Roanoke development

[weill]

On the same website, on a different page, a rendering seems to show elevated light rail in front of the new parking garage across the river from the hospital. What do you guys make of this picture?

I wonder what that is, doesnt seem to have tracks on it, plus that rendering doesnt look like it belongs in Roanoke...though they did talk about have a light-rail or trolley come down jefferson/williamson to Carilion then loop around DT.

[mclawsdrive]

The higher ed center will consider moving into the old Social security building (which is right next door), when the new Soc Sec. Building opens. roanoke times

[weill]

Heres last Friday's work on the Century Station Parking Garage

[mclawsdrive]

The new Norfolk Southern Intermodal Yard will be built in Elliston, at the Montgomery/Roanoke county line. This is where I'd proposed that Toyota should locate. Hey, maybe they will, an intermodal yard should be attractive to a car manufacturer. full story

[click thumb for more detail][/click thumb for more detail]

Edited June 28, 2006 by mclawsdrive

[weill]

Not a bad location, and whats with Google Earth only doing the West part of Salem?

Whats going on at Melrose Ave. beside Forest Park, I remember there were trees there and now its a big construction site, maybe some sort of another Melrose Tower?

Edited June 28, 2006 by weill

[mclawsdrive]

I don't know anything about the melrose site, but I have a theory about google earth. I think they are getting aerial photography when it is free. For some reason, those rural patches of Virginia must have had recent fly-overs and Virginia gave away the old ortho-data for free, once they had newer data for those patches. I know that the city of Roanoke has aerials from 2002, as does chesterfield county, but google isn't using them, probably because they can't obtain the license for them without paying more than they want to. I'm hoping that eventually the rest of the Roanoke area will fill in with aerials instead of satellite imagery. The strip west of blacksburg has been there for quite a while, but the strip west of Salem is has only been on google less than a month. The strip around Charlottesville is relatively recent as well.

[VirginiaSportsReport]

I saw on someone's blog, I think weill's, something about a new Norfolk Southern office high-rise in Roanoke? Is that true or just rumor?

[weill]

Thats a rumor with some truth to it, It was part of a report that WSLS Channel 10 did, and they concluded that because of all the recent NS news that they would be interested in building a office tower, at the current Jefferson Lodge Hotel on Bullit next to Elmwood Park. Part of the report they did concluded that the Century Parking lot was to add 4 stories and stores at the bottom, which construction has started. Some truth to all this....somehow....the report is avaliabe via the City, as they conducted the real report...

[VirginiaSportsReport]

Hmm, very interesting. I actually worked at WSLS until this past November. I remember the reports on the century station garage, along with the other plans for the market area, but don't remember anything about the new building. That's pretty cool if it does happen, I've thought that Roanoke could use a few more "taller" buildings in the skyline.

[weill]

Interesting...and for Roanoke's size I think we have a very buffed skyline, but a few more wouldnt hurt;)

[StevenRocks]

We had a meeting at work that discussed the Century Station parking garage. The changes going on now are not part of the official Market District plan. They involve some problems with the construction where the contractor varied from the building plans. It's mostly brickwork and concrete panel repairs.

[weill]

Well nevermind, I see that is not the case, but why not go ahead since you have got have the street and Elmwood Park enterance closed off.

[bmedguy]

We had a meeting at work that discussed the Century Station parking garage. The changes going on now are not part of the official Market District plan. They involve some problems with the construction where the contractor varied from the building plans. It's mostly brickwork and concrete panel repairs.

Bummer. I was hoping they were getting a jump on the Market plan now tat the VS issue is behind us.

[VirginiaSportsReport]

Agreed, I think Roanoke has a very nice skyline, especially for a city its size, but there are a few gaps where I could see a new building or two fitting in nicely.

I also hope they do start on the market plan soon. Some great ideas in there.

[StevenRocks]

Well nevermind, I see that is not the case, but why not go ahead since you have got have the street and Elmwood Park enterance closed off.

I wish it was as easy as doing that, Weill. The redo they proposed in the study is going to be very expensive, requires a lot of additional planning, and, on top of that, there's not enough money budgeted for it yet.

[bmedguy]

Does anyone know of any timeline they are hoping to follow in implementing any of the projects in the Downtown Market plan? I too think there is a lot of really good stuff in there.

[weill]

Maybe sometime before 2020, but I would like to see it sooner...

[StevenRocks]

Some of the Market suggestions are being acted on at an administrative level, but don't expect a lot of dirt turning in the near future.

[rusthebuss]

Steven how does it feel being on the other side of development now?

[StevenRocks]

Steven how does it feel being on the other side of development now?

It's been a little over a month since I switched sides, and I definately have a new respect for municipal planning after serving in the trenches of it. I now know more about land use regulations than I ever care to share

One thing that I realized is that the goals of developers and planners aren't all that different, but the perspective in which we look at how to get there is. We all want great cities, but we want them on our terms rather than the other guy's.

Edited July 13, 2006 by StevenRocks

[weill]

Looks like we will be seeing a new building in the Market Area, according to the Roanoke Times as of 3:30 today. The building will be 2 stories and fill in the gap between Sam's and La De Da on Market Street.

[StevenRocks]

I hope it's a better attempt at fitting in than the building at the Market-Kirk intersection. That one's kind of watered down, if you ask me.

[weill]

I saw a rendering, you can too, watch the Roanoke Times Podcast and its on there. It appears to be a brick 2 story building with living space up to and retail on the bottom.

[bmedguy]

Yeaaa! Another surface lot bites the dust.

[StevenRocks]

I saw the rendering. It looks pretty nice and seems like it would be appropriate for the Market area.