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Two years after council push for local investment, Hampton Roads Ventures has yet to deliver • Virginia Mercury

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Two years after council push for local investment, Hampton Roads Ventures has yet to deliver • Virginia Mercury


More than two years after Norfolk’s city council directed a for-profit subsidiary of its redevelopment and housing authority to prioritize local investments, the company has yet to deliver.

In July 2022, the council passed a resolution requiring Hampton Roads Ventures (HRV) — a community development entity created by the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) — to make its “best efforts” to invest in the city following a Virginia Mercury investigation revealing it had allocated only a fraction of its $360 million in tax credits to Norfolk’s distressed areas.

The resolution required HRV to submit an annual report detailing its activities. The 2024 report shows $53 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocations across six states — with none directed to Virginia. The investments included projects as diverse as a food bank expansion in Tallahassee, a shopping center with a grocery store in the Bronx, N.Y., and a salmon processing barge in Washington (see info box).

Three years after repeated requests for interviews with HRV and NRHA officials, Alphonso Albert, chair of HRV’s board of managers and NRHA’s board of commissioners, sat down with The Mercury to defend HRV’s failure to invest locally.

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In an email ahead of the interview — copied to Norfolk’s mayor and several city council members — Albert accused the Mercury reporter of intending harm, being vindictive and “more about making mischief” than reporting the facts.

During a 45-minute conversation, Albert portrayed HRV as “a successful business” with a competitive strategy for securing New Markets Tax Credits. However, he also acknowledged limited outreach in Norfolk, where the company hasn’t funded a project since 2008.

Albert said the “primary driver” for HRV’s focus outside Norfolk is maintaining its track record to win future tax credit allocations. Changing its business model to prioritize Norfolk, he argued, could jeopardize the company’s ability to secure funding in a highly competitive process.  

“We want to be successful in obtaining and utilizing new market tax credits,” Albert said. “That’s the end game, and not to make efforts that don’t meet the objective, the successful model that HRV operates on.” He added that HRV’s success relies on “tax-ready projects” in its pipeline that align with competitive application requirements. 

However, the city council’s resolution from two years ago directed the firm to “proactively seek Norfolk projects and not rely solely upon the Norfolk Economic Development Department.” It also required marketing efforts to raise awareness about the NMTC program.

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Other community development entities, though, have demonstrated that strategies can evolve without jeopardizing funding. For example, Indy CDE in Indianapolis has secured $177 million in tax credits since 2010 for a wide range of local projects, including a YMCA, high school modernization, and a recycling facility. It focuses on eliminating food deserts, increasing access to education, and revitalizing blighted areas.  

Albert said the company’s small staff size prevents it from actively developing projects in Norfolk unless they are brought to the firm. HRV’s website lists just three employees — a CEO, a portfolio manager, and an executive assistant — and Albert suggested that adding two or three more positions might be necessary if the company were to expand its focus locally.  

HRV’s 2023 audit revealed that salaries and benefits totaled nearly $490,000, up from $463,000 the previous year. Albert said he was unaware of CEO Jennifer Donohue’s salary and would not support releasing that information. 

When asked how HRV identifies projects in places like Tallahassee, Tampa, and rural North Carolina, Albert said, “Consultants bring them to us. Consultants will see a deal and see if we’re interested in participating at one level or another, the same way we would do right here if somebody would bring us a deal.” According to the 2023 audit, HRV spent $230,000 on consultants that year.

Albert added that Donohue is also approached directly with proposals. “She’s going to look at a project that somebody says, here’s one here, but she doesn’t go out and solicit projects,” he said. 

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According to a December report from the U.S. Department of Treasury, HRV currently has $52 million in unallocated tax credits. Some of these funds may already be tied to pending deals. Treasury rules require half of HRV’s allocations be invested in rural areas. With the next application deadline approaching in late January — $10 billion available, double the usual amount — there is an opportunity to advance a Norfolk project. 

Asked what efforts HRV made to secure a Norfolk project in the past year, Albert said the company met with local lenders, including TowneBank, Truist, and Chase. However, when pressed about whether HRV had issued a request for proposals to solicit local projects, Albert said that it did not. “I will float that,” he added. “That’s not a bad idea.” 

