JEFFERSON HIGH'S CONVERSION DELAY CLEARED BY BOARD

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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 5, 1992                   TAG: 9202050346
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
JEFFERSON HIGH'S CONVERSION DELAY CLEARED BY BOARD
Construction may begin by April on the long-delayed conversion of Roanoke's old Jefferson High School into a center for the performing arts, city offices, educational and social service agencies.
The city Board of Zoning Appeals voted Tuesday to approve a variance to allow a narrower landscape buffer than required by the zoning ordinance so 15 additional parking spaces can be created.
The variance won't cause any problems for adjacent property owners because hemlock trees will be used to buffer the parking lot, said Beverly Fitzpatrick Sr., president of the Jefferson Center Foundation.
"We will need all of the parking spaces we can get," he told the board.
Fitzpatrick said he hopes construction can begin by April 1, but the date will depend on the bidding process and removal of asbestos from the building.
The foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization that was created to raise money to help finance and oversee the renovation of the building at 540 Campbell Ave. S.W.
The first phase is expected to be finished by 1993.
The school was closed nearly two decades ago to save money and make the city's two other high schools - Patrick Henry and William Fleming - more efficient.
The city has leased the four-story, 68-year-old building to the Jefferson Center Foundation for 40 years. The renovated structure will be known as the Jefferson Center.
The renovation is estimated to cost $5.5 million, but the first phase is estimated to cost $1.6 million.
The foundation has raised $1,637,000 in private contributions and hopes to raise another $363,000. City voters approved $3.5 million in bond money for the project two years ago.
The first phase will include restoration of the exterior, a new roof and interior remodeling to house the administrative offices for the city's Fire Department, Water Department and Police Academy.
Fitzpatrick said the foundation also is negotiating with Habitat for Humanity to be a tenant in the center.
City officials believe the Jefferson renovation will help revitalize the western part of downtown, similar to the City Market and Center in the Square redevelopment of the eastern portion of downtown.
Officials said the decision to relocate administrative offices for three municipal departments in the building - fire, water and police academy - will benefit both the city and foundation.
They said this will save the city $1 million because it won't have to renovate four Victorian-era buildings at 118-124 Campbell Ave. S.W. that had been targeted for the offices.
The offices are now in a building at 124 Kirk Avenue S.W. that was sold by the city to James Trinkle three years ago as part of a swap in which the city acquired the four Victorian buildings to keep them from being razed. City officials are trying to find a buyer for the buildings, which have remained vacant since the city bought them.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB