Wishneff for City Council

Civic Center Deficit News Conference

wishneff — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:36:00 +0000

Wishneff for Council News Conference – Roanoke Civic Center – 4/23/08 253% Increase in Civic Center Deficit
“White Elephant causes growing deficit”
As I have said many times during the campaign, this election should be about the business judgment of our current Mayor and City Council Majority and the results of that judgment. Specifically, I have wanted to point out those big projects and issues where my judgment has differed from theirs.
Nowhere is that more evident than the Roanoke Civic Center. Every year since the Civic Center was built, City General Fund has had to subsidize the Civic Center. Generally, that subsidy has ranged from $500,000-$1,000,000. Given the spin-off spending from visitors and the improvement in the quality of life the citizens of Roanoke receive from the Civic Center, that level of subsidy has been one the community can and should accept.
In FY99-2000, the year before the current City Manager took her job in Roanoke, the General Fund subsidy for the Civic Center was $958,403. 4-fiscal years later, FY03-2004, the year before Mayor Harris took office, the General Fund subsidy had grown 17% to $1,118,135.
What has happened since Mayor Harris and the current majority of Council took office? In FY06-2007, the General Fund subsidy grew to $3,374,490 or a 302% increase in the General Fund subsidy to the Civic Center. The latest estimate from the City of Roanoke’s Finance Department is that the City’s General Fund subsidy for our Civic Center for this fiscal year, FY07-2008 will be $2,826,452 or an increase in subsidy of some 253% since Mayor Harris and the current majority on Council took office. Let me repeat that, since our Mayor and current majority on Council took office, the General Fund subsidy for the Civic Center has grown by 253% or almost $2 million. And sadly, it appears that the nearly $2 million increase will remain every year for the foreseeable future. This is not a knock on the Civic Center staff as they have been dealt a very difficult hand.
Imagine what we could have done with that almost $2 million each and every year? One example of a use for this money would be to fund annual teacher pay increases and City employee pay increases. What happened? Why a 253% increase? In a few words it is called “debt-service and operating loses for the new Roanoke Special Events Center building.” That building cost the City $16 million. $16,000,000
Again, can you imagine the capital improvements to our parks? In our neighborhoods? In parking garages downtown? And on and on had we not built that project. I opposed and voted against the project. Why? Because in the early 1980’s over 25 years ago when I was City Economic Development Director, I was asked by then City Manger Bern Ewert to evaluate a similar concept. From my review of similar projects I learned a stark and important reality. Stand-alone convention centers are economic “white elephants”. They lose lots of money. Without exception successful convention centers are tied to a hotel. Meeting planners want and demand such centers be tied to a hotel.
Thus, was born the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center project. Contrast the City-owned Hotel Roanoke Conference Center which operates in the Black to the Civic Center with an almost $3 million subsidy from the City General Fund. Over 25-years ago we learned through doing our homework that you do not build stand-alone convention centers. How did Roanoke City come to make such a big mistake in judgment on something the city development world learned 25-years earlier? Poor judgment by Mayor Harris, the majority of council and the City Manager. Had they only bothered to ask someone at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, they would have quickly learned what a white elephant they were getting ready to build.
Having been the one who was there 25-years ago, I thought, clearly they would listen. They did not. Not only do we have an almost $3 million subsidy of the Civic Center, but we wasted $16 million on a facility that has the wrong design, the wrong location and an unfinished kitchen. This facility should have been next to the Hotel Roanoke as an extension of this successful project. Plus, we have made an already bad parking situation at the Civic Center even worse.
Now fast-forward to April 23, 2008. The same group, Mayor Harris, the majority of Council and the City Manager, wants to bring us an outdoor amphitheater at the river. Another financial white elephant for the City. All 6 promoters who responded to the amphitheater RFP at the river predicated this facility would have yet another operating subsidy. Again, contrast that with a conference center owned by the City of Roanoke attached to the Hotel Roanoke that operates in the black. I ask you whose judgment do you trust? The group that brought you an almost $3 million annual subsidy in large part because of a new Roanoke Special Events building built in the wrong location with wrong design that the rest of America learned over 20-years ago was a bad idea? Or me, the person who worked on the conference center at the Hotel Roanoke and who opposed the new $16 million civic center building?
We cannot afford their poor judgment anymore.
Brian Wishneff, Roanoke City Council member
www.wishneffforcouncil.com