Sean Washington, who oversees both Norfolk’s Department of Development and the city’s  Economic Development Authority, said that he hasn’t heard from HRV since discussions about a failed proposal to fund a Norfolk shopping center project in 2023. When asked why HRV hadn’t maintained contact with Washington, Albert replied, “A lot of people don’t have confidence in Sean. But Sean’s a nice guy.”

Norfolk pushes for local investment

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The 2022 city council resolution aimed at pushing HRV to invest in Norfolk projects and increase oversight followed a Virginia Mercury investigation revealing that the company had invested only a fraction of the $360 million in tax credit allocations it had received since 2003 in Norfolk. Some council members expressed surprise, admitting they were unaware of the NRHA subsidiary’s existence and questioned why it was not prioritizing Norfolk. 

HRV operates as a community development entity, which includes offshoots of banks, nonprofits, public agencies, and financial institutions. These entities apply for the tax credits  from the Treasury Department and, if awarded, attract investors who earn a 39% tax break over seven years.  

The tax credits aim to spur investment in distressed areas with the Treasury reporting that every New Markets Tax Credits dollar generates $8 in private investment. Norfolk has 16 severely distressed census tracts given the highest priority for tax credit allocations. In these tracts, poverty rates range from 31% to 80%, and unemployment rates reach as high as 40%.

HRV’s last local investment came in 2008, supporting the Fort Norfolk Plaza health center near Brambleton Avenue. Last year, HRV had pledged to back The Village, a proposed shopping center with the Urban League of Hampton Roads that aimed to eliminate a food desert. That project collapsed after the city failed to secure a state grant to help fund the development. The property later was sold to Fishing Point Healthcare, a company founded by the Nansemond Indian nation. 

HRV transferred $655,000 of its recent profits to NRHA to fund workforce development, youth services, crime prevention, and transportation support for food access and cultural events. The company also donated $144,538 to 27 local organizations, including Zion Word Days Church, My 2K Foundation, Second Calvary Baptist Church, the Virginia Arts Festival, the Beacon Light Civic League, the Urban League of Hampton Roads, and the Portsmouth Bruins Football Association, according to a list provided by Albert. 

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HRV’s 2023 audit, also shared with the city, reported net income of nearly $2 million. Since 2021, following increased scrutiny, HRV has transferred more than $3.6 million to the NRHA — surpassing the $1.3 million it had transferred over the previous 18 years.

Mayor and council num on recent report

Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander did not respond to requests for comment for this story, but in May 2022 he urged HRV to prioritize projects in the city. “The point is to spur economic development in areas that but for the new markets tax credits there would not be any investment. That’s the reason they exist,” he said at the time. “I’m not suggesting that they shouldn’t do business in other markets, rural markets. But this is the city of Norfolk. We need to spur economic growth.” 

A spokesperson for NRHA said Executive Director Nathan Simms would not grant an interview. According to the 2003 city council resolution that authorized HRV’s creation, the entity is managed by NRHA commissioners. 

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Four of the nine NRHA commissioners, including Albert, are on the Board of Managers of HRV. Albert said the HRV board met quarterly. While they don’t jointly discuss the annual applications for tax credits tied to projects, he said Donohue shared them for comments. He also noted that  HRV works with a nationwide advisory board to consult on investments. 

“I’m not the operational CEO. I’m talking principally who we are and I think defending our record and this organization,” Albert said.

Norfolk City Manager Pat Roberts also declined to comment through a spokesperson. Council member John “JP” Paige was the only elected official to respond. Paige, who represents some of Norfolk’s most vulnerable census tracts, said he hopes that HRV can identify a local project to support. 

“I was very excited about the grocery store that was coming, but the state didn’t come through,” Paige said, referring to The Village proposal. 

Other Virginia housing authorities have formed development entities like HRV that match projects with investors drawn to the tax breaks offered through the New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) program. But they focus on projects in the cities or regions, often plowing the administrative fees back into their communities and holding public meetings. Hampton Roads Ventures does not hold public meetings and has declined to make its records subject to the Freedom of Information Act. 

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In cities like St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, development entities have used the tax credits to stimulate major local investments, generating jobs and revitalizing their neighborhoods. . 

