Downtown Roanoke Development Plan

2011 Downtown RoanokeDevelopment Plan: Williamson Road and 5th StreetPrepared by Stephen Cox, Swetha Kumar, Hali Plourde-Rogers, and Melissa Zilke

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OverviewThis Development Plan sets out to answer the following as proposed by the City of Roanoke:

“Roanoke has a number of undeveloped (or underdeveloped) parcels in its downtown. From a planning and urban design perspective, it is important to get these properties developed to create a cohesive fabric in downtown. We would like Virginia Tech to initiate comprehensive, multi-disciplinary studies of these sites and develop concepts for their development […]. Such exercises may result in a feasible proposal that can be pursued with a developer or may reveal gaps in the equation that could potentially be filled with public incentives. Creating a land development proposal could be challenging and rewarding in that it could involve students from planning, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, building construction, and finance – just as it does in real life.”

Top right: Center in the Square. Bottom left: The Emporium. Bottom right: Public art installation. Photographs by Hali Plourde-Rogers.

Table of ContentsIntroductionI.

Scopei.

History of Downtownii.

Site RecommendationsII.

Williamson Road and Church Avenuei.

Backgrounda.

Surrounding Areab.

Development Recommendationsc.

5th Street and Luck Avenueii.

Backgrounda.

Surrounding Areab.

Development Recommendationsc.

ConclusionsIII.

AppendixIV.

Referencesi.

Top right: Market Street; Middle left: Corner of Kirk Avenue and Market Street; Bottom right: Store front on Campbell Avenue. Photographs by Hali Plourde-Rogers.

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 1

In 1671, explorers discovered the Roanoke Valley; but it was not inhabited until the 1740s, when farmers from eastern Virginia and Pennsylvania began to occupy the area. These farmers primarily settled in the area near the salt marshes in the center of the Roanoke Valley (City of Roanoke). In 1769 town-

Introduction

Scope History of Downtown

Under Construction, a group of Virginia Tech Master of Urban and Regional Planning students, prepared the following development recommendations for the City of Roanoke for two specific sites in Downtown Roanoke: Williamson Road at Church Avenue and 5th Street at Luck Avenue. This plan is similar to a small area plan and seeks to add appropriate accommodations for the youth and elderly within the downtown area. According to Downtown Roanoke, Inc., these populations are underrepresented in downtown. The suggested development plans address various scenarios for drawing these demographics into the city center. In addition, it seeks to further promote the following principles as stated in Vision 2020:

Roanoke’s quality of life and economic development are integrally 1. related.

Roanoke is a city built using quality design principles.2.

The continuing vitality and growth of Roanoke are dependent on 3. individual and private actions, combined with public investment, to ensure quality of life amenities, infrastructure, and services.

Roanoke’s vision is to be a sustainable and livable community. 4.

Railroad yard in Downtown Roanoke. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.


Historic City Market Building. Photograph by Hali Plourde-Rogers.like settlements began to form in what is currently the city of Roanoke (City of Roanoke).

In 1874, the Town of Big lick was chartered with a population of less than 500 (Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitor’s Bureau). In 1882, Big Lick was renamed the Town of Roanoke after the Roanoke River (City of Roanoke). By this time, Roanoke had become a railroad hub, serving the Norfolk and Western Railway. Due to rapid railroad-related growth, Roanoke became a city in 1884 (Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitor’s Bureau).

After the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad line was completed in 1852, some of the very first structures considered to be part of Roanoke’s downtown area were built. Around 1886, downtown began to expand from the intersection of Jefferson and Campbell. The downtown area continued to flourish and expand until the 1950s (Blanton, 2002). Job loss in the late 1950s from Roanoke’s two largest employers, hurt Roanoke’s economy. From 1958 until the 1960s, the Norfolk and Western Railway modernized and cut out 2,500 jobs in Roanoke. Between 1958 and 1959, the American Viscose Corporation shut down its Roanoke plant due to decreased demand for products containing Rayon (Marcou, O’Leary and Associates, 1969).

In the early 1960s, many suburban shopping centers opened throughout the greater Roanoke metropolitan area, negatively affecting the vitality of Roanoke’s downtown retail establishments. Small specialty shops in the downtown fared the best during this time period, especially those that improved their facilities. During this time, there was a lack of downtown office space in the Roanoke’s central business district (Marcou, O’Leary and Associates, 1969).

