[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6161257,"mediaKeyId","5442366-26f894a4668117657d819a2aa186f1f5","parentId",5442366,"title","PRHA asks council to formalize $1.2 million commitment for Lexington Senior; staff to add item to August agenda","audioSeconds",576,"startMs",527000,"endMs",1103000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5442366-26f894a4668117657d819a2aa186f1f5&start=527&end=1103","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5442366-26f894a4668117657d819a2aa186f1f5/thumbnail_527000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6161257/Portsmouth/Norfolk-County/Virginia/PRHA-asks-council-to-formalize-12-million-commitment-for-Lexington-Senior-staff-to-add-item-to-August-agenda","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161257-2385053762b0816f4051b1f1aafb79d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152588&Signature=Kb3Lm99J~CoNUHrdAMwaCiFRDkw74xb~N2UkVosWbYGT5E-GobIRsoLCopnW5vgsTfgKyl~cSHBT7sELOzGXIoidYhfCC7QazY1dlkXaumkFTGvnK0DTQsuE3DEJdSmJl97QV3hC5fGlgFwQvd-aGZeBBJq11SuwM-orxtmH2bNnIx4~kFpObPgyWHRIg6RnFSP4fkR6Jz4KFtKBFgqrqJ4KmP~eMu7nz8Tcw7IsP3VTEx8kd6EauildP0YFupi9jg8hk-vgF4vDtoZpGdZmGWulB2vgaPDuHAb3wLA~Gw~z9hamw2Si9dYMZizhmswwLUd39yO7UDEgt78n1s51Hg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Portsmouth","date","2025-07-23T01:32:04.487Z","article","Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority asked the City Council July 22 to place a formal vote on the August agenda to honor a $1.2 million city contribution toward Lexington Senior, a senior housing project PRHA said will be complete this October.
Alisa Winston, executive director of the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, told the council the Lexington Senior project is the second phase of redevelopment of Lincoln Park, which she said originally contained 178 public-housing units built in the 1960s. “We decided to do it in 2 phases. The first phase was Lexington Place, which is 72 units of townhomes. That was completed in 2021. And now we have the second phase, going underway now,” Winston said.
Winston said PRHA requested $1,200,000 in 2023 as part of the capital stack for Lexington Senior; she said the city’s contribution made PRHA eligible for a VHDA match, which effectively doubled the city’s support in the closing capital stack. Developer partner Andre Blakely of the Richmond Group said construction is about 75% complete and the project expects to begin leasing immediately after completion. “We are about 75% complete with the project. Expect to be wrapped up by October,” Blakely said.
City Manager Steven Carter told the council he had not budgeted for the $1.2 million and called the request a surprise: “I actually had no plans for this. This was, a surprise for me. I assume, you know, you guys knew about it, and, of course, PRHA knew about it. But I did not. So this has no spot in our budget for service, so this would have to come from—” Carter said, noting he would provide details if needed.
Winston told council that PRHA has already bridged construction financing and would need the city funds around the time of project close to repay the bridge loan. She also said PRHA is preparing to lease to seniors and reported that 105 senior households had expressed interest on a wait list.
Council members discussed whether the prior council commitment had been formalized. Vice Mayor Moody and others noted the earlier action was only a consensus rather than a formal vote. Councilman Hugo asked for a consensus to add the formal approval to the August agenda; council members indicated support. Staff said the item will appear on the August meeting agenda for a formal vote so the council can decide funding source and timing.
Background: Winston said Lexington Place (phase one) opened in 2021 with 72 townhome units; PRHA described Lexington Senior as a follow-up 105-unit, age-restricted (62+) senior housing project. Winston also said PRHA plans a grand opening by year-end and that the next PRHA project will be an 82-unit senior development.
No formal appropriation was made July 22; the council gave staff direction to place the funding request on the August agenda for a formal vote and to provide budget-source information at that time.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Portsmouth City Council Public Work Session July 22, 2025 Portsmouth Virginia","oneSentenceSummary","Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority asked the City Council July 22 to place a formal vote on the August agenda to honor a $1.2 million city contribution toward Lexington Senior, a senior housing project PRHA said will be complete in October.","taxTitle","Portsmouth, Norfolk County, Virginia","taxId",4040,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6161262,"Staff to place two expired Portsmouth use-permit extension requests on August agenda",235,101000,336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5442366-26f894a4668117657d819a2aa186f1f5&start=101&end=336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5442366-26f894a4668117657d819a2aa186f1f5/thumbnail_101000.jpg","/articles/6161262/Portsmouth/Norfolk-County/Virginia/Staff-to-place-two-expired-Portsmouth-use-permit-extension-requests-on-August-agenda","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161262-86e56d87b76c1cad17f387d5d055b74f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152588&Signature=A8s5rrXU1G5r4IhgrM-2UINWXml5EoVhK7v484Oy~SBMPqUcHoEGz8jczczR78Yeu7rXuXZeO9LodiNTE2oCL0FCvzrQpiAHe-JHQZhKkwiWU8dgXiOQTU1pViqCo9NoEcHIL8dAbo9V0cMtEXrkIMbDxqnm-QLQ8X2oKZX-5o3Uo6OKrGfG1yGoUen81c4NZNbzEahMG-ebiYHaecnLv0kfwdfT~JBF6~ZYmjmZsvRyOHYFL6hkMnQQ32qz29e6llCy2In5L2uGSW-Bw0Va~BbA6cOkv8bDxht1uO6SUu2DbV8fyB8J~v0BfqYmw1qqiN5DvCzVuuSzoDl0bejf8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Portsmouth City Council was told July 22 that two expired use-permit extension requests from the same applicant will be placed on the council's August agenda for a formal vote.
Dr. Rhonda Russell, city planning staff, said the requests are Use Permit No. 2103, a proposal approved April 2, 2021, for a 280-unit multifamily development off Greenwood Drive, and Use Permit No. 2305, a 2023 approval for a 52-unit townhouse project on High Street. “We are not asking this evening that council take a specific action on the use permit extension request. Rather, it would be on your August agenda as an action item,” Russell said.
