ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, November 19, 1996 TAG: 9611190122
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
After months of often rancorous debate over Henry Street, Roanoke's city government and some outspoken black residents have called a truce concerning the once-thriving black commercial center.
They also have tentatively agreed to work together over the next 90 days to chart the future of Henry Street and of the historic neighborhood of Gainsboro as a whole.
City Council on Monday night took under consideration several recommendations from the 12-year-old Henry Street Revival Committee, which formally disbanded while presenting its final report to council.
Council won't take action on the recommendations until January at the earliest. In the meantime, both the city and residents will take a step back to "digest" the work ahead, City Manager Bob Herbert said.
The first hash session over what to do next takes place Wednesday in Mayor David Bowers' office. He has invited residents of Gainsboro and some others with a stake in the future development to sit down for informal talks on how to proceed.
Development on Henry Street "will be significantly different than what was put out as a draft plan" earlier this year, Herbert told council.
The draft called for a master developer to build a gleaming restaurant and nightclub district. This idea left residents angry and believing that blacks would forever be shut out of owning a piece of their history.
The anger has largely subsided after three well-attended gripe sessions since mid-August. Residents' concerns aired at those meetings have been included in the Henry Street Revival Committee's final recommendations:
* That a new but not-yet-established "entity" replace the committee. At least half the members of the new panel will be black or residents of Gainsboro, the oldest of all Roanoke communities. The structure of the proposed entity is unclear.
* That the new organization help the city in preparing a Gainsboro neighborhood plan.
* That it prepare a new development strategy encouraging minority ownership of businesses, buildings and land in Gainsboro.
* That the Henry Street draft plan be changed to provide for a mixture of restaurant, entertainment and neighborhood-oriented businesses, rather than a 100 percent entertainment district.
* That the new committee consider the feasibility of establishing a neighborhood and youth activities center in Gainsboro.
Reactions by residents at Monday night's meeting were mostly devoid of the finger-pointing, demands and shouting that characterized recent workshops.
Several speakers Monday night said it was clear that city staff had listened to their concerns.
"Let's talk. Let's dream. Let's do all we can do about the development of Henry Street that we can all be proud of," said Leroy Lowe, a member of Rebuilding Black Communities.
There are still plenty of questions that council admitted it couldn't answer immediately.
When will the entity be selected? Who will do that? And how do you nominate someone? Vernice Law wanted to know. She volunteered to be on it.
"City Council and the city administration may not be creating the new entity," Bowers replied. "We may be facilitators in the creating."
Even the Rev. Lenord Hines - a late but vocal recent critic of the city's actions on urban renewal and Gainsboro - paid the city some compliments. "I think that we are making some good progress," Hines said. "I like a lot of things I saw in the new [recommendations]."
However, Hines added: "We would like to see some things in writing so we can hold you to it. I hope that we're not going to be lied to and tricked and duped so that you can get your program across."
LENGTH: Medium: 70 linesby CNB