Two large downtown revitalization projects took place in the late 1960s: The Downtown East Urban Renewal Project and the Market Area Improvement Project. The Downtown East Urban Renewal Project removed downtown uses that were declared “blighted” to promote economic development. The Market Area Improvement plan renovated the City Market area and Elmwood Park (Marcou, O’Leary and Associates, 1969).

A new plan for Downtown Roanoke, published in 1969, followed these revitalization projects. One issue that was brought to the forefront of the 1969 plan and also emerged as a concern for this development plan was the issue of parking in Downtown Roanoke. In 1962, a parking study was conducted. The study concluded that Downtown Roanoke needed more parking. Two parking garages for Roanoke were proposed in response to this study. One of the parking garages was to be located on Campbell Avenue, near the site of the present day Center in the Square Parking Garage. Another was recommended where Franklin Road Southwest intersects with 1st Street; a parking garage was not built. The present day Franklin Car Park lot is in close proximity to the proposed site of the Franklin Road Parking Garage (Marcou, O’Leary and Associates, 1969; Downtown Roanoke, Inc.).

In more recent years, Roanoke has further developed into a true city center. Roanoke has been hailed as an “All-American City” five times by the National League of Cities (City of Roanoke, 2011). Roanoke is also considered to be a festival city due its multiple festivals, like the Festival in the Park and the railway festival hosted in the downtown area. Center in the Square provides


The Roanoke Star on top of Mill Mountain. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.

Roanoke with a downtown center, containing a museum, a theater, and planetarium, all located in proximity to specialty retail stores (Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitor’s Bureau). Downtown Roanoke also hosts the Commonwealth of Virginia’s oldest continuously operating farmer’s market, which was created in 1882 (Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, 2006).


Background

Located between Kirk Avenue and Church Avenue and adjacent to Williamson Road, the Williamson site includes privately owned (tax numbers 4011408–4010812) and city owned (tax number 4011413) properties. The Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) is the current owner of the city portion of the property. The site is visible from I-581, making it a potential junior anchor to the nearby Market Building and the Taubman Art Museum.

The property is zoned D, Downtown District, and falls within the Historic Downtown Overlay District (H-1). According to Article 3, Division 2 of the Zoning Code, the Downtown District allows varied uses and relatively intense development within the business and cultural center. Development in this area should be consistent with historic patterns. The Downtown District is intended to accomplish the following:

Site Recommendations

Williamson Road and Church Avenue

The corner of the Williamson Road and Kirk Avenue. Photograph by Hali Plourde-Rogers.

Aerial view of the Williamson site, created using the City of Roanoke Real-estate GIS.

“To facilitate pedestrian ways and create a convenient and harmonious 1. development of buildings, streets, and open space;

To protect and enhance the public interest in downtown as a source of 2. economic vitality, the retention and creation of jobs, and tax revenue;

To protect existing investment in downtown, to protect against the 3. demolition of downtown’s historic buildings, to promote activity on public streets, and to protect amenities provided through public investment; and


View from Williamson toward the Taubman Art Museum. Photograph by Hali Plourde-Rogers.

To provide for a mix of high density residential, commercial, retail, 4. government services, entertainment and cultural facilities, and live/work space.”

Historic District Overlays

The H-1 district is centered in the heart of Downtown Roanoke—the Market area. This district strongly emphasizes preserving the historic character of Downtown Roanoke. The H-1 district has several mid-size buildings. High-rise buildings within this district would not be appropriate or in the character of the district. The purpose of the H-I district “is to identify, preserve, enhance, and maintain architectural and historic landmarks, structures, and districts that are listed, or are eligible for listing, on the Virginia Landmarks Register or the National Register of Historic Places, or which have local significance. An additional purpose of the H-1 district is to develop and maintain appropriate settings and environments for such landmarks, structures, and districts” (Sec. 36.2-330).

