By JIM BUTLER

The old Weiss & Goldring building is to GAEDA and the Alexandria City Council majority like an old suit – it’s ill-fitting and out of style.

That was the clear message through an hour or so of explanations, insults and accusations (most of the latter from public comments) at a council Legal Committee session Tuesday.

Before the panel was a proposed rescission of an ordinance authorizing the city to join a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority for refurbishing and marketing the long-abandoned retail building on Third Street.

GAEDA chairman Steven McGee, not on the board when the building pact was entered, said he and the current Authority majority believe it was prematurely entered and is not valid, indicating GAEDA has other fields of development interest.

He said GAEDA has a new vision and wants to impact areas that it feels need assistance.

Mayor Jacques Roy, while labeling the W&G project as sound long-term economic development investment, noted either party to the CEA can bring it to an end.

But there’s the matter of several hundred thousand dollars GAEDA owes the city for work thus far. That debt, he noted, cannot be absolved.

He said the administration will do what the Council wants to do regarding working with GAEDA but won’t give up the money it is owed.

Roy suggested the city and GAEDA discuss some other project to supplant the W&G project, rather than killing the cooperative agreement.

Eventually the committee voted to delay the matter two weeks, giving parties time to see if they can find a suit that fits.