Town officially announces $100,000 investment in new EDA, names Town Manager Hicks new EDA director

While it’s back to a work session for further discussion of a plan to distance “Public Comments” from both the Town Council’s regular meeting agenda and live broadcast (see related story), not so for the Town of Front Royal’s plan to create its own unilateral Economic Development Authority. Near the end of a fairly brief 40-minute meeting Monday evening, February 22, Mayor Chris Holloway read a press release on the Town’s EDA decision into the meeting record. See the full text of that release to this story.

Mayor Holloway reads release on Town plans for its new FREDA. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

As of publication Royal Examiner had yet to receive a response to questions about Town Manager Steven Hicks appointment as executive director of the Front Royal Economic Development Authority, acronym-ed “FREDA”, as to any additional salary and how his time allotment to the two roles was envisioned to be divided.

The release did say the Town was poised to invest $100,000 in its new EDA without elaborating on where that money would be spent. It also said it anticipated an “over $100,000” return on investment related to future real estate sales.

Of the decision to abandon continuation of the over half-century partnership with Warren County in its joint EDA still recovering from the financial and legal aftermaths of the financial scandal alleged to have developed over the last five years or so of former EDA Executive Director Jennifer McDonald’s leadership, the release states: “The Town has re-development and economic development needs now that Council does not believe the County’s EDA is in the position to perform.”

Town Manager Steven Hicks has been named executive director of the Town’s new unilateral EDA. How he will juggle his hours or be compensated for the additional work remains to be seen.

Less than a week after finalization of the sale of the Afton Inn was announced by the EDA after the Town dropped its legal challenge of EDA ownership and right to sell the derelict structure for redevelopment, the release adds, “Small businesses have been impacted by the pandemic and are in need of recovery. In addition, there are many empty storefronts now and Council hopes we can prevent more in the coming years.”

Also, perhaps surprisingly in light of the fact, the Town has floundered for years, first on the passage of a derelict building maintenance code; and over the last year-plus with enforcement following the passage of an ordinance, the release continues to state, “Having FREDA will also make it easier and quicker to improve the quality of life and appearance of Front Royal by addressing blighted properties through various tools and resources available to EDA’s.”

Despite the decision to move toward a separate EDA, the Town release adds that it will not refuse to work with the County and its now also unilaterally run EDA. Evidence of that was illustrated in council’s unanimous approval of the sale, with the County and EDA, of a 1.4-acre parcel of the jointly owned McKay Springs property for the development of a Hardees in the county’s north corridor.

“By no means should the Town’s initiative to focus on the Town’s re-development be construed as an unwillingness to work with the County. We just believe from a business perspective; formalizing FREDA is the only way the Town can focus on re-development with real results,” the release states.

The Town plans for FREDA to focus on re-filling vacant downtown storefronts and helping remaining businesses traverse the difficult COVID economic landscape.

The release also did not rule out reuniting with the County in the oversight of and work with the existing EDA at a future point when its myriad legal, financial, and operational issues are resolved.

See the mayor’s reading of the EDA release into the meeting record about six minutes prior to the 7:40 p.m. meeting adjournment, as well as other discussion and votes in this Town video.