Church Avenue Initiative

The city owned property, 4011413, is highlighted under the Church Avenue Initiative in Outlook Roanoke. Outlook Roanoke is the master plan for the downtown area. The plan was updated in August of 2000. The City of Roanoke hired an architectural and planning firm to prepare and update the plan. In order to develop the plan, a steering committee was created that consisted of citizens, downtown business persons, neighborhood leaders, and City staff. City Council adopted the updated plan in 2002. The purpose of the plan is to

prioritize the development plans in downtown. The Church Avenue Initiative states: “Its frontage on Williamson Road makes it appropriate for entertainment and commercial uses, hotel, or mixed-use with either office or residential and retail.”

Surrounding Area

Studying the adjacent properties helps shed light on what the area is lacking. Williamson Road is a busy four-lane road running parallel to I-581 and Market Street. Market Street is lined with boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. In addition, farmers and artisans set up tables along Market Street to sell fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, and crafts at the Historic Roanoke City Market (Downtown Roanoke, Inc.). The entrance to Market Street is across Campbell Avenue from the City Market Building. The City Market Building, currently under

renovation, is one of Downtown Roanoke’s historic anchors, supporting the local food economy, providing for growth in businesses, as well as offering a community assembly hall. Just a few blocks away on Salem Avenue, is the Taubman Museum of Art. Overall, two-to-three story mixed-use buildings dominate the surrounding area. These buildings are mostly older with a brick facade. Several of the upper floors are available for office space.

There are ample parking structures nearby. Within a two-block radius there

Land uses surrounding Williamson: Pink, restaurant; red, retail; orange, commercial; blue, offices; grey, surface parking. Graphic from Roanoke GIS.


are three separate parking garages (Center in the Square, Century Square, and the Wachovia Tower parking garages). The three garages provide a total of 2068 parking spaces (DRI). In addition to the three parking structures, there are multiple surface parking lots managed by Car Park. Street parking is also available on Market Street and Kirk Avenue behind several small shops.

According to the City of Roanoke, Economic Development Department, the property adjacent to the Williamson site and located at Williamson and Franklin Street is available for sale. The property is 0.775 acres and is less than a quarter mile from the I-581 interchange. The City of Roanoke is offering the site, which is within Enterprise Zone One A, for sale. The City provides the following incentives for development on properties in Enterprise Zone One A: Fire, Water, and Sewer Hookup Grants; Building Permit and Comprehensive Development Review Fee Rebates; Job Creation Grant and Real Property Investment Grant. For a detailed view of the surrounding land uses see graphic on previous page.

Development Recommendations

In a review of downtown revitalization methods, Kent Robertson (1997), a professor of Local and Urban Affairs at St. Cloud University, outlined four different strategies: pedestrian malls, festival marketplaces, indoor shopping centers, and mixed-use centers. After consideration of these options for Downtown, we concluded the festival marketplace and the mixed-use center methods are both appropriate for the Williamson site. However, Roanoke, with its historic character and festival city status, is more suited to the festival marketplace theme. Both revitalization strategies are suggested in this section.

Festival Marketplace

As outlined by Robertson (1997), the festival marketplace often takes advantage of historic buildings, districts, or themes and can be found in warehouse districts, industrial buildings, or railroad stations. Additionally, a festival marketplace depends on adaptive re-use or new construction that attempts to blend with the historic surrounding (Robertson, 1997). The festival marketplace consists primarily of locally owned small, niche shops; restaurants; and entertainment venues (Robertson, 1997).

We suggest the following attributes for a festival marketplace in Downtown:

Plaza•

Movie Theater•

Restaurant•

The plaza would be an outdoor seating area with tables, chairs, benches, and appropriate tree cover. Restaurants could have outdoor seating around the plaza. In addition, the plaza could provide a space for food cart style vendors. Food carts have gained popularity in many cities, most notably in Portland, OR. Food carts provide quick, bargain lunches to professionals and are a popular staple in many large U.S. cities. The movie theater would attract youth populations to the downtown area. Youth often hang out before and after a movie. The plaza might also provide an excellent location for outdoor live music.

