Historic City Market Building during renovation. Photograph by Hali Plourde-Rogers.

2011 Downtown Roanoke

Development Plan:
Williamson Road and 5th Street
Prepared by Stephen Cox, Swetha Kumar, Hali Plourde-Rogers, and Melissa
Zilke
Overview
This 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 Contents
I. Introduction

i. Scope

ii. History of Downtown

II. Site Recommendations

i. Williamson Road and Church Avenue

a. Background

b. Surrounding Area

c. Development Recommendations

ii. 5th Street and Luck Avenue

a. Background

b. Surrounding Area

c. Development Recommendations

III. Conclusions

IV. Appendix

i. References

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.
 Introduction

Scope History of Downtown

Under Construction, a group of Virginia Tech Master of Urban and Regional In 1671, explorers discovered the Roanoke Valley; but it was not inhabited
Planning students, prepared the following development recommendations for until the 1740s, when farmers from eastern Virginia and Pennsylvania began
the City of Roanoke for two specific sites in Downtown Roanoke: Williamson to occupy the area. These farmers primarily settled in the area near the salt
Road at Church Avenue and 5th Street at Luck Avenue. This plan is similar to marshes in the center of the Roanoke Valley (City of Roanoke). In 1769 town-
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:

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

related.
2. Roanoke is a city built using quality design principles.
3. The continuing vitality and growth of Roanoke are dependent on
individual and private actions, combined with public investment, to
ensure quality of life amenities, infrastructure, and services.
4. Roanoke’s vision is to be a sustainable and livable community.

Railroad yard in Downtown Roanoke. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 1

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).
Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 2
Historic City Market Building. Photograph by Hali Plourde-Rogers.
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
 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).

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

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 3

 Site Recommendations

Williamson Road and Church Avenue

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 The corner of the Williamson Road and Kirk Avenue. Photograph by Hali Plourde-Rogers.
within the business
and cultural center. 1. “To facilitate pedestrian ways and create a convenient and harmonious
Development in this area development of buildings, streets, and open space;
should be consistent with
2. To protect and enhance the public interest in downtown as a source of
historic patterns. The
economic vitality, the retention and creation of jobs, and tax revenue;
Downtown District is
intended to accomplish 3. To protect existing investment in downtown, to protect against the
Aerial view of the Williamson site, created using the City of the following: demolition of downtown’s historic buildings, to promote activity
Roanoke Real-estate GIS. on public streets, and to protect amenities provided through public
investment; and

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 4

 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,
View from Williamson toward the Taubman Art Museum. Photograph by Hali Plourde-Rogers. meats, cheeses, and crafts at the Historic Roanoke City Market (Downtown
Roanoke, Inc.). The entrance to Market Street is across Campbell Avenue
4. To provide for a mix of high density residential, commercial, retail, from the City Market Building. The City Market Building, currently under
government services, entertainment and cultural facilities, and live/ renovation, is one of
work space.” Downtown Roanoke’s
Historic District Overlays historic anchors,
supporting the local food
The H-1 district is centered in the heart of Downtown Roanoke—the Market economy, providing for
area. This district strongly emphasizes preserving the historic character of growth in businesses,
Downtown Roanoke. The H-1 district has several mid-size buildings. High-rise as well as offering a
buildings within this district would not be appropriate or in the character of community assembly
the district. The purpose of the H-I district “is to identify, preserve, enhance, hall. Just a few blocks
and maintain architectural and historic landmarks, structures, and districts away on Salem Avenue,
that are listed, or are eligible for listing, on the Virginia Landmarks Register or is the Taubman Museum
the National Register of Historic Places, or which have local significance. An of Art. Overall, two-to-
additional purpose of the H-1 district is to develop and maintain appropriate three story mixed-use
settings and environments for such landmarks, structures, and districts” (Sec. buildings dominate the
36.2-330). surrounding area. These
Church Avenue Initiative buildings are mostly
older with a brick facade.
The city owned property, 4011413, is highlighted under the Church Avenue Several of the upper
Initiative in Outlook Roanoke. Outlook Roanoke is the master plan for the floors are available for
downtown area. The plan was updated in August of 2000. The City of Roanoke office space.
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 Land uses surrounding Williamson: Pink, restaurant; red, There are ample parking
citizens, downtown business persons, neighborhood leaders, and City staff. retail; orange, commercial; blue, offices; grey, surface parking. structures nearby. Within
City Council adopted the updated plan in 2002. The purpose of the plan is to Graphic from Roanoke GIS. a two-block radius there

