
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 15, 1990                   TAG: 9006150245
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

A&P STORE DEMOLITION APPROVED

The razing of the old A&P Grocery building on the Roanoke City Market was approved Thursday by the city's Architectural Review Board to permit the construction of a parking garage that will be part of the Dominion Tower project.

But the board delayed action on a request for the demolition of the Salem Avenue facade of the old Wright Furniture Co. building to permit another parking lot.

Both buildings are located in the City Market Historic District. No structures can be razed in the district without the board's approval.

William Clark, city public works director, said the contractor on the Dominion Tower project will need to begin working soon on the site that is occupied by the A&P building that now houses an antiques mall.

The city bought the A&P building last fall from Roland Macher and Richard Macher, who operate the antiques mall. It paid $425,000 for the building.

The city agreed to let the Machers keep using the building until the site was needed for the office tower and its parking facilities.

Clark said the lease with the Machers will expire soon, and the city needs to make arrangements with a contractor to tear down the building.

After agreeing to sell the A&P building, the Machers announced plans to move the antiques mall to the nearby Wright Furniture building that extends from Salem to Campbell avenues.

At one point, the Machers considered renovating the Wright building or constructing a new structure on the same site to house the antiques mall.

But Roland Macher said Thursday he can't afford to construct a new building because it would cost $700,000, and he received only $425,000 for the A&P building.

He asked the board for permission to raze the Salem Avenue facade of the Wright building and use part of the site to develop a parking lot for nearby development. Under this plan, the Campbell Avenue side of the building would be renovated and house the antiques mall.

"I don't have the money to do it all. I can't do the Campbell Avenue side without razing the Salem Avenue side," Macher said.

But several board members said they don't like the proposal for developing a parking lot on part of the site. The board delayed action for a month and asked Macher to provide more information.

by CNB