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City inventory finds 362 structures; staff recommends marketing Opportunity House and other vacant sites
Summary
Staff presented a consolidated inventory of city‑owned structures and flagged several underutilized or vacant sites, including Opportunity House at 1517 Jackson Street, recommending consideration of sale to return properties to the tax rolls.
City staff told the council on April 8 that a consolidated property inventory shows 362 structures owned by the city across funds, including roughly 180 structures in the general fund and 72 school properties.
Staff said the inventory combined records from the city’s work‑order system and GIS mapping and used a loose definition of “conditioned” (heated/cooled and occupied daily). For the general fund, staff reported about 112 structures classified as buildings and flagged 65 conditioned structures used daily, including city hall and the emergency communications center.
The inventory identified six vacant or underutilized structures (five sites): Opportunity House (1517 Jackson Street), the Virginia Amateur Sports building (expected to vacate in 2025), Old Forest Road commercial property (to remain leased until an interchange project proceeds), White Rock School (part of a community hub project) and the PD West church building at 805 Court Street (expected to be vacated when police move to a new headquarters).
Staff recommended council consider putting Opportunity House up for sale to return it to the tax rolls and to study other vacant properties’ highest‑and‑best uses. Public‑works and facilities staff said maintenance responsibility rests with a small team — one master mechanical technician, two master plumbers, one master electrician, one carpenter/locksmith and roughly 14 building mechanics — who cover the full portfolio of city structures.
Vice Mayor Diemer and others asked for the inventory presentation to be shared with council; staff said it will be uploaded and the team plans follow‑up work to maintain the inventory in operational systems so it can be used regularly rather than revisited only when a question arises.
Ending: Staff said the inventory is a first phase focused on general‑fund buildings and that further work will apply the same analysis to enterprise fund structures (water/sewer, airport). Council members called for using the inventory proactively to identify consolidation opportunities and increase tax‑roll revenue where appropriate.