Currently, there are two large screen movie theaters in Roanoke Carmike 10 and Valley View Grand. Carmike 10, located at 4494 Electric Road in Roanoke County, provides entertainment for the area near Tanglewood Mall. This cinema complex is 4 miles from the parcel. On the other side of town, the Valley View Grand, located at 4730 Valley View Boulevard, N.W., provides entertainment for the area surrounding Valley View Mall. Only 2.8 miles away from the parcel, this cinema complex consists of 16 screens. The Grandin Theater is also located about 2 miles from the site in Grandin Village. By examining the existing theaters, there is a clear need for a theater in Downtown Roanoke. It would provide a family friendly entertainment option for local visitors without access to transportation, residents who frequent the downtown area for work, and younger populations. Either before or after a showing, moviegoers can choose from an array of shops and restaurants centered in the plaza. For renderings of the Festival Marketplace, please see page 7.

Mixed-Use Center

The mixed-use center fuses retail (the centerpiece) with various other uses, such as hotel, office space, or convention center. The retail space is often located on the lower levels facing in on an atrium. Mixed-use centers differ from the suburban shopping mall by including uses other than retail and by having enhanced quality design elements (Robertson, 1997). The centers must adapt to tight downtown spaces, relate to the downtown streets, be conducive to pedestrian use, relate to surrounding land uses, and integrate with the historic character of many downtown environments (Robertson, 1997). A successful mixed-use center will create desirable spillover effects.


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members. Family style restaurants, coffee shops, and a bookstore would provide additional “hang out” places for families and youths.

Green Initiatives

We recommend including several green elements within the proposed developments for the Williamson and Church site. Plant life could be incorporated into the plaza suggested in the festival marketplace recommendation. This plant life would increase the downtown Roanoke’s urban forest, helping to meet Roanoke’s sustainability goal. Due to the site’s proximity to Elmwood Park, the plaza could also become part of a greenway connector within Downtown Roanoke.

The atrium in the mixed-use center could incorporate green infrastructure as well as more traditional planters. In addition to plant life, we recommend that other green elements such as natural lighting, green walls and green roofs be considered for either development option. Developers should also look into LEED standards for all buildings constructed on the site.

Varying heights of the buildings surrounding Williamson Road site. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.

In the case of the EpiCenter in Charlotte, North Carolina, the downtown multiplex has fulfilled its intent by providing mixed-use young adult entertainment. It offers venues for dining, entertainment, recreation, nightlife, services, and accommodations. Youth are provided with the options to bowl at StrikeCity, watch movies at EpiCenter Theaters, or dine at one of the 16 dining options. The multiplex also houses Aloft Hotel with 175 loft style guest rooms, 3 meetings rooms, fitness center, indoor pool, and restaurant options.

We suggest the following attributes for a mixed-use center:

• Atrium

• Hotel

• Youth and family entertainment center

• Family style restaurants

The maximum height for the mixed-use center would be 7 stories. This is due to most buildings in the vicinity being closer to 4 stories (See photo to the right for current building heights). The atrium would be the center of the mixed-use center and visible to the street level, meaning the entrances would frame a view of the atrium in order to help draw pedestrians into the space. In addition, the atrium could have a green component to its roof. A glass roof, to allow ample light into the space could be designed to contain green infrastructure. In the case of San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences, the building’s third floor is occupied by a living roof home to native plant species and a variety of wildlife: “The Academy’s green rooftop keeps the building’s interior an average of 10 degrees cooler than a standard roof would. The plants also transform carbon dioxide into oxygen, capture rainwater, reduce energy needs for heating and cooling” (California Academy of Sciences).

The hotel would be a medium sized hotel on the upper levels of the structure. There is potential to offer valet parking through an arrangement with one of the nearby parking garages. This is often done in larger cities.

The entertainment venue, restaurants, coffee shops, and bookstore would comprise the lower levels of the structure. The youth and family friendly entertainment venue could range from arcade to laser tag to indoor putt-putt or even movies. Ideally, this would provide a space for youth in the downtown area, giving them a place to congregate and interact with friends and family


Site Recommendations

5th Street and Luck Avenue

The corner of 5th Street and Luck Avenue. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.

Aerial view of the Luck and 5th site. Image from Roanoke GIS website.

Background

Located at the intersection of Luck Avenue S.W. and 5th Street, this site includes properties associated with official tax numbers 1113512 – 1113516. The property and is owned by the City of Roanoke and is currently used as surface parking. The parcel is zoned D, Downtown District, and the overlay district is H-2, Historic Neighborhood Overlay District. Presently, the City of Roanoke is offering the 1.3 acre site, which is in Enterprise Zone One A, for development.