St. Louis has leveraged $543 million in NMTCs to fund 103 developments and businesses, creating 6,800 jobs. Pittsburgh has utilized $238 million for projects such as affordable housing, transit hubs, and mixed-use development. Cleveland’s development team has financed urban schools athletic centers, job creation hubs and mixed-use spaces to drive growth.

 Albert defended the HRV’s broader focus, saying it brings indirect benefits to Norfolk.

“We may be the only one that doesn’t support programs in our urban setting or in the area that we operate in, but we do bring very positive benefits to the city that we operate in,” he said. “I guess it’s a game of priorities.”

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Giants will hold 2026 training camp in West Virginia

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Giants will hold 2026 training camp in West Virginia


The New York Giants will be forced to hold their 2026 training camp, the first with John Harbaugh as head coach, out of state.

Per a report from the New York Post, the Giants will hold what will likely be the first two weeks of training camp in West Virginia at the Greenbrier Resort, located in White Sulpher Springs.

Part of the reason for the move is the fact that World Cup games will be held at MetLife Stadium this summer. There is also ongoing construction at the Giants’ facility at 1925 Giants Drive. The Giants are expanding their locker room, weight room, dining facility and office space at their headquarters, constructed in 2009. That work began before Harbaugh was named head coach.

NFL teams have used the Greenbier extensively since 2014, when it was first established to host training camp for the New Orleans Saints. The Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns have held training camps there, and other have practiced there during extended road trips.

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The facility has two grass fields and a FieldTurf field, as well as all of the other accommodations an NFL needs.

The Giants have trained at their own Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J. since 2013.

Exact dates for NFL training camps have not yet been set, but the starting date is generally some time in late July. Per the Post, most practices at the Greenbrier are expected to be open to the public.



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Senate approves lawmaker pay raise as teacher pay hike stalls in Virginia budget talks

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Senate approves lawmaker pay raise as teacher pay hike stalls in Virginia budget talks


As the legislative session in Richmond comes closer to an end, lawmakers are still hard at work hammering out the budget for the year ahead. This year, the Senate has approved a pay raise for lawmakers after tabling bills that would have provided larger pay increases for teachers.

With the cost of living rising, teachers across Virginia have been watching the proposed budget closely and hoping for higher pay.

In February, a bill that would have raised teacher salaries by 4.5% each year until reaching the national average of $77,000 was tabled until next year. The decision left some educators disappointed.

“It’s definitely disappointing. We’re at a time where we are struggling to keep highly qualified staff in the buildings and in the profession, to be quite honest, because we have to compete with other industries,” Karl Loos, president of the Lynchburg Education Association, said.

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SEE ALSO: ‘Strangest election cycle:’ Registrars prepare for referendum vote despite legal limbo

There is still a 3% increase for teachers included in the proposed Senate budget, and a 2% increase in the House of Delegates’ proposed budget. But Loos said a 3% raise only matches the rate of inflation, and will likely not be appealing enough to fill vacant positions.

“I think certainly teacher pay is a deterrent for a lot of people, especially as they see the amount of work that goes into it and the compensation for that work,” Loos said.

The Virginia Education Association also advocated for the 4.5% pay increase. Chad Stewart, the interim director of Government Relations and Research, said they believe budget uncertainty may have made lawmakers hesitant to commit to long-term increases they might not be able to sustain.

According to the State Fiscal Impact Statement, seen below, it would have required an additional $159.0 million in 2027, and increasing amounts for the next couple of years to meet the goal of reaching the national average.

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“We’ve seen commitments going back decades from previous governors who have all stated they want to get the national teacher pay average, but no governor has ever delivered on it,” Stewart said.

Stewart said the average national pay for teachers they are hoping to meet is $77,000, and that the current average salary for teachers in the Commonwealth is around $70,000. He said ultimately it comes down to the budget, and he hopes in the following years teachers will receive that larger pay increase. Stewart said the organization hopes Gov. Spanberger will be the first to follow through on that promise.

Meanwhile, legislation that would increase pay for state lawmakers was passed in the Senate on Thursday. Republican Del. Tim Griffin of the 53rd District said he voted against the measure.