Downtown Roanoke Agenda

wishneff — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:41:23 +0000

Dear Citizens of Roanoke, You may have heard that Roanoke City Council and the City Manager recently selected an operator for the proposed amphitheater on Reserve Avenue. This decision was made with no public discussion by City Council and no input from you the citizens. Now if allowed to continue, Roanoke will spend $12,600,000 of your money to fund this project. Unfortunately, this announcement by the Council majority and City Manager coincidentally came hours after we presented a downtown plan that we believe will help reinvigorate Roanoke and improve the economic climate in our City. Many studies have shown that vibrant downtowns are vital to the success of cities. Our plan for Roanoke presents an alternative that we feel is a better use of your money to accomplish this important goal. You as a citizen of Roanoke have a stake in the future success of our city and that is part of the reason why we feel it is so important that you understand the situation. The basic elements of our proposal for these funds are as follows: 1. Elmwood Park Amphitheater ($3,000,000): We propose building a 2,000-3,000 seat downtown amphitheater in Elmwood Park. This facility would have many natural synergies with existing downtown businesses and be an economic development engine for our entire City. 2. City Market Building Renovation ($3,000,000): There has been recent discussion of the need to renovate the City Market Building. Dedicating a portion of these funds would ensure that these badly needed renovations are completed in a timely and effective manner. 3. Center in the Square Renovation ($1,000,000): These funds represent the initial payment on a multi-year City $4,000,000 commitment for this $27,000,000 renovation and reinvention of Center in the Square. Unlike the Reserve Avenue project which would be 100% funded by the City, this use would leverage the City’s investment with significant private investment. 4. Church Ave. Garage Renovation ($1,500,000): By renovating this garage with these funds, the City would not need to borrow money for this project. By avoiding borrowing, no parking rate increase would be necessary and people would be further encouraged to visit downtown. 5. Farmers Stall Modernization ($250,000): Farmers and other vendors that use the market stalls have requested that the City provide amenities for the stalls including heat and electricity. This project would allow vendors to improve the offerings currently available on the market. 6. Market Square Improvements ($850,000): This money would be used to complete aesthetic and functional improvements to Market Square that would make it easier for this location to support a variety of uses, which will attract people to the area on nights and weekends. 7. New 600+ space Williamson Rd Parking Garage ($3,000,000): We propose to replace the current parking lot across from Link Museum with new hotel rooms and meeting space for an expanded Hotel Roanoke on top of a new parking garage. This strategic location allows for the garage to serve multiple users including Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, the Civic Center, the improved Market Building and the new Art Museum. These funds represent the initial City contribution for planning and design of a much larger multi-million dollar project. We feel strongly that these seven projects, which we have estimated to cost the same $12,600,000 as the Reserve Avenue project, provide a much more effective use of your money that will improve our City’s economic well-being and the quality of life for all of us who call Roanoke home. Sincerely, Mayoral candidate David Bowers and Roanoke City Councilman and candidate Brian Wishneff

Putting our schools on the right track

wishneff — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:42:36 +0000

As reported recently by the Roanoke Times (http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/156720) Roanoke’s dropout rate is the worst in the region. We need to take a proactive stance to get this turned around. This starts by getting teacher salaries and benefits up to the National average and offering programs like the Blue Ridge Technical Academy.

Wishneff and Lea Watch Out for Tax Payers

wishneff — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:33:36 +0000

Roanoke Times Editorial September 28, 2007
Thank you, Councilman Brian Wishneff and Sherman Lea for voting against giving $880,000 to help in the renovation of the Grand Piano building. If we don’t watch how we vote we will all end up in the poor house. Keep up the good work. Wishneff and Lea, you are working for the voters. More