This particular zoning distinction offers various City incentives including: Fire, Water and Sewer Hookup Grants, Building Permit and Comprehensive Development Review Fee Rebates, Job Creation Grant and Real Property Investment Grant (City of Roanoke Economic Development).

Visitors to the Jefferson Center and the YMCA primarily use the existing parking lot. Parking for the Jefferson Center is provided in a series of adjacent surface lots, meaning that any future developments must address the loss of surface parking. In addition, the increased activity with the

YMCA may create the need for parking structures (Urban Design Associates, 2002).

Historic District Overlays

As previously mentioned, the 5th and Luck site is within H-2. The H-2 district is spread among four neighborhoods in Roanoke: Old Southwest, Hurt Park, Mountain View, and Gainsboro. These areas consist of residential structures.


The character of this district is very different from the H-1 historic district. The design guidelines for the H-2 historic district are unique because each neighborhood develops their own design guidelines with the help of the

Architectural Review Board. This collaboration creates a sense of identity for each neighborhood.

The property at Luck Avenue is located in the H-2 district, within the Old Southwest neighborhood, which means that any development occurring there must use the design guidelines of this historic district. Adhering to the design guidelines is essential to maintaining the character of the area. The red block on the image to the left shows where the Luck Avenue property is located within the H-2 District: Old Southwest.

The Jefferson Center Initiative

The Jefferson Center Initiative is a part of Outlook Roanoke. Its mission is to help create an effective linkage with downtown (Urban Design Associates, 2002). As part as the Jefferson Center Initiative there are six (6) proposed improvements to the surrounding areas:

New YMCA1.

Re-use of the old YMCA site2.

Parking Garage3.

5th and Luck property within the H-2 District: Old Southwest. Graphic from the City of Ronoake GIS website.

Cotton Mill4.

Residential Infill5.

Proposed Public Square6.

Surrounding Area

The 5th and Luck site is located two blocks from a major inlet into Downtown, Campbell Avenue. This location has potential to attract frequent travelers (City of Roanoke Economic Development). In addition, the site is located adjacent to the Kirk Family YMCA and the Jefferson Center. Outside of the YMCA and the Jefferson Center, the area surrounding the 5th and Luck site is primarily residential. Many areas around Luck and 5th are ideal for redevelopment. Several of the houses on Marshall Avenue, a street in close proximity to the 5th and Luck site, are currently in the process of being renovated. Although the properties along Marshall Avenue are zoned for single family residential, only seven of them actually have houses. The other properties are vacant.

Located close to the 5th and Luck site at 541 Luck Avenue, the Jefferson Center reuses the old Jefferson High School building. The Jefferson Center is a theater for visual and performing arts (Jefferson Center Foundation, 2011). The Kirk Family YMCA is also located nearby; it is one of the Roanoke YMCA facilities and is used by 7,000 members. The Kirk Family YMCA has just completed a two-level expansion encompassing 11,000 square feet. The lower level features activities specifically marketed to children aged 8-14 (Johnson, 2011). Personal vehicles are the most common mode of transportation to and from the center.

The Cotton Mill Lofts consist of 108 residential units (Boone, 2009) and are located at 505 6th Street SW, in close proximity to the 5th and Luck site (The Cotton Mill). The Cotton Mill building was once used as the Virginia Mills Cotton Products plant. The renovation and transformation of the Cotton Mill Building into loft apartments was completed in the summer of 2009 (Boone, 2009). The Cotton Mill Lofts now provide residents with “affordable luxury, security, and convenience” due to the fact that the development is upscale in nature and situated in the downtown area (The Cotton Mill). Also close by at 551 Marshall Avenue is restaurant called Fork in the City. Fork in the City provides neighborhood residents with a place to dine and enjoy live music (Fork in the City, 2009).


Street site. Currently, there are no parking garages in close proximity to this part of Downtown (the nearest one is about a mile away, located at 335 Campbell Ave). By combining Jefferson Center’s parking with the YMCA’s parking, patrons of both centers are provided with about 300 parking spots (Johnson, 2011). The provision of sufficient parking is important to the area businesses, the YMCA and the Jefferson Center, and should be considered in development recommendations.

