Dead in the Water
Eagle Eyes at Save Richmond called it first. The VPAF can't move forward with any version of the arts center as it doesn't have the money. That has been an open secret for some time now, and Carolyn Cuthrell's announcement that the VPAF will concentrate on fundraising only underscores the obvious.
My own hunch is that the pesky little matter of a building permit has done them in. Without a permit they cannot move forward and I can't imagine anyone working in Doug Wilder's City Hall issuing a permit unless the Mayor signed off on it. That would mean that the VPAF would have to demonstrate the capacity to build the thing, and there are all sorts of other things the Mayor has called for that would have to happen before he would green light the project.
Which brings us to an interesting point regarding this announcement, one that Manoli Loupassi neatly summed it up a few days ago:
"The bottom line is, I could give them until 2020 [to raise money], but as long as Wilder is there and against them, who's going to give them money?"
So, the VPAF will concentrate on fundraising, which they admit is going to be nearly impossible in the face of Doug Wilder's opposition. That means Brad Armstrong, Jim Ukrop and the entire VPAF are going to be left twisting in the wind.
I have been reflecting how this weird saga has played out over the last several months, and how a project everyone seemed to agree was a good thing for the city became such a public spectacle. I have a theory.
What we have been witnessing for several months is basically a pissing contest between Doug Wilder and Jim Ukrop. Not long after the luminous Gang of Four met with the Mayor, the city auditor released its report to the VPAF. The VPAF then released the report to everyone except the Mayor. That struck me as being a really dumb move, until I considered the possibility that it was deliberate. But that didn't make sense since everyone was making noises about how productive that meeting was; unless it wasn't that productive. Mayor Wilder comes out of the meeting completely non-committal and the next move the VPAF makes is to release the audit to all but the Mayor, who responds by verbally smacking the VPAF around the ears.
Yesterday the VPAF said it will concentrate on fundraising that can't be successful with Doug Wilder's support, which I think one could assume will not be forthcoming. How did we get here?
"He might own some other people. He might bully some other people," Wilder said. "But I owe my election, I owe my strength and always have owed it -- to the people. And he doesn't own, nor will he own or buy me."
The Performing Arts Center as envisioned by the VPAF died that day. They are only now figuring that out.
The only thing that could possibly revive this thing is a very public restructuring of the entire foundation. But as I said before, they don't have the will to do it. But a purge must happen and I agree completely with Andrew. Brad Armstrong's head is first on the block.
My own hunch is that the pesky little matter of a building permit has done them in. Without a permit they cannot move forward and I can't imagine anyone working in Doug Wilder's City Hall issuing a permit unless the Mayor signed off on it. That would mean that the VPAF would have to demonstrate the capacity to build the thing, and there are all sorts of other things the Mayor has called for that would have to happen before he would green light the project.
Which brings us to an interesting point regarding this announcement, one that Manoli Loupassi neatly summed it up a few days ago:
"The bottom line is, I could give them until 2020 [to raise money], but as long as Wilder is there and against them, who's going to give them money?"
So, the VPAF will concentrate on fundraising, which they admit is going to be nearly impossible in the face of Doug Wilder's opposition. That means Brad Armstrong, Jim Ukrop and the entire VPAF are going to be left twisting in the wind.
I have been reflecting how this weird saga has played out over the last several months, and how a project everyone seemed to agree was a good thing for the city became such a public spectacle. I have a theory.
What we have been witnessing for several months is basically a pissing contest between Doug Wilder and Jim Ukrop. Not long after the luminous Gang of Four met with the Mayor, the city auditor released its report to the VPAF. The VPAF then released the report to everyone except the Mayor. That struck me as being a really dumb move, until I considered the possibility that it was deliberate. But that didn't make sense since everyone was making noises about how productive that meeting was; unless it wasn't that productive. Mayor Wilder comes out of the meeting completely non-committal and the next move the VPAF makes is to release the audit to all but the Mayor, who responds by verbally smacking the VPAF around the ears.
Yesterday the VPAF said it will concentrate on fundraising that can't be successful with Doug Wilder's support, which I think one could assume will not be forthcoming. How did we get here?
"He might own some other people. He might bully some other people," Wilder said. "But I owe my election, I owe my strength and always have owed it -- to the people. And he doesn't own, nor will he own or buy me."
The Performing Arts Center as envisioned by the VPAF died that day. They are only now figuring that out.
The only thing that could possibly revive this thing is a very public restructuring of the entire foundation. But as I said before, they don't have the will to do it. But a purge must happen and I agree completely with Andrew. Brad Armstrong's head is first on the block.
posted by tsm at 10:10 PM
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