A little slice of that federal stimulus money for Richmond

City approves stimulus bonds for private projects
January 12, 2010 by Al Harris
A handful of local projects could get a big boost from a federal stimulus program that funds tax-free bonds.

Last night City Council approved a resolution submitted by Mayor Dwight Jones requesting approval of five projects to be financed using Recovery Zone Facility bonds, a program of the federal stimulus act. The city has been allocated $8.8 million in bond issuing authority under the program. A total of $15 billion was allocated nationwide.
One of the projects is for a build-out of Bio Tech 8 at the Virginia Biotechnology Park, which requested just over $5 million in financing.

Bob Skunda, the park’s president and CEO, said the center was attracted the bond program because of their tax-exempt status.

“It means the cost of the money is less than conventional lending, so we can incentivize the rent a little bit,” Skunda said.

That will make it easier to find tenants to occupy the unfinished second floor of the research facility, he said. Either way he will need a letter of intent before construction would start. The bond would cover the full cost of the construction.

“My knowing that it has been approved allows me to go after these prospects more aggressively,” he said.

The combined total requested by the five applicants is about $22.8 million, but the city may be able to draw on a pool of stimulus funds allocated to the state to fulfill the full amount.

Below is the list of projects:

Virginia Bio-Technology Research Park requested $5,040,700 million to build out Biotech 8.

Crosland requested $4,575,000 to build a parking deck at Manchester on the James, a planned apartment complex on the south end of the Lee Bridge.

Macfarlane Partners requested $5 million for the conversion of the P. Lorillard Company Building into office and retail space.

CMB Development requested $2.75 million for a parking deck to serve SunTrust and UPS employees working in Manchester. The company is also planning a 160-apartment complex on the site.

James Center Property LLC requested $4.5 million for a parking garage at 10th and Canal streets.

Before the vote, several Southside residents spoke out against the ordinance to approve the projects–taking exception to one project in particular, Manchester on the James.

“If a developer will not fully commit their own funds it probably means in their expert opinion it is not viable,” said Jeremy Weiland, a blogger behind SpringhillRVA.org, a website for the neighborhood where Manchester on the James is planned.

The project was given the green light when council approved a Special Use Permit in the spring of 2008. That SUP was set to expire this year, but was extended by an act of the General Assembly last year that extended such permits another four years because of the recession. Weiland and other speakers contended that had the stimulus bonds not been available the project would not be moving forward.

The project, developed by Charlotte-based Crosland, was strongly opposed by adjoining neighborhood associations when it went before council a year and half ago. Around 1,200 signatures were gathered on a petition against the project. Council approved the SUP by a vote of 6-3. The final SUP allowed for a four story building and a maximum of 200 units.

Attorney Andrew Condlin of the law firm Williams Mullen defended the project on behalf of Crossland.

“The vote tonight is not for or against the project, we already took care of that,” Condlin said.

Condlin said Crosland is going to spend $23 million on the project, about $7 million of which is their own money. The rest will be financed, including the $4.5 million requested from the stimulus bond.

“This is about jobs and economic stimulus,” said Condlin.

Peter Chapman, deputy chief administrator for the Mayor who is also in charge of economic development, said that in order for the projects to qualify they must be fully funded and have a letter of intent from a bank or other financial institution.

“The bottom line is this is not a grant, it is not a loan. These are bond issuances that demonstrated the ability to receive private sector financing,” Chapman told Council.

The Council approved the measure by a vote of 8 to 1; Eighth District Councilwoman Reva Trammell voting against.