spin/ph
2025-01-08
spin/ph
NoneA new, closely guarded study for a new state office building in downtown Richmond favors a site on East Broad Street that the Virginia Department of Transportation is vacating next year. After a public showdown early this year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the General Assembly's budget committees have been quietly considering options for housing employees who now work at the James Monroe Building , which the state is likely to either demolish or sell. The options are outlined in a detailed report that the Department of General Services delivered to the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees on Nov. 1 but withheld from public disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to prevent release of information that state and budget officials feared could undermine competitive bidding for a project to carry out the report's findings. The governor's office, which has favored leasing private commercial space instead of a new state building, provided the Richmond Times-Dispatch with an executive summary of the 55-page report, but asked to withhold details about square footage and exact estimated costs to protect the state's bargaining position. The report compares options for a new office building at either 1401 E. Broad St., current home of the VDOT Annex Building, or 703 E. Main St., where the now demolished offices of the Virginia Employment Commission once stood. Depending on size and design, the building would cost between $400 million and $500 million and take five years to complete. The options for the Broad Street site also include renovating and expanding the existing annex building rather than demolishing it, but the study shows that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. The new analysis does not explicitly recommend a site but gives the advantage to the VDOT Annex property on Broad Street. The House Appropriations Committee added it as an option this year after learning that the transportation department plans to move a portion of its operations to the former headquarters of Owens & Minor Co. in Mechanicsville. Last year, the General Assembly had included money in the budget for a new building at the Main Street site. But Youngkin told the budget committees last year that he had "paused the $407 million construction of a new building in downtown Richmond because we don't need it." This year, the assembly blocked his plans to spend $50 million to demolish the Monroe Building, move the Virginia Lottery out of Main Street Centre to the suburbs and renovate that building to house displaced state employees. Youngkin's office said Friday that he will support planning money in the proposed budget to move forward on whatever option the General Assembly chooses when it convenes in January for a 46-day session that will include changes to the two-year budget that took effect in July. The governor wants to hasten the move of employees out of the Monroe Building into other state-owned properties or commercially leased space. “The governor believes the best next step is to move state agencies and employees out of the Monroe Building as quickly as possible to temporary leased space and existing office space in and around Capitol Square," spokesman Rob Damschen said. "This option costs roughly half as much as maintaining Monroe while the General Assembly determines the next best option for a potential new building." "The DGS study provides the General Assembly with a number of options, and the Governor is supportive of providing additional funds for further planning in the final budget passed by the General Assembly this year,” Damschen said. Assembly budget leaders are happy with the outcome. "It bugged me before when we said, 'do it' and they didn't do it, but now we have better information and that's all right," said Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, who has been a critic of the Republican governor's effort to block construction of a new building. 'We need space': Study backs downtown site for new state offices Deeds, who had seen a preliminary report in August, said the study confirms that the Broad Street site makes the most sense "from a cost effectiveness standpoint and a future building standpoint." The VDOT Annex, constructed in 1963, lies close to Capitol Square at North 14th Street, making it easier to maintain and connect to the state information technology network. The site includes ample space for parking, which the Main Street site lacks, and access from two sides. Parking would become an issue with the demolition or sale of the Monroe Building, which includes a garage with 600 parking spaces on the other site of 14th Street. It would also cost less to build there than on the Main Street site, regardless of the building size. "Cost wise, it's a little better," said Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William, who chairs the Senate Finance capital outlay subcommittee. McPike said the project also represents continued state investment in downtown Richmond and the Capitol Square area, "and that's a good thing." However, he added, "The Monroe Building still needs to be dealt with." The state could move people out of the Monroe Building, which it could put on the private real estate market or demolish. The new study shows that repairing and remaining in Monroe while the new building is under construction would cost almost twice the expense of leasing temporary "swing space" for employees. Demolishing the building would cost up to $55 million, depending on the method used. VDOT expects to move a portion of its operations out of the annex building, next to its headquarters on Broad Street, next year. "Most VDOT Central Office employees that fall under the Chief Engineer and the Chief of Maintenance and Operations will be moving to the building located at 9120 Lockwood Boulevard in Mechanicsville," spokesperson Marshall Herman said earlier this year. "Some divisions that fall under the Chief of Policy and the Chief of Administration as well as some support staff will also be moving to that location." YoungkinNHL Live Tracker: Maple Leafs vs. Capitals
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SAN FRANCISCO – The Bay Area’s new WNBA team made Iliana Rupert its first player selected in the 2024 WNBA expansion draft on Friday afternoon. The 6-foot-4 center from France started her career with the champion Las Vegas Aces in 2022. She played for Atlanta in 2023, but did not participate in the 2024 season. She was the first of the 12 picks that general manager Ohemaa Nyanin will make in the nationally-televised draft on ESPN. The Valkyries took then Maria Conde from Chicago, guard Veronica Burton from Connecticut, Carla Leite from Dallas, Temi Fagbenle from Indiana, and Kate Martin from Las Vegas. In the WNBA’s first expansion draft since 2008, the Valkyries are allowed to select one player from each of the other 12 teams, provided that they are not one of the six players each team was permitted to protect. The list of protected players was finalized on Nov. 26 but the league did not make the names public. Of the unprotected players, the Valkyries can draft only one unrestricted free agent over their 12 picks. After the draft, the Valkyries will be able to make trades and sign free agents.
NBA's Christmas Showdown: A Record-Breaking Basketball BonanzaNEW YORK (AP) — Ayden Pereira rushed for 136 yards on 17 carries and threw for a touchdown and Merrimack's defense smothered Fordham 19-3 in a season finale. Jay Thompson had three solo sacks and was credited with four of Merrimack’s 11 sacks. The Rams (2-10) finished with just four first downs and were held to minus-29 yards rushing and 31 total yards offense. The Warriors (5-6) also made two interceptions. Pereira was 12-of-15 passing for 131 yards, connecting with Jalen McDonald for a 12-yard touchdown and a 16-3 lead late in the third quarter. Lliam Davis's field goal made it 19-3 in the fourth quarter. After Kendal Sims blocked a Fordham punt out of the end zone for a safety, Jermaine Corbett went over from a yard out for a 9-0 lead in the first quarter. Bennett Henderson had Fordham's only points with a 43-yard field goal. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
NEW YORK (AP) — Ayden Pereira rushed for 136 yards on 17 carries and threw for a touchdown and Merrimack's defense smothered Fordham 19-3 in a season finale. Jay Thompson had three solo sacks and was credited with four of Merrimack’s 11 sacks. The Rams (2-10) finished with just four first downs and were held to minus-29 yards rushing and 31 total yards offense. The Warriors (5-6) also made two interceptions. Pereira was 12-of-15 passing for 131 yards, connecting with Jalen McDonald for a 12-yard touchdown and a 16-3 lead late in the third quarter. Lliam Davis's field goal made it 19-3 in the fourth quarter. After Kendal Sims blocked a Fordham punt out of the end zone for a safety, Jermaine Corbett went over from a yard out for a 9-0 lead in the first quarter. Bennett Henderson had Fordham's only points with a 43-yard field goal. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25Financial Institutions, Inc. Announces Launch of Common Stock Offering
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