The character of the area surrounding Luck Avenue and 5th Street varies greatly from that of Williamson Road. While the properties around Williamson and Church were primarily businesses, the properties surrounding 5th Street and Luck Avenue are residential. This is a fact that must be taken into consideration when deciding the type of appropriate development. As part as of the site visit we indicated the various current land uses of the surrounding area (See image

below).

Development Recommendations

Through research, case studies, and site visits, we have formulated three development recommendations for the property at 5th Street and Luck Avenue. Developments for this site should use appropriate aesthetics. All developments must follow the H-2 District design guidelines. Complying with H-2 District design guidelines ensures that any future developments maintain the character of the community.

The Cotton Mill Lofts. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.

Land uses surrounding 5th and Luck: Pink, restaurant; red, retail; orange, commercial; purple, business; grey, surface parking; yellow, residential. Graphic from Roanoke GIS.

Also near the 5th and Luck parcel is the old YMCA building, which was purchased by the city. At the moment, the City of Roanoke is accepting proposals for the redevelopment of the former YMCA building, located at the corner of Church Avenue and 5th Street. The 1.2 acre site includes a 52,276 square foot commercial building and on-site parking for at least 70 vehicles (City of Roanoke Economic Development, 2011).

Situated near the 5th and Luck site at 352 Church Avenue SW, the American Red Cross provides downtown Roanoke with valuable safety, health, and disaster services. The Red Cross Office in Roanoke is part of the Roanoke Red Cross Chapter along with the Jackson River Office, the Pittsylvania County Office, and the Franklin County Office. The Roanoke Red Cross Chapter serves a population of around 400,000 as it is utilized by many other localities in addition to Roanoke (Red Cross Roanoke Valley Chapter, 2011).

Surface parking is scattered but abundant around the Luck Avenue and 5th


The development recommendations are:

A high-density retirement community (apartments or condominiums)1.

Community service-related businesses (Day care (adult or child) or 2. Early Education Center)

Parking garage with retail3.

All of these recommendations are suited to the surrounding area. However, we feel there is a need in Downtown for a retirement community. Offering appropriate housing options answers the need of the aging baby boomer generation. The 5th and Luck site is suited to this type of development because of its residential character.

Retirement Community

During the course of our research, we found several cases where housing developments for retired citizens have been very successful and beneficial for the downtown area. In the case of Elkton, Maryland, the community pushed for a senior housing project. Many citizens believed that it would help restore

vitality to the downtown area. Other citizens stated that they never would have considered senior housing as a significant positive step to revitalize downtown. Revitalization projects like this are considered a vast improvement over the vacant lots that were originally there (Dixon, 2010).

This project is one of five in Maryland that qualify for federal stimulus funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Ingerman Group, a private developer is providing affordable housing to income eligible seniors 62 and older. The apartments are being built in downtown Elkton as opposed to being built in suburbia. All of the apartments will have energy-efficient equipment, insulation, and appliances, which should reduce utility costs by 30 percent. The apartment complex would employ on-site social service coordinators and offer health screenings, workshops, computer training, and recreational programs. It also would have a fitness room, an activity room, and computer areas (Mattix, 2010).

Our group believes that this type of development could work at the 5th and Luck site because of its close proximity to the YMCA, the American Red Cross, and the Jefferson Center. These amenities offer services appropriate for an

Renderings by Stephen Cox Left: Garden terrace at the retirement community.Right: Elderly couple relaxing on a bench in the garden terrace.


elderly population. Some form of residential development would be the ideal use because the structure is in a residential neighborhood and could create a good relationship between the neighborhood and the public functions at the Jefferson Center (Urban Design Associates, 2002) as well as the other public service organizations nearby.

We recommend the retirement community be a tiered building with garden terraces on the roof of each tier. Studies show that green spaces promote optimal cognitive functioning and independent living skills (Kuo, 2010).