“I was outraged last week when they raised their own pay. I voted against it,” Griffin said. “When you run on affordability, I think people expected it to be more affordable for the people that live and work in Virginia, not for ourselves. It kind of defeats the purpose.”

When asked about the proposed pay increases in the House and the Senate, Campbell County Superintendent Clay Stanley said in a statement, “I am praying for 3%. Our teachers, at minimum, deserve a raise that matches the cost of living increase.”

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ABC13 reached out to local Democratic lawmakers for comment on the teacher pay raise legislation, but did not receive a response.



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Why a 6-year-old with diabetes is pushing for change in Virginia – WTOP News

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Why a 6-year-old with diabetes is pushing for change in Virginia – WTOP News


First grader Ruston Revell is pressing Virginia lawmakers to pass a bill that he argues will make schools safer for kids with diabetes.

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Why a 6-year-old with diabetes is pushing for change in Virginia

Speaking in front of Virginia lawmakers, 6-year-old Ruston Revell needs a wooden stool to reach the microphone for his testimony about diabetes.

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Dressed in his blue suit and red tie, he’s there on a mission.

“Living with diabetes isn’t easy, there are lots of ups and downs — just like my blood sugar,” Ruston told legislators in the Virginia General Assembly.

The legislation that brought Ruston from Prince William County to Richmond would update an existing law to specify how Virginia schools handle accommodations for students with diabetes.

“When I’m at school, my nurse and all my teachers help me when I need it, but not all kids like me are that lucky,” Ruston told WTOP. “These bills change that, so kids with diabetes can be safer in schools.”

He’s testified before committees in both chambers as corresponding bills move through the Virginia General Assembly. HB1301 and SB122 have both earned support in their respective chamber.

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“Although, I’m small, my voice is big and it can change the world,” Ruston said.

In his testimony, the first grader clearly explained the care he requires to manage his Type 1 diabetes during the school day.

“He just pops up on his little stool and takes control of the room,” said Kelly Revell, Ruston’s mom. “It’s usually a little quiet, and after he finishes, he gets a whole room full of applause.”

Today, Ruston enjoys playing baseball, swimming and spending time at the playground.

But things were different before his diagnosis five years ago.

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A life-changing diagnosis at 15 months old

During the summer of 2020, Kelly said her son started showing signs of diabetes, such as extreme thirst — symptoms she recognized because her father had been diagnosed in his 20s.

“He would just lounge around the house and have no interest in playing with his sister,” Kelly said. “He stopped eating, so he was eventually airlifted to Children’s National in D.C., where he was admitted to the pediatric ICU for nearly a week.”

At just 15 months old, Ruston was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Kelly said that news was life-changing.

“Now, in order to keep him alive, we have to hurt him multiple times a day, by giving him four to five shots and even a dozen finger pricks just to make sure his blood sugar is in range,” she recalled.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks cells that make insulin. A lack of insulin can lead to high blood sugar, which could cause serious health issues or be deadly.

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“We had to wake up at 2 a.m. every night for six weeks, before we started utilizing technology, just to make sure that he was safe and healthy with his blood sugar,” Kelly said. “A lot of times, it resulted in phone calls to the hospital because he was at a dangerous level, and then we would be up for hours making sure he was back in range.”

For the Revell family, managing Ruston’s diabetes looks different nowadays.

Ruston Revell, 6, has traveled from Prince William County to Richmond to testify in favor of a bill surrounding Virginia schools and students with diabetes.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

Ruston stands alongside Virginia Sen. Jeremy McPike, who sponsored the bill in the upper chamber
Ruston stands alongside Virginia Sen. Jeremy McPike, who sponsored the bill in the upper chamber.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

Ruston testifying in front of Virginia lawmakers
Ruston and other advocates say the bill would make schools safer for kids with diabetes.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

Ruston and his mom Kelly (middle) have joined other advocates in Richmond to press legislators to pass the bill
Ruston and his mom Kelly (middle) have joined other advocates in Richmond to press legislators to pass the bill.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

Ruston poses in Richmond
The statewide regulations on diabetes care in school haven’t been updated since 1999, Kelly said.
(Courtesy Kelly Revell)

Courtesy Kelly Revell

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How a 6-year-old handles his diabetes

Ruston knows how to prick his finger to check whether his blood sugar is in range.

