USA cycling chief to visit Brownsville
BROWNSVILLE – USA Cycling chief executive officer Steve Johnson gets a chance to see Brownsville in person this week when he comes to Pennsylvania for the USA Cycling National Festival at Seven Springs. USA Cycling, which is currently based in Colorado Springs, Colo., is recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the organization responsible for identifying and training U.S. cyclists for national and international competition. It’s also the organization that is at the heart of the bicycle racing facility, or velodrome, proposed for downtown Brownsville.
USAC is currently in the process of seeking a new location for its headquarters, Johnson said.
“We need to vacate our current office by spring of next year. There are opportunities for temporary facilities around Colorado Springs. No matter what happens, we will probably be in temporary facilities for some period of time,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he is looking forward to seeing Brownsville in person. So far, he said, he has only seen photos and sketches.
Jack Norris, of the Pittsburgh office of real estate management firm C.B. Richard Ellis, said USA Cycling’s need for new facilities is key to the Brownsville velodrome project.
“My understanding is they have to move because the building is being torn down,” Norris said.
Andy Lee, a spokesman for USA Cycling, said a number of communities have approached the organization about relocation opportunities, but most have already fizzled out.
“Right now Brownsville is the only one that has presented definite plans,” Lee said.
Meanwhile, Kara Roberts, the vice president for local industry with the Colorado Springs Economic Development Council, said her organization is doing its best to keep USA Cycling in Colorado Springs.
“They’ve got a long history here, and we’ve got a large sports heritage. About 45 sports organizations are headquartered in Colorado Springs,” Roberts said. “We’re presenting options that we feel will be in the best interest of the (USA Cycling) board and the sport. What we’re presenting are things that would meet their temporary needs as well as their long-term needs.”
If USA Cycling moves to another location in Colorado Springs, or anywhere other than Brownsville, plans for the new cycling facility that could be key to Brownsville’s economic revitalization could be severely jeopardized, Norris said.
“There would be no velodrome project,” Norris said.
Brownsville Borough Council recently entered into an agreement with C.B. Richard Ellis to have the firm seek funding for a velodrome feasibility study. Norris said without USA Cycling also moving its headquarters to Brownsville, the velodrome would not be economically feasible.
“How would it possibly?” Norris said.
Jack Lawver, the president of Brownsville Borough Council, said he wasn’t aware that the velodrome project hinged entirely on USA Cycling relocating to Brownsville.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard that statement,” Lawver said.
Lawver said he was also unaware of Johnson’s plans to visit Brownsville Thursday.
“If I can get in touch with him, I’d love to meet with him. I’d hope he’d make a point to meet with us, the governing body,” Lawver said.
Johnson said moving USA Cycling’s headquarters to Brownsville is not outside the realm of possibility.
“It’s very realistic. The concerns we would have at this point are who is really driving the bus and what’s real and what’s proposed and what’s speculative,” Johnson said.
While Norris stated at a borough council meeting and in a subsequent telephone interview that Brownsville property owner Ernest Liggett is not involved in the velodrome project, Johnson has had a very different impression. He said he met with Liggett at the USA Cycling offices in Colorado Springs at the beginning of June.
“From our perspective, he seems very much involved,” Johnson said. “That’s how he’s presented himself to us.”
Norris said he was unaware of Liggett’s recent meeting with USA Cycling in Colorado.
“We have no knowledge of his meeting with them or talking to them,” Norris said.
Norris said he has no control over who Liggett meets with or talks with.
“I have no contact with him whatsoever,” Norris said of Liggett.
Norris said David Durbin of C.B. Richard Ellis’s Charleston, W.Va., office is the company’s contact with USA Cycling. Durbin did not return calls to his office.
“I haven’t talked to David Durbin in quite some time,” Johnson said.
Liggett declined to comment on the velodrome project, saying after his June 27 hearing before Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty on property maintenance code violations that he would consider discussing it in the future “but not for the next week or so.”
Johnson said USA Cycling has sent the criteria it would need for a move to Brownsville to someone in Pennsylvania, possibly to Liggett. He said he wasn’t certain who the proposal had been sent to.
Lawver said the borough hasn’t received the information and to his knowledge, neither has C.B. Richard Ellis, which is now representing the borough. Johnson said the moving requirements are fairly standard, including things like assistance for the current employees who would need to sell homes and purchase homes, having acceptable housing in the Brownsville area, and getting help finding new employees to replace those who choose not to make the move.
“The goal of any relocation process is to make it as painless as possible for the employees,” Johnson said.
Lawver said the borough shouldn’t have a problem meeting USA Cycling’s requirements.
“There is housing available. I would think between the universities in the area they have trained personnel or could educate people to work in that field,” Lawver said.
Lawver noted that there are sports medicine programs offered at California University of Pennsylvania and other area universities. A meeting was held in early April at Cal U with various officials, including those from the university and the Brownsville Area School District regarding the role of sports medicine in the proposed development. There were no borough officials present at the meeting, Lawver said.
Lawver said Liggett has since requested meetings with several of the council members, but the council members stated at a public meeting that they would only meet with him as a body.
“When we meet, we want to meet all together so we hear the same thing, not different versions,” Lawver said.