By Mike Hixenbaugh The Virginian-Pilot May 22, 2012 The city is poised to purchase a 30-foot-wide strip of land thatdivides the old Circuit City property and the former NorfolkSouthern right-of-way near Town Center - a necessary move if thecity is to develop a light-rail station there. The City Council will vote today on whether to purchase theproperty, which runs adjacent to the railroad tracks betweenIndependence Boulevard and Thalia Creek. The land, about 1.33 acres in total, is owned by a private trustand valued at $148,000. The city has negotiated to buy it for$300,000. It could not be developed on its own but is adjacent to the formerCircuit City parcel, which is city property. "It's critical to the linkage between the light-rail line andthe Circuit City property," said Mark Wawner, a projectmanager in the city's economic development office. Opponents question the timing of the purchase. The city hasn't madea firm commitment to light rail, and voters will be asked in anon-binding referendum this fall whether they support extending TheTide light-rail system from Norfolk into the city. "If there is light rail, it is going to be a critical piece ofproperty," Councilman Bill DeSteph said. "But as oftoday, it's not. The folks haven't voted on light rail, and weshouldn't be making decisions as if they have." Light-rail opponents voiced similar concerns in 2009 when the citypurchased the former Circuit City site for $5 million, and againmonths later when it purchased the 10.6-mile rail right of way for$40 million. Acquiring the 30-foot-wide strip was always part of the long-termplan, Wawner said. The city, he said, would have purchased it alongwith the Circuit City site had it not been for a title discrepancy.The owners of the property, R.E. Townsend Land Trust, approachedthe city recently and asked to move forward with the sale, he said. Even without light rail, the property will be essential to theexpansion of Town Center, Councilman Jim Wood said. "As far as I'm concerned, this is nothing more than anextension of the Circuit City property," Wood said. "Withor without light rail, it still has a direct connection to thefuture development of Town Center." The council meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Mike Hixenbaugh, 757-222-5117, mike.hixenbaugh@pilotonline.com. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Portable ECG Machine , Portable Patient Monitor Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit Stainless Steel Surgical Instruments today!
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