POLITICAL CARTOON: Juan and Done
Rents are soaring, customers are tightening their belts, and the economy is an unpredictable mess. The result? A lot of vacant buildings.
By Clay Jones
POLITICAL CARTOONIST
The cost of doing business in downtown Fredericksburg is rising — sharply. The question for many business owners may well be, how much higher can commercial rental space go before downtown’s commercial hub becomes not a street to stroll and admire all the interesting shops, but a street stroll and ask, “Just how many vacancies are there?” Three years ago, the cost for renting restaurant space rarely topped $40 - $45 per square foot. Today, it goes as high as $70. And retail space that is leasing now for $15–$22 per square foot was typically leasing in the $12–$18 per square foot range three years ago. All this is happening at a time of economic uncertainty not seen since the Great Recession. The impact? “We are seeing people being more conservative with their money,” Chris Allen, executive director of Fredericksburg Main Street, told the Advance. “And we’re seeing less foot traffic, especially during the week.” Our political cartoonist, Clay Jones, has been watching, and as ever, capturing the problem in his distinctive style.
Want to see more Clay? Visit his website, www.claytoonz.com, for all the latest political cartoons and commentary. You can also purchase signed prints.
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Re: this Council's recent budget decisions (the usual 7-0 vote pattern) and the soaring rents, City Council Minutes (4-15-2025): Tommy Mitchell, "speaking on behalf of the several downtown property owners to include: the Sales, the Jarrell’s, the Wilson’s, the Janney’s, the Constantine’s and himself. They were concerned with the assessments and the proposed $.06 tax increase. He said some of the tenants were not doing well and the landlords must charge the tenants the increases that are imposed or they would have to absorb them. He said it is difficult to do either. Mr. Mitchell said with the assessments and the $.06 it is hard to bear. He asked the Council to consider that the downtown was a very vibrant place but to build and renovate is expensive and this cost is passed down to the tenants".
Powell Sale: "said his father bought many of the properties downtown during the time when things were dead downtown. He said he was concerned with the recent reassessment and the increase of $.06 on the taxes. Mr. Sale said they try to keep their rates low, and they try to absorb the increases. He asked the Council to give as much of a break as it could".
https://www.fredericksburgva.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_04152025-2002
In addition, pressure is being put on the Thurman Brisben Center by the city and competing service providers. City reduced their line item to TBC by applying a significant funding cut. Their Special Use Permit to operate is under question.
The city wants to move more 'unhoused' folks out of the downtown area by getting Thurman Brisben to accept more categories of them. Expanding to what is perceived by a few to be a 'more inclusive definition' by the federal agency 'Continuum of Care' happens with an evaluation of Thurman Brisben per the federal standards on 'discrimination' in which those with criminal backgrounds, e.g., pedophile, drug dealers, can't be denied.
CEO David Cooper responded that Thurman Brisben has children on site.
FFP article (source 4-2-25): "Councilor Jannan Holmes (at-large) asked to discuss partner agencies, noting that the Thurman Brisben Center asked not to be evaluated by the Fredericksburg Continuum of Care, the federally-mandated organization that coordinates services for homeless individuals and their families.
“That’s their choice, but that’s OUR WAY of vetting those organizations,” Holmes said.
As a result, Holmes proposed that a portion of funds previously allocated to Brisben be diverted to two other organizations: Loisann’s Hope House and Empower House. In all, Holmes asked that $25,650 be reduced from Thurman Brisben’s local funding".
FFP article (source 4-16-2025): "Councilors also agreed in principle to increase funding for two local organizations that provide homelessness services, Loisann’s Hope House and Empowerhouse, while making a corresponding reduction in contributions to the Thurman Brisben Center.
The city’s contributions to Empowerhouse and LoisAnn’s Hope House will be increased to $29,000 and $45,000, respectively, while contributions to Thurman Brisben will be reduced to $9,350.
Thurman Brisben Center CEO David Cooper appealed to City Council to maintain its current level of funding at $80,000. Two weeks ago, Councilor Jannan Holmes cited Thurman Brisben’s request not to be evaluated by the Fredericksburg Continuum of Care — the federally mandated local planning body for homeless services — as a rationale for reallocating funds.
Cooper, however, said Thurman Brisben continues to serve members of the homeless population, including a growing number of school-aged children.
“We continue to serve folks that are literally homeless and folks that are functionally homeless, and folks that are marginally homeless in our area,” Cooper said.
"Advance" (Adele Uphaus 10/26/22): "organizations that did not comply with new bylaws established by the CoC board this year—is no longer a member of the CoC as of this month.
According to the new bylaws, an organization can be removed from membership if it
has not participated in any CoC meetings in the past year or responded to a request
for contact updates.
The Brisben Center is also not part of a memorandum of understanding that was
signed in April by area homeless services providers. The MOU outlines each agency’s
role in the HUD-required coordinated entry process, which is meant to “help
communities prioritize assistance based on vulnerability and severity of service needs
to ensure that people who need assistance the most can receive it in a timely manner,”
according to a HUD policy brief.
Payton said the Brisben Center “had some objections to coordinated assessment.” He
said people were being referred to the Brisben Center that the center could not admit
because of its own intake requirements.
Leaders worry the Brisben Center is being sidelined.
“We are just asking for a level playing field,” Payton said.
Shoukas reiterated that despite the additional review of agency applications for
jurisdictional funding, local governments will still make the final decision.
“In the end, it’s up to the jurisdictions to decide how to make sure that local dollars
have the most impact,” she said
10/26/22, 'Brisben Center fears funding challenges'
https://fredericksburg.com/news/local/brisben-center-fears-funding-challenges/article_7963bf7c-4ee5-11ed-83cb-1ff7c23aaa4e.html 8/10
Thurman Brisben Center CEO David Cooper appealed to City Council to maintain its current level of funding at $80,000. Two weeks ago, Councilor Jannan Holmes cited Thurman Brisben’s request not to be evaluated by the Fredericksburg Continuum of Care — the federally mandated local planning body for homeless services — as a rationale for reallocating funds.
Cooper, however, said Thurman Brisben continues to serve members of the homeless population, including a growing number of school-aged children.
“We continue to serve folks that are literally homeless and folks that are functionally homeless, and folks that are marginally homeless in our area,” Cooper said.