Norfolk’s hotel and conference center in jeopardy with Carnival departure

Norfolk's cruise terminal, hotel and conference center

Weekly Headlines

Norfolk’s hotel and conference center in jeopardy with Carnival departure

Food cart frenzy injures hundreds

Mayor Paul Fraim crowned All-American. Parade held on Granby Street. The Ghent Business Association protests

Va. Beach Town Center shooting prompts cancellation of apartment leases at The Residences at the Westin, the Cosmopolitan and Studio 56

Condo sales drop at the Town Center. Downtown Norfolk flooded with applications for apartments

Guadalajara closes under threat of no more city money for phase 4 of the Town Center

Bruce Thompson sells the Cavalier to Donald Trump

Offensive art

High court rules that unregistered voters can’t donate to political campaigns

PETA protests a roasted pig on a spit mural in the arts and design district. Norfolk City Council calls an emergency session and cancels arts and design district

Norfolk City Council passes an ordinance banning music above a whisper in the downtown district

Homeless dogs, cats and rats are rousted in Stockley Gardens raid

Veer Magazine van cited for violation of public art ordinance

Selected weekly comments

On “Norfolk’s James Madison lost half its value”

Pray tell, I thought the Toonerville Trolley, aka The Tide blight rail had increased property values by $900 million? Are you suggesting that the City of Norfolk would put out deceitful information? Ah, the shame of it all.

HA! If this is indicative of Norfolk's record keeping ability, then it might explain why they can't collect back taxes. No address, no tax bill. 

But wait, I made a moot point, didn't I? Norfolk doesn't tax "historic renovations" on Granby St. 

So when I put the pieces together, city policy towards historic structures seems to be: 1) Renovations are funded in part thru tax credits. 2) Taxes are abated once renovations are complete - reducing the city's potential revenue. 3) Store fronts sit empty as landlord's live tax free - lacking the typical incentive to make a property productive. 4) The city uses public funds to tear down historic structures because they sit empty. The city then builds pet projects for the Mayor-in-Chief, such as the conference center, which will only keep its doors open with heavy city subsidies. 

Hmm, I wonder why commercial property values are falling downtown. 

Let's hope the Federal government continues to bail us out. All hell would break loose if we ever had to get our house in order. Besides, Norfolk voted 90% for Obama. We deserve be rewarded, damn it.

On “10 things we want to know about Bruce Thompson”

Does he want to buy The Virginian-Pilot? I hear it's for sale.

 Editors note: just kidding about the headlines

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