Community Service related businesses

A community service related business, like a day care, could supplement the services already provided by the Jefferson Center, the YMCA, and the Red Cross. Residents of the nearby Cotton Mill Lofts could potentially use the community service related business. A goal of the Jefferson Center Initiative

is to help create an effective linkage with downtown (The Jefferson Center Initiative). The 5th and Luck site’s proximity to downtown and the adjacent residential community makes it quite suitable for community service related businesses. Our group believes that these types of businesses could do quite well at this site and in the surrounding areas.

Parking Garage with Retail

Our group agrees with the recommendations from the Jefferson Center Initiative: parking is an issue for this area. Currently, there is a series of surface lots and “the increased activity with the YMCA may create the need for parking structures” (Urban Design Associates, 2002). In order to make the most out of a parking structure, we believe that retail spaces should be incorporated. Incorporating retail spaces could potentially allow the street to retain activity. Typically, the

ground level of parking structures is cold and uninviting. Retail shops can provide a friendly and inviting atmosphere to the ground level of a parking structure.

Green Initiatives

We recommend that any of the developments occurring on the 5th and Luck site include green elements. As previously mentioned, a garden terrace could be incorporated into the retirement community option, providing the site with aesthetic, health, and environmental benefits. A green roof could also be incorporated into the parking garage with retail option. For all of the options, including the community service center, LEED certification and the inclusion of natural lighting are recommended.

Couple shopping. Rendering by Stephen Cox. Residential character of the 5th and Luck neighborhood. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.


We, the Under Construction group, feel that the development recommendations set forth in this plan will best serve Downtown Roanoke and the target populations that we have identified. These development recommendations were produced after considerable information gathering to assure that they are appropriately suited for the areas in which they may be implemented. The alternatives offered in this plan were also the result of much research and would work well within the setting of the aforementioned sites.

The recommendations pertaining to the Williamson and Church site were designed to attract and serve Roanoke’s youth while remaining contextually appropriate; the festival marketplace suggested in the plan would provide a “hang-out” for area youth but would also offer a unique atmosphere and complement the nearby market district area. The alternative, a mixed-use center, would also provide Roanoke’s youth with a place to congregate. The mixed-use center would not play into Roanoke’s distinctive character as much as the Festival Marketplace, but would still work well with the market district area.

The 5th and Luck site recommendations were created to recognize and serve a fairly overlooked demographic, the elderly. These recommendations were also considered within the context of the surrounding area and would fit in well with the adjacent Jefferson Center, YMCA, Cotton Mill Condos, and Fork in the City. A high-density retirement community would allow the elderly easy access to area amenities and to residents of nearby communities. The alternatives, a community service related business or a parking garage with retail, would also be appropriate for the area. A community service related business would complement the services provided by the YMCA, the Jefferson Center, and

Conclusion

the Red Cross. A parking garage with retail would address the parking issues present in the area and would provide the area with attractive commercial development. However, neither of these alternatives would serve Roanoke’s elderly population.

We encourage all new developments to place a greater emphasis on being environmentally responsible. Encouraging green initiatives, as a part of all future developments, will ensure that Downtown Roanoke will maintain its character, as well as improve the quality of life for its citizens. We feel that the green initiatives incorporated into the design recommendations will help to improve the sustainability of Downtown Roanoke. The green initiatives proposed will aid in the mitigation of environmental issues, like the urban heat island effect, that could affect Downtown Roanoke. The green initiatives will also serve to improve the aesthetics and the quality of life in Downtown Roanoke.

We hope that these development recommendations serve to inspire actions to be taken regarding the two sites in question. We have taken great care to preserve the character of downtown Roanoke in our recommendations. Downtown Roanoke is already a desirable destination; we feel that these recommendations will only build on the characteristics that have made Downtown Roanoke what it is today.

Roanoke Star on top of Mill Mountain. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.


Appendix

Blanton, A. S. (2002, March). National Register of Historic Places Registration: Roanoke Downtown Historic District. Retrieved from Virginia Department of Historic Resources: http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Roanoke/128-5761_Roanoke_Downtown_HD_2002_Final_Nomination.pdf

Boone, J. K. (2009, June 16). Downtown Roanoke living in demand. The Roanoke Times.

