Liggetts not involved in velodrome project
(Editor’s note: The following is the second part of a two-part series on the ongoing plans to develop an Olympic-style indoor bicycle track in downtown Brownsville.)Despite the fact that Ernest and Marilyn Liggett’s names appear prominently in a letter and progress sheet on the Brownsville velodrome project sent to members of the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority, it is being said that they are not involved in the project. The progress sheet, like the letter, mentions the Liggetts in the first paragraph:
“The master plan links the synergies of: The Liggetts’ vision to maximize Brownsville’s strategic mid-point orientation on the Mon/Fayette Expressway for restoration of the downtown business district to its early 1900s appearance and return their and other properties to productive reuse with
The demand generator USACycling (USAC) offers to warrant such redevelopment from construction of a multi-purpose Olympic velodrome and BMX track (financing included in Act 83, state capital budget), and
The desire of the people of Brownsville to work with property owners and professionals to make the proposal a reality.”
Jack Norris, chairman and chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh office of real estate management firm CBRichard Ellis, said he was unaware of the letter and progress sheet sent by members of the Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce to the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority regarding the proposed indoor velodrome project. Norris said the velodrome is not the Liggetts’ project.
“They are not involved in our project. They happen to own a lot of the land where the velodrome would be located,” Norris said. “If this project happens, it would be a publicly owned project, and the parking and the access, but obviously things around it will be affected by it. It is a small downtown. In this community, it will have an immediate and strong effect.
“I’m not surprised the Liggetts are trying to get support for it, but they are not part of the project,” Norris said.
The progress sheet notes that CBRichard Ellis contacted the borough’s solicitor, Melinda Dellarose, on May 16, 2006, to disclose that the firm had been working with the Liggetts since the previous fall to make downtown Brownsville a national destination.
“Objective: not to disrupt the velodrome effort with code concerns, show land control and local support for the prospective USAC demand generator,” the progress sheet states.
Norris said he has no idea if the ongoing code enforcement efforts in the downtown area would have a detrimental effect on the proposed development.
“Most of the buildings have historic significance and should be retained,” Norris said.
Norris said it is not uncommon for vacant buildings to sit untouched until a development project is ready and money is available for the work. Norris said the downtown Brownsville buildings are vacant buildings with decent facades that someday can be redeveloped.
“It’s a beautiful location, it just needs a renovated downtown,” Norris said. “It just needs an economic generator to make that happen.”
Norris said the velodrome could be the key to that renovation.
“We’re talking about a multi-use project. The center area of the velodrome seats 9,000. The idea is to draw people in. You need restaurants, you need hotels, you need retail,” Norris said.
Norris said the community has excellent access to Washington, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, as well as to numerous universities.
“All the roadwork leads to Brownsville,” Norris said.
Norris is part of a team of professionals currently putting together a preliminary feasibility study for the borough.
“Right now, you have a whole lot of companies providing pro bono time on this. We would like to make sure there is a project that can happen that we can be paid for,” Norris said. “It should become clear in the next few months whether this is a go or not.”
Borough council President Jack Lawver said council had expected the preliminary feasibility study by the end of December. Norris did not say whether the study would be done prior to the next council meeting Tuesday, though he said it should be done shortly. He said he anticipates that the preliminary study will recommend that a full feasibility study be conducted.
“We will then go out in the public and private sectors to achieve the funding that is needed for the feasibility study,” Norris said.
Although the proposal calls for the velodrome and parking garage to be owned by the borough, Norris said he doesn’t anticipate the borough needing to provide any funding for the project.
“Nobody is asking them to take on anything. That’s all part of who the sponsors are,” Norris said.
Ernest and Marilyn Liggett, of Monroeville, could not be reached for comment.