The staff briefing highlighted different project milestones. Russell said the High Street project has an approved erosion- and sediment-control plan and has received a land-disturbance permit; she said construction activity has begun on that site. By contrast, Russell said the Greenwood Drive project remains in the site-plan review process and has not received final site-plan approval.
Explaining the ordinance standard, Russell said, “The ordinance is very prescriptive in what constitutes, the project moving forward. The permit that has been approved for the High Street project is their erosion and sediment control permit. The ordinance stipulates that a building footing, foundation has to be completed to satisfy that requirement of commencing construction.”
Council members asked clarifying questions on how the ordinance is applied. Councilman Hugo asked whether “dirt is moving” removes the need for an extension; Russell replied that the specific permit and the ordinance rule determine whether work counts as commencing construction and that she was happy to explain the distinctions. Councilwoman Thomas pressed for detail on what had delayed the Greenwood Drive project; Russell read an applicant-submitted explanation citing COVID-19, supply-chain disruptions, inflation, labor shortages and rising construction costs.
No motion or vote on the extensions occurred July 22; staff stated the council would see the extension requests as action items at the August meeting, where council members can make a formal decision.
Background and next steps: the Portsmouth zoning ordinance allows a one-year extension of use permits if the applicant requests it within 30 days of expiration; staff indicated they will present the permit-extension items with supporting materials at the August meeting so the council can vote.","Portsmouth City Council was told July 22 that two expired use-permit extension requests from the same applicant will be placed on the council's August agenda for a formal vote.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6161252,"Portsmouth council goes into closed session to discuss collective bargaining; ordinance draft to be revised after review",260,1145000,1405000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5442366-26f894a4668117657d819a2aa186f1f5&start=1145&end=1405","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5442366-26f894a4668117657d819a2aa186f1f5/thumbnail_1145000.jpg","/articles/6161252/Portsmouth/Norfolk-County/Virginia/Portsmouth-council-goes-into-closed-session-to-discuss-collective-bargaining-ordinance-draft-to-be-revised-after-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161252-1b68959f783b3e6ca34688fa882f6ae9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152588&Signature=C57Lo7hRRhppEkfB5nMbFjbPNMliwvupKQDJWLrDLgg3Bjo6-GN08jD1S9eha2dvsxGJWuiKX~YMiA3-LIKEVlMwCb8PwZq-DhmB0Ty8XkoaBp1WxwHU4rCCGNRNXgs7LG6Vk9zuPTr5PmkZxn4axeMHX7P-AvKzCmZWAulkpDhQPEKo4tx2G~6LIjRi25z~DjM2uThWhirToqES~143uKnyjSwYQcsIUivYnXdWlFiaFDR2HpH1qfUnaiOVyG1PBhpb~bdYYgQdKvvcsTtDEcJJxecjsTScCBonN3ddF7wGd8t9pVSLcWYR~fS8JAQeH8vu-RaapRcIPwEEDQY5oQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Portsmouth City Council entered a closed session July 22 to consult with legal counsel regarding collective bargaining and to discuss appointments to boards and commissions, following a public briefing on a draft collective bargaining ordinance.
Deputy City Attorney Derek Challenger announced that a closed session would follow the public presentations to discuss the details of the collective bargaining agreement. City Manager Steven Carter gave a public overview of the origin and status of the city’s effort: he said the General Assembly made collective bargaining possible for localities in 2020; Portsmouth adopted a resolution authorizing engagement in September 2020 and passed an ordinance on Nov. 14, 2023. “Really, all this presentation is to do is to set the stage for us to start the discussion,” Carter said.
Vice Mayor Moody moved and another council member seconded a motion “to go into a closed meeting, pursuant to Virginia code subsection section 2.2 dash 37 11 8 8 for the purpose of consultation with legal counsel employed or retained by the public body regarding specifically legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice to such counsel specifically regarding collective bargaining b pursuant to Virginia code subsection 2.2 dash 37 11 a, 1 for the purpose, discussing appointments to boards and commissions,” as read into the record. The clerk called the roll and the motion passed; council recessed into closed session.
After the closed session, the council reconvened and the presiding officer read a public certification that only matters identified in the motion and lawfully exempted from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act were discussed. The clerk then recorded a second roll call noting the council’s vote to reconvene.
City staff said the closed session would provide any information necessary to rework the draft ordinance; staff will return to the public meeting with a revised ordinance the council can reject or adopt. Carter said other Hampton Roads municipalities have largely been watching Portsmouth’s work on collective bargaining and waiting to see how Portsmouth proceeds.
No ordinance amendment or final public action on the collective bargaining ordinance was adopted during the July 22 public session; the council took the matter into closed session as permitted by state law and directed staff to continue ordinance work and return with a revised draft for future public consideration.","After a public briefing July 22, Portsmouth City Council moved into a closed session to consult with legal counsel about collective bargaining and to discuss appointments to boards and commissions. City staff said a draft ordinance will be reworked as needed following closed-session guidance and returned to council for a formal vote.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

PRHA asks council to formalize $1.2 million commitment for Lexington Senior; staff to add item to August agenda

Staff to place two expired Portsmouth use-permit extension requests on August agenda

Portsmouth council goes into closed session to discuss collective bargaining; ordinance draft to be revised after review