Portsmouth mayor to give McIntyre project update
PORTSMOUTH – Mayor Deaglan McEachern is planning to update the public on the city’s efforts to acquire the Thomas J. McIntyre federal building property.
McEachern will give the update during Monday’s City Council meeting after the council is slated to meet in non-public session with lawyers from Holland and Knight, the Washington, D.C. based lobbying and law firm the city hired in July to help it acquire the 2.1 acre federal building property.
Lawyers for the firm contended before they were hired on a two-month contract that federal legislation passed by former U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg was still in effect, and the General Service Administration – which owns the McIntyre property – is compelled to turn the site over to the city for free.
After hearing from the firm in nonpublic session, McEachern said he plans to “bring the update out to the public Monday night.”
“I don’t know exactly what I’m going to say yet,” the mayor acknowledged during an interview Thursday afternoon, but added that he plans to summarize what the council hears from Holland and Knight.
He also pointed to the recent decision by the GSA to schedule a soft close on their online auction of the property on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
The GSA has received one $5 million bid for the property, which was made on July 1.
The property is located in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, and just a short distance away from the city’s popular waterfront.
“There’s a lot that’s been going on and I think we need to have a conversation with council questions, and questions to the city manager, about where we are in the process,” McEachern said.
He noted that the contract with Holland and Knight “runs through the end of the month.”
“We asked them to stop the action (the online auction) and so far the action is still going on,” he said. “We could find ourselves in a different phase.”
The council is hoping to work with a partner and redevelop the existing McIntyre building and post office wing into much needed below-market-rate housing, if they can acquire the property.
The McIntyre agenda item is listed under the mayor’s name, but he said if necessary he’ll try to move it up so the discussion takes place before 9 p.m.
“I’m sure it will be a well-attended meeting with councilors and council candidates,” McEachern said.
The public portion of the meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be held in City Council Chambers in City Hall.
The city tried for the past several years to secure the 2.1-acre McIntyre property for $1 through the government’s Historic Monument Program.
GSA dropped Portsmouth from that program earlier this year when the city and its private development partner Redgate/Kane couldn’t agree on a redevelopment plan and subsequently sued each other.