Suffolk News-Herald

Suffolk stands to win funding for two major capital projects if proposed bills make it through the General Assembly, said a city official.

On Wednesday, Martha McClees, the city’s lobbyist in Richmond, told the Suffolk City Council that state lawmakers have introduced two bills that, if adopted, would bring projects totaling $8 million to Suffolk.

Sen. Frederick M. Quayle proposed earmarking $6 million in the 2005 budget for a new health and human services building.

Del. S. Chris Jones has introduced a bill that would allocate $2 million for the construction of the proposed Great Dismal Swamp Interpretation Center in 2006.

In past months, council has discussed putting the city’s Department of Social Services and the Suffolk Health Department under the same roof and moving it closer to the downtown community.

The city has looked at a site near the Department of Motor Vehicles on Division Street, McClees said.

The city has proposed building the interpretive center across the street from the new Hilton Garden Inn, behind the historic courthouse at the intersection of North Main Street and East Constance Road.

Although the proposal is still being reviewed by the National Park Service, U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes has endorsed it.

Other proposed legislation that may impact Suffolk include:

-Gov. Mark Warner’s recommendation that a $256 million fund be established to help localities address deficits created by cost overruns on Virginia Department of Transportation projects.

The proposal would play a significant role in helping the city recover from overruns related to the North Main Street project, McClees said.

&uot;Right now, we are in a deficit with VDOT,&uot; she said. &uot;The governor’s plan would eliminate $1 million in deficit and put us back on a level playing field with them.&uot;

-A constitutional amendment that would cap the increase in real estate values from increasing more than 105 percent over the previous year;

-Two bills are related to cash proffers, which city officials have indicated they hope to use more frequently in local development.

nOne is a constitutional amendment that would require construction to begin within five years of receipt of a proffer, McClees said.

The other would prohibit localities from discussing or accepting proffers. until a building permit has been issued.