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wrldcoupe4

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Major corporations like NS are always moving divisions and departments from one city to another and with the announcement this week of the intermodal facility maybe they are looking at shifting some department or other here. Totally speculation on my part since they didn't hint at anything like that in their announcement the other day just offering a positive vibe to the rumor.

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How many local employees does NS have in Roanoke? Are there enough to warrant an office tower?

NS used to be Roanoke's largest employer, (or should I say N&W), when they merged with Southern Railway they moved the headquarters from Roanoke to Norfolk and the jobs have been steadily declining in Roanoke for the last 25 years since the move. I don't know what the peak employment in Roanoke at NS was, but I'm sure it was at least 5000.

As far as a new office building, it isn't likelly that the corporate headquarters would move back to Roanoke, but with the new intermodal facility, perhaps NS would move managerial and office jobs here that are related to the new structural investment.

The other factor is that the NS building is probably only partially occupied by NS, they lease it out to other businesses. They could do the same for a new building. :)

I'm also just trying to be positive about the rumor :thumbsup:

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Nice to see you on the forum bmedguy. I read the article. This is indeed good news for southeast, and to a smaller degree for Roanoke as a whole. Hows business in the medical field these days? Any opinion on the proposed changes Carilion is pushing?

Thanks! I can't say that I'm educated enough on the whole concept to give you a well informed opinion, but I'll give you mine anyway! :) I think the clinic is likely going forward whether the physicians around here like it or not. The way things are at present, mostly independent practices contract with Carilion to use their facilities. Specialists are spread accross the city and the communication on shared patients between practices, as they are completely independent of one another, is not always ideal. There are also competing interests at times. I personally saw one facility close down because the egos involved between Carilion and the physicians contracting with them could not mesh. The patients were the ones who were the most inconvenienced. The idea is to get everyone under one roof and on the same page. This will presumably cut operating costs and facilitate collaboration among physicians. The clinic will be a very large building. A majority of physians (not all) have expressed opposition. I think most are very concerned about losing their independence. Carilion has said they will hire 190 physicians. They will find these from the pool of 600 physicians now practicing in the area or I believe they will recruit new ones. I think the likely result will be an infusion of new and probably young physicians coming to Roanoke. Carilion also argues that the number of physicians they will employ still leaves plenty of room/need for many independent practices and they will continue to contract with them. The docs are concerned they will only get the leftovers after the Carilion employed physicians schedules are filled (probably correct). It is pretty interesting. Physicians in general are used to having the upper hand and being coddled, and in this case it is not happening.

Economically this is potentially very good for Roanoke. It produces another building on the Riverside Center (commonly known as the biomed park) property that is supposed to be at least 250,000 sq ft. As I said, some number of new physicians will come and the emphasis on research and collaboration with Virginia Tech has a chance to become much more cohesive and really grow under a successful clinic model. Additionally, education needs to meet staffing needs will increase. I look for JCHS to grow substantially in the coming years. I know there are plans to add new undergraduate programs that are already in the works including a BS in Health Psychology.

The big question is will it work? If it does, it puts Roanoke on the map as a major player in healthcare. If not, the largest employer in the area starts to go downhill. It is a calculated risk.

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My father works for Carilion and I haven't even asked him what he thinks. But my initial reaction is that Carilion and Roanoke need to take this risk. Of course, concerns of physicians should be addressed to avoid a large scale mutiny, but not everyone will be appeased. New blood will be a good thing, as long as talented physicians aren't lost in the process.

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Luna Innovations has landed a licensing, development and supply agreement with Intuitive Surgical Inc., makers of the da Vinci robotic surgery system. Stock prices were up almost 25% on news of the deal. Luna will provide a new fiber optic cable, which has sensors determining where and how much the cable bends at any point, giving a precise location of where microscopic tools are located in the body. A Luna spokesperson described the agreement as 'a major deal for us' although no monetary value was disclosed, and Luna plans to hire an unspecified number of additional employees as a result. full story - Roanoke Times

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Good news for Luna. I read a few weeks back that they also got FDA approval on another product they will be marketing. Good to hear they will be adding jobs in the near future as well.

Also, I have an update on the Cambria Suites hotel going up at Riverside. I walk by the site often on my way to work and they started putting up some of the foundational walls but then stopped about two months ago. I wondered what happened. An article a week or two ago quoted the contractor as saying that the developer had decided to switch architects and they are waiting for the new architect to "get up to speed" but there was no danger of the project stopping. I thought that must be pretty unusual to make that sort of change that late in the game. I wonder what in the world happened.

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Good news for Luna. I read a few weeks back that they also got FDA approval on another product they will be marketing. Good to hear they will be adding jobs in the near future as well.

Also, I have an update on the Cambria Suites hotel going up at Riverside. I walk by the site often on my way to work and they started putting up some of the foundational walls but then stopped about two months ago. I wondered what happened. An article a week or two ago quoted the contractor as saying that the developer had decided to switch architects and they are waiting for the new architect to "get up to speed" but there was no danger of the project stopping. I thought that must be pretty unusual to make that sort of change that late in the game. I wonder what in the world happened.

I heard somewhere that they had switched from a Roanoke Architecture firm to an out of state one. Apparently the new architect is one they have worked with in the past. I wish I could remember more details but my brain doesn't function the way it should.

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Luna is at it again. Roanoke's star biotech firm, partnered with VCU, has published results of a study on nanoparticles that stop allergies. These microscopic soccer ball shaped particles, called buckeyballs, bind to free radicals and prevent cells from releasing histamines and other chemicals released during an allergic response. Read a press release here.

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There will be a ceremony today that will announce the opening of the new flour mill in the county. This clears the path for the revelopment of the area the old mill currently sits on which is directly accross the street from the Carilion Clinic building and Riverside research center building. The most interesting part of the article to me was the last paragraph where it says that the old mill buildings will be fully evaluated after they are vacated and that tearing them down is only one option. I think it would be pretty cool if they could make those silos into buildings. Two more instant highrises! addtionally there is about a ten story building on that sight that would be cool if it could be kept and modernized as well. Oh well, just speculating.

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http://www.roanoke.com/business/wb/151088

Here's an example of employers desparately trying to find qualified workers for good paying blue collar jobs. If Roanoke city schools could take 50 kids a year (25 at PH, 25 at WF) who currently drop out and train them in welding, probably all of them could land jobs in the area and help drive expansions of these companies.

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