$4.9 Million HRT Deal to Secure Land for Light Rail
By Tom Holden, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.
Feb. 23–Hampton Roads Transit agreed Thursday to spend $4.9 million on a contract with the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority to acquire property for the planned light rail project.
Most of the land needed for the region’s first commuter train project has been set aside, but seven homes and three businesses remain in private hands and must be acquired, HRT officials said.
The con–tract calls on the housing authority to act as the transit agency’s real estate acquisition and relocation agent. The agreement covers the cost of services, fees and the property.
“For a project the size of light rail, the amount of land being considered under this contract is quite small,” said Jayne B. Whitney, vice president for development at HRT.
HRT is proposing to build a 7.4-mile commuter rail line starting at Eastern Virginia Medical School, winding through downtown and along Interstate 264 and ending at Newtown Road.
About 56 percent of the $232 million system, which is expected to carry as many as 11,500 people a day, is being paid for by the federal government. The remainder would come from state and local sources.
On Tuesday, HRT submitted its initial application for the full grant agreement, the contract that HRT, Norfolk and the Federal Transit Administration will ultimately sign to pay for the project.
“This starts the formal review process,” Whitney said.
If federal authorities agree with the application, Norfolk could host a ground breaking by summer.
Acquiring private property for public use often involves a simple offer to buy and a subsequent sale. Sometimes, public agencies must seize land under eminent domain statutes that allow private land to be taken for limited types of public use.
“We’re pleased to assist HRT,” said Ed Ware, director of communications for the authority. “It’s a real estate service that we do every day. It’s a part of our core service.”
— Reach Tom Holden at (757) 446-2331 or tom.holden@pilotonline.com.
—–
Copyright (c) 2007, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.