Portsmouth EDA adopts cooperation agreement with city to advance Crawford Bay solicitation
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Summary
The Portsmouth Economic Development Authority voted 5-0 to adopt a cooperation agreement with the city to support a solicitation for the Crawford Bay waterfront project, including joint developer selection and reimbursement of consultant costs up to 50% capped at $500,000.
The Portsmouth Economic Development Authority on Feb. 17 voted to adopt a cooperation agreement with the city intended to govern the solicitation and selection process for development of the Crawford Bay waterfront site. The board approved the resolution in substantially the form presented and authorized the chair and designated officers to take any further actions necessary to implement the agreement.
The resolution, which the EDA read into the record, tracks a city council action taken Jan. 27, 2026 (resolution R2602) and sets out roles for property transfer, participation in developer selection and regular briefings to the city council and EDA. The agreement includes a provision for reimbursement of UVA costs up to 50% of eligible expenses, not to exceed $500,000.
Board members moved and seconded the resolution and the chair called the roll; the item passed on a 5-0 vote. A board member reading the resolution said the action would allow the EDA to “execute [the] cooperation agreement” and to authorize officers to carry out necessary follow-up steps. The chair summarized that the agreement formalizes joint responsibilities for developer selection and project oversight.
Why it matters: the cooperation agreement is designed to streamline partnership between the city and the EDA for a high-profile waterfront solicitation, clarify who will participate in developer selection, and provide a capped mechanism to reimburse consultant costs tied to the procurement process. The resolution becomes effective immediately upon adoption.
What’s next: staff said the agreement will support upcoming procurement work on the Crawford Bay site and that the project committee is reviewing a draft project document; advertising for the solicitation is expected in March.
Provenance: transcript discussion begins at SEG 110 when the resolution was read and continues through SEG 152 when the board voted. Quotes and procedural details are drawn from those segments.