California Academy of Sciences. (n.d.). The living roof. Retrieved from: http://www.calacademy.org/academy/building/the_living_roof/

City of Roanoke. (2011, January 13). H-2 district: Old Southwest. Retrieved from Roanoke, Virginia: http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/vwContentByKey/0616C8F29D913814852577D50067ECC1/$File/H-2%20OSW%20Guidelines_4_27_09.pdf

City of Roanoke Economic Development. (2011, February). Development opportunity: Former YMCA building. Retrieved from Roanoke, Virginia: http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/vwContentByKey/6648CC0A49445AA58525784000788735/$File/Former%20YMCA.pdf

City of Roanoke Economic Development. (n.d.). Commercial property for sale: 5th and Luck. Retrieved from Roanoke, Virginia: http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/vwContentByKey/110914B96B434A1C8525772F00651E58/$File/5th%20and%20Luck%20flyer.pdf

City of Roanoke Economic Development (n.d.). Commercial property for sale: Williamson and Franklin. Retrieved from: http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/vwContentByKey/0B169F7ED67AD02285257868

004FE590/$File/Property%20for%20Sale_Williamson%20%26%20Franklin.pdf

City of Roanoke. (2011). Awards and honors. Retrieved from Roanoke, Virginia: http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/vwContentByKey/N25Z7NUX818LBASEN

City of Roanoke. (n.d.). History of Roanoke. Retrieved from Roanoke, Virginia: http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256a8d0062af37/vwContentByKey/N24Y7RN8769ASTNEN

City of Roanoke. (2002). Outlook Roanoke. Retrieved from http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/vwContentByKey/N25ZDPN6184FGUREN

City of Roanoke Zoning. (n.d.). Code of ordinances, chapter 36.2. Retrieved from http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=11474&stateId=46&stateName=Virginia

Dixon, Mike. Readers discuss value of senior housing project for downtown revitalization. (2010, November 28). Retrieved from Someone noticed: A citizen journalism site focusing on Elkton government news: http://someonenoticed.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/readers-discuss-value-of-senior-housing-project-for-downtown-revitalization/

Downtown Roanoke, Inc. (2011, February 2). Meeting with Sean Luther, President and CEO.

Downtown Roanoke, Inc. (n.d.). Parking map and information. Retrieved from Downtown Roanoke Inc.: http://www.downtownroanoke.org/parking/

References


parking-map-and-information

Downtown Roanoke, Inc (n.d.). Park Roanoke. Retrieved from: http://www.downtownroanoke.org/_files/docs/park-roanoke-rates.pdf.

Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company. (2006, March 3). City Market District Plan: Historic Context. Retrieved from Roanoke, Virginia: http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062C8D5/vwFilesByName/CityMarketPlan/$File/HistoricContext.pdf

Fork in the City. (2009). Home. Retrieved from Fork in the City: http://www.forkinthecity.com/index.cfm

Jefferson Center Foundation. (2011). Mission Statement. Retrieved from Jefferson Center: http://www.jeffcenter.org/about/mission-statement

Johnson, C. (2011, February 28). Talking with the Executive Director of the YMCA of Roanoke Valley. (M. Zilke, Interviewer)

Marcou, O’Leary and Associates. (1969). Downtown Roanoke development plan and program. Washington, D.C.: Marcou, O’Leary and Associates.

Mattix, C. (2010, December 30). Senior apartments on track for July opening. Cecil Whig.

Red Cross Roanoke Valley Chapter. (2011). Who We Are. Retrieved from American Red Cross Roanoke Valley Chapter: http://www.roanokevalleyredcross.org/index.cfm/fa/content.view/menuID/722.htm

Robertson, Kent (1997). Downtown retail revitalization: A review of American development strategies. Planning Perspectives, 12 (383-401).

The Cotton Mill. (n.d.). Our Story. Retrieved from The Cotton Mill: http://www.thecottonmilllofts.com/

The Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. (n.d.). The History of Roanoke. Retrieved from Virginia’s Roanoke Valley: http://www.visitroanokeva.com/displayinfo.asp?TOPIC=3&NID=173

Urban Design Associates. (2002). Jefferson Center Initiative. Retrieved from Roanoke, Virginia: http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/CurrentBaseLink/542AA53DB930C6718525757F004ED8D8/$File/jeffersoninitiative.pdf

Documents

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan