THE VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEER

 

  On-Line Edition

Buchanan County's Family Newspaper Since 1922

Thursday, February 8, 2007

  Home      News   Sports   Obituaries    Good Old Days    Reunions    Mountain Market    Photo of the Week    Games  
Subhome   Links   Archive Business Spotlight    Advertising    Subscribe    About    Contact Us

        FRONT PAGE 

Mountaineer Message Center:

* Readers: send in your photos for "Photo of the Week" Share your memories with people from all around the world.

*Mac Users will have difficulty viewing this site. Try Foxfire or Netscape browsers.



















 

Advertise With the Virginia Mountaineer Today!








 

 

 

 

 

 

       Pump Station-Ringwall Work Continues
Work is continuing in downtown Grundy on the pump station and ringwall being constructed by TAB Construction. The project is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control project for the Town of Grundy. Meanwhile, as work on the pump station and ringwall continue, VDOT Contractor Bizzack Inc. is working on replacing the Main Street bridge and reconstruction Rt. 460 while the town is preparing to begin construction on the redevelopment site within the next 60 days.
(Staff photo/ Mike Stiltner.)



Town Construction to Begin in 60 Days
IDA, Developer Ink Amendments to Original Agreement

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor 
 
Amendments to agreements between the Town of Grundy Industrial Development Authority and Commonwealth-Grundy Partners, L.P., the developer of the town’s redevelopment site, will see the town contribute some $2.2 million in additional funding toward construction of a 500-space parking structure on the site.
  The parking structure is the foundation for the new Wal-Mart Super Center planned on the site under the terms of the original development agreement. The amendments to that agreement further call for actual construction to begin within 60 days of the signing of the agreement. It also calls for “the public parking structure, Wal-Mart Super Store and other integral retail spaces” to be completed and open for business by October 31, 2008.
  According to Town IDA Director Chuck Crabtree, the agreements recognize the increased construction costs which have continued to escalate since the development agreements were first executed in September 2004.
  Amendments to the agreements have been the topic of multiple meetings of the IDA in recent weeks as the town and the developer have traded document changes back and forth before arriving at the final document forms.
  The amendments were unanimously approved Friday during a continued meeting of the Town IDA.
  Chris Shortridge made the motion to approve the amendments and Shea Shrader made the second. IDA Chairman Mark Mutter was given the authority to sign the amended agreements upon receipt from the developer.
  Wording in the agreements specifically recognize the escalating costs of construction which have occurred since the development agreements were first signed. The estimated cost for the parking structure alone has increased from $5 million to $7.2 million.
  The new agreements also acknowledge delays which have occurred in the project including the delayed turnover date of the site from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the town; VDOT detour traffic plans through the site; unexpected water, sewer and surface drainage installation delays; and unexpected soil conditions.
  “Recognizing the increased cost of the entire project for Commonwealth and the IDA and the importance of the development to the IDA and the Town of Grundy, the IDA agrees to contribute funding to the project towards the increased cost of the public parking structure and public facilities,” the agreement amendments note.
  Under the terms of the agreements, the IDA will put in $2.2 million toward the parking building construction on top of the $5 million already authorized for the structure by the Virginia Department of Transportation. The town’s money on the project will not be used until after the VDOT funding has been exhausted on the structure. In the event the entire $2.2 million is not needed for the parking structure, the balance of any funds not used will be used to pay the cost of public sidewalks and public roadways to the extent those are not paid for by grant funds.
  Changes to the development agreement will allow the town to fund an additional $100,000 toward lighting and landscaping for the project in order to enhance the public area in the event the IDA chooses to do so. The current agreement call for asphalt in that area, however, the town may choose to replace that with concrete, as well as to install benches, planters, stamped concrete and other amenities in the public area on the site plan.
  In the agreements, Commonwealth agrees to “use diligent efforts to cause Wal-Mart to make a public announcement of the project within 30 days of the execution of the agreement” and further, it agrees to begin construction on “the Public Parking/Wall-Mart Super Store structure within 60 days” of the execution of the agreement. The company also agrees to pursue completion of the parking structure, Wal-Mart and other integral retail spaces and to have those open for business by October 31, 2008.
  Construction of the retail space in the Town Center not related to the parking structure and Wal-Mart will be completed within 36 months of the date the agreements are executed, with construction on improvements identified as future development areas started within 36 months and opened for business within 48 months of the agreement date.
  The agreement calls for the development of a regional or national chain sit down restaurant within 48 months of the date of agreements with completion within 12 months of the start date.
  Crabtree noted that the additional funds for the parking structure will come from funding the town already has in hand, including that from Coalfield Economic Development Authority funds received for the redevelopment project as well as funds the town received from the sale of the old town office building when it settled with the corps as the office was relocated for the flood control project.


Carolina Contractor Indicted for Role in 'Coon Dog' Scheme
Federal G-Jury Charges Program Fraud, Money Laundering Conspiracy

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
  
A South Carolina man and a North Carolina company became the latest defendants in the Operation Big Coon Dog case, as their indictments were returned Tuesday afternoon in federal court.
  James Frederick (Rick) Byrd, 56, of Landrum, S.C., and Byrd Brothers, Inc., of Wilson, N.C., were indicted by a federal Grand Jury sitting in Abingdon on charges of program fraud and money laundering conspiracy related to their alleged roles in a public corruption case which revolved around the Hurley flood of May 2002.
  To date there have been 18 convictions in the case which involved the payment of bribes to some now former county officials by contractors to obtain bridge work and clean-up contracts after the flood.
  For less than 30 days prior to the involvement of local contractors, Byrd Brothers was the subcontractor in charge of clean-up efforts at Hurley.
  The two-count indictment returned by the federal grand jury alleged Rick Byrd, as an agent for Byrd Brothers, paid two bribes to former Buchanan County Board of Supervisors Chairman Ray Blankenship in order to obtain Blankenship's influence in Byrd Brothers' dealings with the county.
  Blankenship previously pled guilty to his role in the bid rigging and bribery scheme which occurred in the aftermath of the Hurley flood. He is currently serving time in the Lexington (Ky.) Federal Medical Center facility. His projected release date is December 31, 2016.
  The bribes paid to Blankenship, which are the subject of Tuesday's indictment, were allegedly concealed and disguised as legitimate payments to Byrd Brothers' subcontractors.
  The indictment alleged that Byrd Brothers Inc. was a subcontractor for an unnamed corporation during the May 2002 Hurley flood cleanup. The corporation received federal funding for the cleanup effort through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The county also received federal funding for the clean-up efforts through FEMA.
  Rick Byrd was allegedly employed as a consultant and agent for Byrd Brothers, Inc. to represent the corporation and to act on its behalf during the flood clean-up.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  To subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.  


          


Subscribe to the Mountaineer today and don't miss out on all the Buchanan County news!   Call 276-935-2123 or write: P.O. Box 2040, Grundy, Va., 24614-2040 to get your subscription started. Pricing information is found on the Advertising page of this site.


*  *  *  *  *  * 
ATTENTION: ASL Students, 
Parents, Community Members . . .

Keep a Lasting Memory of the
Appalachian School of Law!
Order a beautiful color photograph of 
the law school. Get details by e-mail -- 
jjcat@netscope.net


Photo Prices Are: (includes shipping)
5x7.................... $10.00
8x10...................$12.50
11x16.................$17.00  

*  *  *  *  *  *