Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 16, 1993 TAG: 9312160173
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They have developed an ambitious and elaborate plan for transforming the aging and dilapidated area into a thriving neighborhood and entertainment district.
It would have small retail shops, restaurants, professional offices, public plazas and a community center.
The students' proposal covers a much larger area than did previous plans, which focused solely on First Street, once the center of black restaurants, hotels and nightclubs when it was called Henry Street.
The plan calls for the retention of the neighborhood's African-American heritage and a unique atmosphere for each street.
One idea is to convert the old Stone Printing Co. building at Jefferson Street and Wells Avenue into an arts center celebrating black heritage.
The students also have recommended that the two old Norfolk and Western office buildings near Hotel Roanoke be saved - a move that will please preservationists.
The plan calls for one railroad building to be occupied by a telemarketing company, and the second to house a high-tech research and retraining center that might be linked to Virginia Tech.
Randy Grumbine, a student who helped develop the plan, said Tech seems a good prospect for the proposed research center because the school's hotel and conference center will be just across the street.
The students have recommended that the city build a convention and trade center at Shenandoah Avenue and First Street, west of the railroad's buildings.
Some preservationists have worried that the railroad's buildings might be razed to provide a site for a convention center.
The students' proposal was outlined Wednesday to the Henry Street Revival Committee, headed by Taylor.
The group included undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.
"This is a significant step in the process [of revitalizing the area]. It is one of the best Christmas presentations for Henry Street," Taylor said.
The students did not provide cost estimates for the plan, which covers the area bounded by Third Street, Harrison Avenue, Interstate 581 and the railroad tracks.
Grumbine, who helped outline the plan, said the students do not have expertise in financing. They have recommended that the project be undertaken in phases.
Part of the development would be done by private companies, and part would be financed by the city.
Taylor said the committee will take the proposal to City Council, which will make the decision.
"We will have to have to decide whether it will be done in phases, choose the architects and have some estimates of costs," Taylor said. The students may be asked to make a presentation to council, similar to the one given to the committee.
Mayor David Bowers, who attended Wednesday's meeting, said council wants to move ahead on the long-delayed project.
Bowers said Henry Street is next on the city's agenda after the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center. "[Council] would welcome a presentation by the students," he said.
The development on First Street and nearby areas in the Gainsboro neighborhood would include a day-care center, small office park, and a garden and horticulture center with greenhouses, public plazas and an urban forest regeneration area.
The students have recommended that the old buildings in the area be renovated to help preserve the character of the neighborhood.
They said the Henry Street project should complement the City Market and not compete with it.
The plan will help preserve the African-American culture, provide needed facilities in the neighborhood and create jobs, Grumbine said.
"We recognize it can't be done overnight, but it can help the neighborhood and the city," he said.
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