A Real Downtown Roanoke Agenda
Mayoral Candidate David Bowers and Roanoke City Councilman and candidate Brian Wishneff have created their own plan for spending the $12M budgeted for the Amphitheater project along Reserve Ave. The plan includes a smaller 2000-3000 seat Amphitheater in Elmwood Park as well as 6 other projects. The plan makes a lot of sense especially since the funds are already available and a smaller amphitheater will be used more often. The money covers a lot of necessary projects that can’t continue to be pushed on the back burner and are desperately needed downtown. This includes renovation of the Market Building and doing something about the lack of a facade on Church Ave. that has scarred downtown for too long. If you like the plan as well, please vote for both Bowers and Wishneff in the upcoming elections.
Here’s the Plan:
Abandon the Amphitheater project along Reserve Ave and take the $12,600,000 budgeted for that project and instead spend it downtown on the following projects:
1. $3,000,000 - Elmwood Park Amphitheater of 2 - 3,000 seats
2. $3,000,000 - City Market Building Renovation, City share of estimated $7 - $8M for comprehensive renovation
3.$1,000,000 - Center in the Square Renovation this represents initial payment on multi-year City $4M commitment for this $27M renovation and reinvention of Center
4. $1,500,000 - Church Ave. Garage Renovation, this represents a cash payment to eliminate need for City to borrow which makes parking rate increase unnecessary
5. $250,000 - Farmers Stalls Modernization that adds items like heat, electricity, which was requested by farmers
6. $850,000 - Market Square Improvements, initial aesthetic and functional improvements to Square support ability to more easily change uses at night and weekends
7. $3,000,000 - New 600+ Williamson Rd Parking Garage in parking lot across from Link Museum could hold new hotel rooms and meeting space on top for expanded Hotel Roanoke; strategic location allows for parking garage to serve multiple purposes including Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, the Civic Center, the improved Market Building and the new Art Museum, money represents initial City Contribution for planning & design toward a much larger multi-million dollar project
Please feel free to discuss this plan in the comments and, of course, take the poll.
ronbailey Said,
April 12, 2008 @ 9:10 am
Normally I’d say it was worth considering - but after the Victory Stadium debacle, I’m afraid that we’d just be opening a HUGE can of worms. Next thing you know, it’s 20 years later and we are still talking about WHAT we are going to do, versus actually doing something.
I would love to see the Elmwood Park amphitheater, though, as well as the improvements to the Farmers Market.
Rebecca Said,
April 12, 2008 @ 10:44 pm
If Brian is reelected and Bowers makes mayor then city council will have the votes they need to push the plan through and would put it in place immediately. I hear someone is seeking an injunction at the moment to stop them from signing the contract to build the amphitheater on Reserve. Electric can always be run on Reserve to plug in and do larger scale concerts. The location is still in a flood zone though and it can always flood again. Plus, come on, the city needs fields for sports really bad. I think the downtown area needs the money way more than a 7,000 seat amphitheater that will rarely be used.
Rebecca Said,
April 12, 2008 @ 10:58 pm
Related articles:
Candidates question amphitheater
Roanoke unveils plans for venue
Chris G Muse Said,
April 15, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
Improvements and investments in Downtown Roanoke will create residents out of the “young professionals”.
An Amphitheater entertains them for a night.
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