Perkins on Agapion and other stuff
City Council member Robbie Perkins remains firm in his support of the city buying property from notorious landlord Bill Agapion.
Perkins said Agapion, who is infamous for buying and neglecting property, had been approached before by private developers to sell the land in the Cedar Street community and had rebuffed them.
If the city doesn't intercede, Perkins says, the "window of opportunity" could close.
Interest rates and other conditions are favorable for developers, he says, but that can and will change in time.
Meanwhile, Perkins, who will step down this month from the council, also says he fully expects two major downtown developments -- the Wachovia tower and Bellemeade Village -- to happen with city assistance.
When he leaves his council seat -- for which he decided not to seek re-election -- Perkins says he will become involved in Heart of the Triad initiative to assemble land near the airport for regional economic development.
And he still is considering a run for mayor at some point, but not against Yvonne Johnson, who he considers a "dear friend."
Johnson has said she will run for mayor in 2007.