The Silver Standard

In the wake of his death at age 86 early on Wednesday morning, Fredericksburg business and government officials remembered Carl D. Silver as the man whose development of the Central Park retail and commercial area saved the city from financial peril.

"I often wonder if the city would still be an independent city if it hadn't been for the vision of Carl Silver," said Karen Hedelt, director of Fredericksburg's Department of Economic Development and Tourism. "For a private sector individual, I don't think you can match the impact of Silver."

While he was most publicly known for his business acumen, Silver also quietly gained a reputation as a generous philanthropist.

Rescued by Retail

According to a biography on the Silver Company website, Carl D. Silver, born in 1925, first showed a knack for entrepreneurship as a young teenager when he oversaw a fleet of trucks hauling gravel for a military project in the 1940s. 

He volunteered in World War II and was wounded fighting in Europe. Once he returned, he established a successful used car dealership. By the late 1950s, when he quit cars for real estate, he was running franchise Buick and Pontiac dealerships. 

Working with his son, Larry Silver, the two spearheaded the development of Central Park, the massive, auto-oriented, retail, office and hotel complex west of downtown Fredericksburg across from I-95. 

The annexation and development of the area which became Central Park helped shore up Fredericksburg's finances, which were in dire straits in the 70s, 80s and early 90s as downtown businesses left for the Spotsylvania Mall, according to former Mayor Lawrence Davies, who served from 1976 to 1996. The loss of business resulted in a shift in the tax base from commercial to residential sources, and the city's coffers dwindled. 

In 1984, the city of Fredericksburg controversially annexed the land which now holds Central Park, Celebrate Virginia South, and a road named in honor of Carl D. Silver. They paid Spotsylvania County $4.4 million for the four square miles. City leaders also promised not to annex land from Spotsylvania for at least 25 years. By 1995, plans for the Central Park which we know today were approved by City Council and beginning to take shape. 

"Thank God that he came along when he did, because he pulled our fat out of the fire when he started developing Central Park," said Economic Development Authority Chair Joe Wilson in an interview. 

Now, sales and meals taxes along with business license fees make up 31 percent of the city's budget, the second largest slice  after real estate taxes, which make up 34 percent of the city's projected 2012 revenues according to budget documents. 

More than half of those business tax and license revenues are collected from businesses operating in and around Central Park. 

The Other Side of Central Park

Central Park has not been without its detractors. Criticisms that the development is too automobile oriented, or out-of-place amidst the historic backdrop of Fredericksburg, or that the big-box retailers within undercut local businesses have dogged the project since its inception. 

Perhaps more than any single development, the project has also contributed to a rapid loss of green space and tree canopy in Fredericksburg. Prior to the development of Central Park and other areas in the territory annexed from Spotsylvania, the land west of I-95 was occupied by farms, woodlands and a golf course.

Between 1996 and 2009, the city of Fredericksburg lost 27.6 percent of its tree canopy, roughly 800 acres.

A study by the George Washington Regional Commission found that Fredericksburg's deforestation has resulted in the loss of the ability to manage 6.2 million cubic feet of rainwater per year. If Fredericksburg were to build new storm water management systems to offset those losses, the cost would run an estimated $94.2 million.

The economic collapse also showed the vulnerability of municipal finances to the whims of retail activity. A sudden 2008 drop in sales tax receipts led to hiring freezes and budget cuts and provided the impetus for the city to move forward with Celebrate Virginia South, which has struggled out of the gate.

Two high profile developments in Celebrate Virginia South, the National Slavery Museum and the Kalahari Resort, have fizzled out after funding dried up as the economy stalled. The city has started the process of selling off the land for the National Slavery Museum to recoup unpaid real estate taxes while its organizer, former Governor Douglas Wilder files for bankruptcy. Officially, the Kalahari Resort complex is on hold until its parent company can secure financing.

City Councilor Fred Howe has questioned whether Kalahari Resort will ever be built. Potential revenues from such a project were not included in

Humble in Charity, Fair in Business

For all of his well known business skills, those who knew Silver also spoke of his charity, which often was doled out without fanfare. 

Former Mayor Davies, who also serves as the pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), related how Silver would give generously but discretely. 

"Mr. Silver was one that we could go to on behalf of people in need and he would always be responsive," said Davies, who developed a close relationship with Silver over his 30 years in city politics and faith communities. "Not only did he not make a lot of fanfare, but he sought anonymity when he helped people."

"We see a lot of visible, charitable donations that he made," said Hedelt. "I know that he gave, quietly also, more than any individual would know. He was always happy to help out."

Davies said that Silver was a masterful negotiatior; personable and honest.

"If he gave you his word on something, you could really depend on it," said Davies. "Everybody who did business with him univerisally agreed he was fair."