Tivest Development and Construction
According to the Virginian-Pilot article, Councilpersons Tommy Smigiel, Angelia Williams and Andy Protogyrou are holding a town hall meeting this Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 9a.m. at Granby High School in the greater Wards Corner Area.
A representative from Tivest Development has been invited to present on their plan for the Midtown Office Tower that would be built at Tidewater Drive and Virginia Beach Blvd. The project is proposed to be subsidized by the City paying substantially more in rent than it is paying now.
Ann Abraham, a Wards Corner resident, was one of the first to write in about this meeting:
This is in reference to proposed town hall meeting at Granby high school Saturday Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. I think it will be an important meeting for the Wards Corner Civic league to show their strength.
As you may have read in the newspaper, the city manager and staff along with mayor Fraim, councilmen Riddick and Burfoot are in favor of using city funds to support a private developer. The project is called midtown office building. There is no need for the city to develop every vacant lot in the city. Tax payers’ funds should be used throughout the community, not for handpicked private developers. These funds will be diverted from the redevelopment of wards corner. We need to voice our opposition to the needless output of taxpayers funds to benefit a private developer. This project doesn’t make sense. I don’t need to remind you that help for wards corner has been on the back burner. I think it would be equally important to get the word out to other civic leagues. Perhaps you can pass this message on.
Wards Corner Now - Wards Corner, Norfolk, Virginia 
This is a must read blog post on the current Midtown Office Tower boondoggle. Click on this link http://hamptonroads.com/2011/02/burfoot-bumbles-building-boondoggle
Each of us should send an EMail to the Mayor, Dr Whibley, Barclay Winn, Andy Protogyrou, and Angelia Williams , all representing the Wards Corner area, to state objections in funding this private developer. Mayor Fraim stated in his State of the City Address that revenue continues to fall short of expenditure demands and there is a need to reduce or eliminate some programs, services and positions. How does this mammoth subsidy fit in the plan? He also stated that there is active discussion with major property owners in WC with new development opportunities later this year. This talk gets old. Since 2002, long before Tivest, Wards Corner has asked for some development assistance. Year after year, neglect continues. NO to Tivest, YES to Wards Corner.
I have emailed the Mayor at mayor@norfolk.gov and also sent emails to Angelia,Andy and Thomas to express my objections to funding this private developer. I totally agree with Mr. Griffey, How much longer are we expected to wait for help with Wards Corner!