WELL BUT -- >> WAIT, WAIT, OKAY.
I REALLY WOULD. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE
EXPECTATIONS ARE AROUND THE ROOM FOR SOMETHING.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HOW PUBLIC SPACE IS
MANAGED. THIS PLACE HAS A VERY SPECIAL --
OUR COMMUNITY HAS A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH WATERSIDE, AND
THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE FULL, YOU
KNOW -- IT OUGHT TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN THE FUTURE IN
THE WAY THAT IT IS, YOU KNOW, IN SOME FORM NOW.
BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY THAT THERE HAS TO BE -- I MEAN,
THAT THIS BUILDING ALSO HAS TO WORK AS AN ECONOMIC UNIT AND
THEY HAVE TO HAVE A RETURN IN ORDER TO COME IN HERE AND MAKE
AN INVESTMENT. SO I THINK WE'LL GET WHERE WE
WANT TO BE. WE JUST GOT TO HAVE THOSE
DISCUSSIONS. ANTHONY, I'M SURE YOU HAVE ONE
PERFECT VISION OF WHAT YOU THINK THIS THING OUGHT TO BE.
THE REST OF THIS AREN'T THERE YET.
>> IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE RUSHED
THE MANAGER. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WE WANTED
THE MANAGER TO BRING US SOMETHING IN IN DECEMBER.
I MEAN, YOU AS WELL AS I, WE SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE WE
GOING TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING ON WATERSIDE?
WHAT IS THE PROCESS? SO WE PUT PRESSURE ON THE
MANAGER TO COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO
SEE HAPPENING WITH WATERSIDE, AND SO NOW YOU GUYS SAY, WELL,
LET'*** THE BRAKES. >> NOBODY IS SAYING HIT THE
BRAKES. >> EXCUSE ME, I'M ASKING FOR
SOMETHING DEFINITIVE AS RELATES TO A PROCESS THAT WE CAN LIVE
WITH. >> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT --
>> WE HAVE ONE CHANCE. >> BUT YOU KNEW THAT A YEAR OR
TWO AGO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, BUT YOU WERE SAYING, YOU
KNOW, LET'S DO SOMETHING WITH WATERSIDE.
>> AND LET'S BE DEFINITIVE. LET'S SET UP A WORK STUDY, SOME
TIME TO GET TOGETHER AND LET'S FIGURE OUT WHERE WE GO FROM
THERE. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A LONG
TIME. THAT'S WHY I ASKED IF THERE WAS
SOME TIME SENSITIVITY. >> I THINK THE MONTH OF JUNE, WE
OUGHT TO -- YEAH. >> -- WE HAVE A BUDGET AHEAD OF
US, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS ON THE TABLE HERE.
>> CAN YOU GET THE INFORMATION SUCH AS WHAT ANDY ASKED FOR BY A
JUNE WORK SESSION? >> MAYBE WE CAN PUT TOGETHER
SOME TIME TODAY WHERE WE CAN ALL SIT DOWN AND HAVE (INAUDIBLE).
BUT WE DO HAVE -- THE NEXT -- WE HAVE AN ELECTION NEXT WEEK AND
THEN PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET ON THE 2nd, AND THEN
WE'RE NOT HERE -- WE HAVE A BUDGET HEARING ON THE 9th,
RIGHT? AND THE BUDGET WORKSHOP HERE ON
THE 8th, AND THEN WE DON'T WORK ON THE -- WE'RE HOT HERE ON THE
15th, SO ON THE 22nd, MAYBE WE COULD COME IN A COUPLE HOURS
EARLY ON THE 22nd, THAT EVENING, AND TALK ABOUT WATERSIDE AND
TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSAL AND GET US SOME INFORMATION BY THEN.
AND THEN WE OUGHT TO BE, YOU KNOW, MOVING DOWN THE LINE.
I DO WANT TO COME BACK TO THIS NOTION THAT I DO THINK THAT THE
HOTEL/CONFERENCE CENTER DISCUSSION OUGHT TO BE -- IT
OUGHT TO BE A FOLLOW-ON TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT HERE BECAUSE
EVERYTHING HAS TO WORK TOGETHER. >> I AGREE AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT I DON'T KNOW, THE PAST COUNCIL SET FUNDS ASIDE FOR
THAT, AND THROUGH TAX COLLECTIONS DOWNTOWN AND I'D
LIKE TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE, HOW MUCH WE COLLECTED, WHAT DEBT
LOAD THAT CAN HANDLE WITH THE PROJECTION OF COLLECTIONS IN THE
FUTURE AND I THINK THAT SHOULD GO HAND-IN-HAND WITH WHATEVER
WE'RE LOOKING FOR BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE ULTIMATELY, I DON'T KNOW
ABOUT THE SCALE OF THIS PROJECT AND WHETHER OR NOT IT, YOU KNOW,
THE REGION OR THE CITY -- THE CITY OR THE REGION CAN SUPPORT
IT. THAT BEING SAID, IF IT IS GOING
TO GO HAND-IN-HAND, I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CROSS-MARKET
IT WITH THE REMAINDER OF DOWNTOWN AND IF WE HAVE THE
MONEY SET ASIDE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY SET ASIDE BY LAW, BY
ORDINANCE FOR THE CONFERENCE CENTER, THEN THAT CAN WORK
HAND-IN-HAND AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE HOW THAT HAPPENS.
IT DOESN'T TAKE ME A LONG TIME, I CAN CULL THROUGH THAT FAIRLY
QUICKLY. I JUST WANT TO KNOW THAT
INFORMATION. [ INAUDIBLE COMMENTS ]
>> OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU, MARCUS.
YOU DID A NICE JOB, AGAIN. WE'RE GOING TO GET SOMETHING TO
EAT, AM I RIGHT? AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK
AND WE HAVE THE HARRIS-TEETER
PRESENTATION.