“My mom and dad help me change my insulin pump every three days, and my CGM every 10 days,” Ruston said, referencing his continuous glucose monitor, known as a CGM.

“It hurts, but at least I don’t have to do shots. They’re the worst.”

Living with diabetes, Ruston needs to calculate the number of carbs he’s getting to determine his insulin dose, which is administered automatically through a pump.

“He is a pro at using a food scale,” Kelly said. “If he wants to eat anything, apple slices, we cut them up, and he puts them on the food scale and determines how many carbs are in that.”

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Halfway through his interview with WTOP, Ruston’s phone beeped, flagging his low blood sugar and triggering a quick juice-box break.

That’s the kind of intervention he could require at school.

“When I’m low, Nurse Barnes tells Ms. Grant for me to have a juice box or gummies,” Ruston said, describing a snack to correct his blood sugar.

At his current school, Kelly said Ruston has had all his medical accommodations met since his first day of kindergarten.

“He gets so many hugs. Everyone knows him. He walks into the front office every day to visit the clinic, and they just they really take care of him,” she said.

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Things were more complicated before Ruston began kindergarten. Kelly said the family was initially told that the accommodations requested by his doctor would not be allowed.

“What was most difficult at the time was the thought that a kindergartener would be responsible for alerting adults if his phone signaled a low or high blood sugar, rather than having trained staff receive those alerts directly through available technology,” she told WTOP.

The situation was resolved, but it drew Kelly’s attention toward legal protections for kids with diabetes.

What Kelly and Ruston are asking Virginia lawmakers to do

ruston stands at podium talking
Ruston told lawmakers about his experience managing diabetes during the school day. (Courtesy Kelly Revell)

For the past several years, Kelly has been involved with an advocacy group, FOLLOWT1Ds, which argues that unclear or inconsistent school policies can create stress for families and put kids in danger.

“Prince William County has updated their diabetes policies recently, so more students with diabetes across our county are better protected,” Kelly said. “But that’s not happening everywhere in Virginia.”

The bills moving through the Virginia legislature would require school systems to create a divisionwide plan for supporting students with diabetes.

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That would include making sure school staff are trained to follow through with a child’s medical orders.

“You really have to put in all of your trust in your school,” Kelly said. “This is a life-threatening disease, and if they forget to give him a juice box when he’s low, that can result in him going to the hospital, or it could be fatal.”

The legislation would also require schools have procedures for administering insulin and glucagon.

Families who have students with diabetes would send schools medical orders from their doctors that outline the child’s needs.

“A lot of times, the schools will either deny or modify these accommodations, even though they’re medically necessary,” Kelly said.

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The statewide regulations haven’t been updated since 1999, Kelly said.

“While we’ve had all of these technology advances, like the insulin pump and the CGM, Virginia still hasn’t advanced their laws to align with standard methods of care that we’re using today,” Kelly said.

Ruston doesn’t receive insulin shots anymore. But Virginia law is behind on that front, according to Kelly and other advocates.

“Right now, the policy in Virginia, if his pump were to fall off while at school, they would, instead of reinsert the pump, they would give him a shot,” Kelly said.

In that scenario, Kelly said the school employee would have to calculate how much insulin to dose.

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“I wouldn’t even know what to dose him, because with the pump, it’s automated nowadays,” she said. “It would require an immediate call to his doctor for guidance.”

She worries that it could lead to a miscalculation and health complications.

Kelly said the lack of consistency can impact older students, too. She said some high schoolers have gotten in trouble for having their cellphones at schools that ban the devices.

But those phones let students monitor their blood sugar, communicate medical treatments and administer insulin.

It’s the second year in a row that advocates like Kelly have asked legislators in Richmond to approve revisions to state law.

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This time, Ruston is joining the push for change by sharing his story with lawmakers.

“I want to make sure other kids in different schools can have more help with diabetes,” Ruston told WTOP.

Anyone interested in following the legislation or submitting a comment to lawmakers can find more information on FOLLOW T1Ds’ website.

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