The Robins Foundation responds
The Robins Foundation has responded to criticism over plans to demolish two historical Chamberlayne homes.
The Chamberlayne Avenue properties were vacant when they were acquired and have remained unoccupied since that time. They have been for sale since February 2009. There have been very few inquiries regarding the properties, and, as of mid-February, when the Foundation applied for a demolition permit, no serious offers had been received. The Robins Foundation concluded that it could be several years before the market improves enough to complete a sale at a fair price. Given the poor state of the economy and the ongoing costs and management challenges associated with the properties, demolition appeared to be the most prudent and economical course of action.
Recent publicity has generated some inquiries regarding the properties and the Robins Foundation is prepared to consider any serious offer for a purchase. The asking price has been reduced, and we would certainly be pleased if an early sale could be arranged.
We first covered the story “here”:http://northrichmondnews.com/news/2010/02/20/two-historical-chamberlayne-homes-may-be-demolished/ and “here”:http://northrichmondnews.com/news/2010/03/02/acorn-steps-in-to-save-chamberlayne-homes/.
The full text of the email response is after the jump.
At the risk of reciting a story with which you are already familiar, I’d like to provide a little background on the history of our ownership of these properties. The properties at 4200 and 4202 Chamberlayne Avenue, as well as an adjoining lot, are owned by Early Learning Associates LLC (“ELA”), a limited liability company. ELA, in turn, is owned by the Robins Foundation. The properties were purchased in 2005, with the hope that they would be the future home of a state-of-the-art family learning center. The Ginter Park Residents Association (“GPRA”) decided to oppose this use. A series of mediation sessions, led by independent professional mediators, took place during 2006, but it proved impossible to find common ground.
ELA and the Robins Foundation concluded that they would not pursue the project at that location due to the strong opposition it received from the GPRA. It should be emphasized, however, that resistance to the project was not unanimous. Many residents saw the potential benefits that the family learning center would bring to the community, as well as the opportunity to engage the Robins Foundation as a partner in the revitalization of the neighborhood. ELA and the Robins Foundation even offered to retain the buildings on the properties and incorporate them into the proposed plans for the family learning center. The GPRA demanded that adjoining properties be acquired in order to secure its support for that approach, which was not economically feasible.
The family learning center concept includes a high-quality preschool, classrooms for adult education and office space for nonprofit organizations that serve Northside residents. Another site, at 800 W. Graham Road, was acquired and construction is now in progress. Residents of the Battery Park community have welcomed the project with enthusiasm.
The Chamberlayne Avenue properties were vacant when they were acquired and have remained unoccupied since that time. They have been for sale since February 2009. There have been very few inquiries regarding the properties, and, as of mid-February, when the Foundation applied for a demolition permit, no serious offers had been received. The Robins Foundation concluded that it could be several years before the market improves enough to complete a sale at a fair price. Given the poor state of the economy and the ongoing costs and management challenges associated with the properties, demolition appeared to be the most prudent and economical course of action.
Recent publicity has generated some inquiries regarding the properties and the Robins Foundation is prepared to consider any serious offer for a purchase. The asking price has been reduced, and we would certainly be pleased if an early sale could be arranged.
Thank you for your interest, and please be assured that the views of all the stakeholders are receiving careful consideration.
Sincerely
Bill Roberts
Executive Director
Robins Foundation
Bill Roberts has provided variations on this theme to everyone who has written to the Robins Foundation protesting their planned demolition of these properties. When I first heard about their plans I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I thought they were well intentioned folks who had found themselves in an unfortunate position and didn’t know what to do. As I have learned the whole, sordid history of this property I have come to the belief that the Robins Foundations, as represented by Bill Roberts, is a bunch of West End limousine do-gooders focused primarily on their own self aggrandizement.
They bought these houses despite being told that they did not have the zoning for their proposed use. Their chief attraction was their location on a busy thoroughfare. When their plans met with the failure they had been warned about they tried to sell the property for more than twice what they paid for it. After a year of this ridiculous strategy they proposed to demolish the homes in the misguided belief that vacant land is worth more than land with two perfectly serviceable houses on it. Bill Roberts is misguided, vindictive or both.
The really sad part of this whole fiasco is the fact that the Robins Foundation used to support historic preservation. In fact, there is a Lara Robins award at the Virginia Historical Society. It is given “…to recognize that individual who best emulates Lora Robins’s splendid leadership, generosity, and foresight in collecting the evidence of Virginia’s History for the benefit of future generations.” How could a family that would endow such an award condone the unnecessary demolition of homes that contribute to a Virginia Historic District???
It is clear that Mr. Roberts will not be a candidate for this year’s Lara Robins award. It is my sincere hope that there are members of the Robins Foundation board who are willing to work with the prospective buyer who has come forward and find a way to save these historic structures.
The original article said: “The properties were originally purchased for about $440,000 with the intent of demolishing them and then constructing a family learning center. ” In other words, they went into this intending to demolish the property all along. And when the GPRA objected to them demolishing and rebuilding something else, they just decided to pull out and demolish anyway.
It sounds an awful lot like spite to me, (as in “If we can’t have what we want, then nobody can.”)
You guys are at least 30 years late. That part of Chamberlayne corridor was destroyed many years ago. Who is going buy a huge historic house like that only to be surrounded by trash strewn run down tenements?