RFP Staff
♦ The Rowan County Commissioners will meet Monday at 6 p.m. to conduct a hearing concerning the West End Plaza. The usual sideshow is expected during public commentary when Downtown Salisbury ONLY trots out their faithful to little effect on either the commissioners or on the eventual Local Government Commission who will examine the facts and not staged public hysteria.
In recent days a “petition” emerged demanding that Monday’s public hearing on the West End Plaza purchase and subsequent debt payment be canceled until after a new commission majority was seated as a result of the general election. Current commissioner candidates, save for Greg Edds, signed what amounts to a meaningless petition. It is significant to note none of the signers has any current stature–they are not elected officials and come December many who signed will not be a part of the majority. Yesterday Mac Butner, a supporter of the West End Plaza and “Thelma’s Down Home Cooking”, started gathering signatures to get on the December ballot as an unaffiliated candidate.
The petition can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2E5Ew6OLdElYnY5X1NUektqTmM/edit
Another major challenge to the Downtown Salisbury ONLY petition is the realization the county paid for the West End Plaza out of its fund balance and that money must be replaced or the county reserve funds will drop to the minimum required by state law. Failure to replenish the funds to the reserves could negatively impact the county’s financial rating like Moody’s just did to the City of Salisbury over Fibrant’s lack of performance. Such a negative downgrading might jeopardize school construction projects.
Commissioners Sides, Caskey, Pierce, and Mitchell as well as County Manager Gary Page strongly touted the West End Plaza as a repurposed gem for future county office space and to a lesser degree for retail and restaurants. Many in the community and in construction recognized the buildings are in outstanding condition. Not only does the repurposing of the West End Plaza enhance the community surrounding it, its saves the county plenty in future space needs. The county got 319,000 square feet of potential office and storage space at approximately $11 a square foot for somewhere in the vicinity of $3.4 million. Because of tenants the county expects to collect $550,000 in lease income with $475,000 of overhead expenses. The $75,000 balance will be kept as a contingency.
The West End Plaza stands as a strong alternative to expensive new construction. In the long run the West End Plaza will save taxpayers money and help lift up the part of Salisbury it inhabits.
Here’s an interview with Chairman Jim Sides where he answers the West End Plaza critics:
