FEMA pitches in for Battery Park
The aid will reimburse the city for most of the expense in building the line, estimated to cost at least $28 million. The federal contribution will increase as the city incurs more expense in completing the sewer project by next spring…
… The money has been expected since March. FEMA announced then that it had approved the city’s plan to build a massive sewer line around a defunct municipal landfill that had caved in the old sewer during the heavy rains that preceded Tropical Storm Ernesto at the end of last August.
The flooding displaced 79 families from homes and apartments in Brookfield Gardens, Southern Barton Heights and Battery Park. Richmond is buying many of the properties to expand the park, but the process still hasn’t been completed for residents, almost a year after the flooding.
The sewer broke befor Ernesto Hit virginia. The FEMA grant decreases the ability of homeowner to clain insurance on the effected properties. When the city completes the repairs every property at or benieth 140 feet in elevation will be in a new floodplain. The residents effected by flooding still have not been paid. The first four properties purchased will be park the rest will be condos owner by RHA and sold for profit. Please dig a little deeper than the party line published if every media source ing the city.
I can tell you for a fact that the properties purchased by RRHA will not be “condos”. Except for one case, which will be a rehab, the structures will be demolished and new single-family houses will be built after the drainage improvements are complete. Moreover, since the owners are being paid pre-flood appraised value for the properties, there is no way RRHA or the City is going to make a profit. For example, you can’t pay $125K for a house, demolish it, build a new house on a lot now worth say $18,000, and make a profit. Not in that particular neighborhood. In fact, in dollar terms the project is a big loser. But that can happen when performing a public service, not turning a profit, is the motivation.