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 5

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
Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 6
• 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.
Downtown Roanoke Development Plan
Renderings by Stephen Cox
Bottom right: Close up of musicians.
Bottom left: Children playing in a fountain.
7
Renderings by Stephen Cox.
Top right: The Plaza faces in toward Market Street. It has a
central fountain and archway opening to Williamson Road,
allowing passersby a peek.
Top left: Musicians playing in the plaza for restaurant diners.
Festival Marketplace
In the case of the EpiCenter in Charlotte, North Carolina, the downtown members. Family style restaurants, coffee shops, and a bookstore would
multiplex has fulfilled its intent by providing mixed-use young adult provide additional “hang out” places for families and youths.
entertainment. It offers venues for dining, entertainment, recreation, nightlife,
services, and accommodations. Youth are provided with the options to bowl at Green Initiatives
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 We recommend including several green elements within the proposed
meetings rooms, fitness center, indoor pool, and restaurant options. developments for the Williamson and Church site. Plant life could
We suggest the following attributes for a mixed-use center: be incorporated into the plaza suggested in the festival marketplace
recommendation. This plant life would increase the downtown Roanoke’s
• Atrium urban forest, helping to meet Roanoke’s sustainability goal. Due to the site’s
• Hotel proximity to Elmwood Park, the plaza could also become part of a greenway
connector within Downtown Roanoke.
• Youth and family entertainment center
The atrium in the mixed-use center could incorporate green infrastructure as
• Family style restaurants well as more traditional planters. In addition to plant life, we recommend that
The maximum height for the mixed-use center would be 7 stories. This is due other green elements such as natural lighting, green walls and green roofs be
to most buildings in the vicinity being closer to 4 stories (See photo to the right considered for either development option. Developers should also look into
for current building heights). The atrium would be the center of the mixed-use LEED standards for all buildings constructed on the site.
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 Varying heights of the buildings surrounding Williamson Road site. Photograph by Swetha
Kumar.

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 8

 Site Recommendations

5th Street and Luck Avenue

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
The corner of 5th Street and Luck Avenue. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.
and the YMCA primarily use the
existing parking lot. Parking for YMCA may create the need for parking structures (Urban Design Associates,
the Jefferson Center is provided 2002).
in a series of adjacent surface
lots, meaning that any future Historic District Overlays
developments must address the As previously mentioned, the 5th and Luck site is within H-2. The H-2 district
Aerial view of the Luck and 5th site. Image from loss of surface parking. In addition, is spread among four neighborhoods in Roanoke: Old Southwest, Hurt Park,
Roanoke GIS website. the increased activity with the Mountain View, and Gainsboro. These areas consist of residential structures.

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 9

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
5th and Luck property within the H-2 District: Old Southwest.
the H-2 District: Old
Graphic from the City of Ronoake GIS website.
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:
1. New YMCA
2. Re-use of the old YMCA site
3. Parking Garage
Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 10
4. Cotton Mill
5. Residential Infill
6. Proposed Public Square
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,
The Cotton Mill Lofts. Photograph by Swetha Kumar. we have formulated
Also near the 5th and Luck parcel is the old YMCA building, which was three development
purchased by the city. At the moment, the City of Roanoke is accepting recommendations
proposals for the redevelopment of the former YMCA building, located at the for the property at
corner of Church Avenue and 5th Street. The 1.2 acre site includes a 52,276 5th Street and Luck
square foot commercial building and on-site parking for at least 70 vehicles Avenue. Developments
(City of Roanoke Economic Development, 2011). for this site should use
appropriate aesthetics.
Situated near the 5th and Luck site at 352 Church Avenue SW, the American All developments must
Red Cross provides downtown Roanoke with valuable safety, health, and follow the H-2 District
disaster services. The Red Cross Office in Roanoke is part of the Roanoke Red design guidelines.
Cross Chapter along with the Jackson River Office, the Pittsylvania County Complying with H-2
Office, and the Franklin County Office. The Roanoke Red Cross Chapter serves District design guidelines
a population of around 400,000 as it is utilized by many other localities in ensures that any future
addition to Roanoke (Red Cross Roanoke Valley Chapter, 2011). Land uses surrounding 5th and Luck: Pink, restaurant; red, developments maintain
retail; orange, commercial; purple, business; grey, surface the character of the
Surface parking is scattered but abundant around the Luck Avenue and 5th
parking; yellow, residential. Graphic from Roanoke GIS. community.

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 11


The development recommendations are:
1. A high-density retirement community (apartments or condominiums)
2. Community service-related businesses (Day care (adult or child) or
Early Education Center)
3. Parking garage with retail
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
Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 12
Renderings by Stephen
Cox
Left: Garden terrace at the
retirement community.
Right: Elderly couple
relaxing on a bench in the
garden terrace.
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
elderly population. Some form of residential development would be the ideal ground level of parking structures is cold and uninviting. Retail shops can
use because the structure is in a residential neighborhood and could create a provide a friendly and inviting atmosphere to the ground level of a parking
good relationship between the neighborhood and the public functions at the structure.
Jefferson Center (Urban Design Associates, 2002) as well as the other public
service organizations nearby. Green Initiatives
We recommend the retirement community be a tiered building with garden
terraces on the roof of each tier. Studies show that green spaces promote We recommend that any of the developments occurring on the 5th and Luck
optimal cognitive functioning and independent living skills (Kuo, 2010). site include green elements. As previously mentioned, a garden terrace could
be incorporated into the retirement community option, providing the site
Community Service related businesses with aesthetic, health, and environmental benefits. A green roof could also be
A community service related business, like a day care, could supplement the incorporated into the parking garage with retail option. For all of the options,
services already provided by the Jefferson Center, the YMCA, and the Red including the community service center, LEED certification and the inclusion of
Cross. Residents of the nearby Cotton Mill Lofts could potentially use the natural lighting are recommended.
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
Couple shopping. Rendering by Stephen retail spaces could potentially allow the
Cox. street to retain activity. Typically, the Residential character of the 5th and Luck neighborhood. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.

Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 13


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
Downtown Roanoke Development Plan 14
Conclusion
Roanoke Star on top of Mill Mountain. Photograph by Swetha Kumar.
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.

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