THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 29, 1994 TAG: 9411290313
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Roy W. Cherry, the assistant city manager who retired in July to take advantage of an increase in the police and firefighters pension, has been hired to coordinate financing and construction for the new Hampton Roads Regional Jail.
The regional jail authority, made up of representatives from Portsmouth, Norfolk, Newport News, and Hampton, has hired Cherry as the project coordinator. The four cities involved in the project - have already borrowed $4 million to pay for offices, staff, overhead and contract costs, said Arthur Collins, executive director of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
The commission has done several studies and funded technical work for the jail. It now plans to turn its work over to Cherry and the authority.
The regional jail authority is set to sign architectural and construction contracts this week, Collins said. Brown and Root, a Texas firm, has been selected as the construction manager and DMJM, Inc. out of Alexandria as the architectural firm, he said.
The state Department of Corrections has approved the project and agreed to pay up to 50 percent of the costs.
Del. Kenneth R. Melvin vowed to fight construction of the jail at the Hattonsville site, which is directly behind a predominantly black neighborhood, during the General Assembly session which begins in January. The city, which owns the land, would earn $2 million by selling the land to the regional jail authority, and it would gain an additional $250,000 annually as payment in lieu of taxes. The jail would also bring 350 jobs to the city.
The $59 million jail would have 875 beds and house inmates from the four cities that are funding the construction.
As project coordinator Cherry, who earns nearly $46,000 annually, will coordinate the construction activities, approve contracts and put together the bond financing proposals. Cherry receives nearly another $60,000 from the police and firefighters pension fund.
``He has excellent credentials in the financial administration field,'' Collins said. ``Right now the financing is the most critical.''
Cherry's job as project coordinator is expected to last about three years, although Collins indicated Cherry would have a chance to be hired in an administrative role once the jail opens.
``We need someone with corrections experience to be the jail administrator,'' Collins said. ``But there may be another position for him once the jail administrator has been hired.''
Cherry, who has been on the job for two weeks, is working out of Portsmouth city offices that have been rented by the jail authority.
``I think it's great,'' Cherry said. ``I trained long and hard to be a public administrator. That's what I do. This fits in with what I have done.'' by CNB