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Martinsville Uptown Revitalization Depends on NCI's Future

As Martinsville looks to revitalize uptown, the future of The New College Institute is a key factor, according to the Martinsville Bulletin. In the 2012-13 school year, the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia will decide whether to let NCI evolve into a branch campus of a university or — what local leaders are hoping for — a university itself.

That decision will have a huge impact on the area because it could result in developing more space for classes and student housing, as well as more employment opportunities.

"The New College Institute (NCI) is an important part of efforts to revitalize uptown, according to city officials and community leaders.

As NCI has added degree programs and its student population has grown, it has expanded into three buildings uptown. People have noticed that growth, and it has helped them see that progress is occurring, according to Jeffrey Mansour, senior program officer for The Harvest Foundation.

He called NCI 'a catalyst' for revitalizing uptown.

Due to NCI’s presence, the district has 'a new identity,' said Lee Probst, executive director of the Martinsville Uptown Revitalization Association.

As a result, how the institute evolves will greatly influence how uptown evolves, said Wayne Knox, the city’s director of community development.

NCI’s administration is in the Pythian Building on Jones Street. Classrooms and offices are in a former furniture store building on Franklin Street and on upper floors of Jefferson Plaza on East Church Street. Both buildings were renovated to accommodate the institute.

Because it occupies three buildings on different streets, NCI is 'integrated uptown' and has made itself part of the district’s identity, Mansour said.

That, he said, is unlike many institutions of higher education that are 'off secluded someplace away from the urban center' of their localities and, in turn, seem like separate communities.
NCI educated 347 students during the past academic year and expects to have at least 400 students in 2009-10, officials have said. Most students attend classes late in the day and at night, after most people who work uptown have gone home.

Executive Director Barry Dorsey said NCI has become 'an economic engine' for the central business district. For instance, he said the owner of a nearby coffee shop has told him that the restaurant often is full of students around NCI class times.

The institute provides local access to courses needed to complete certain bachelor’s and master’s degrees offered by universities statewide."

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Posted on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 - 6:41pm

VA Beach Receives Stimulus Money

Virginia Beach will use $5 million in bonds, which will have to be paid back, to help revitalize 19th street between the Convention Center and the Oceanfront, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

The program that helps fund the bonds attempts to help communities create jobs and develop infrastructure. Hopefully, the money will do just that - and, bring in new residents or businesses that can help current homeowners and residents pay back the bonds.

"The city's plan to spruce up 19th Street between the Convention Center and the Oceanfront is getting a boost from the federal stimulus package.

Virginia Beach will use $5 million in bonds, allocated to the city by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to buy land for sidewalks.

Plans to update 19th Street into a pedestrian-friendly corridor with mass transit had been on hold while the city determines the future of a Convention Center hotel, the former Dome site and light rail.

But since bond money was available, this project seemed like a good use, said Virginia Beach Deputy City Manager Steve Herbert.

'It's kick off money,' Herbert said. 'It's an opportunity to take advantage of that money.'

The money, which the city will have to pay back, is part of the Build America Bonds program aimed at helping communities to create jobs and develop critical infrastructure."

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Posted on Monday, November 9, 2009 - 10:44pm

Great Deals for Richmond-area Homeowners

Want to update your home? Two upcoming events can help you get a great deal on materials and home decor.

Two upcoming Richmond-area events will benefit homeowners and the local Habitat for Humanity, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Contractor Sale

"Hanover Habitat for Humanity and the central Virginia chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry will hold a contractor yard sale Oct. 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hanover Habitat for Humanity office at 8177 Mechanicsville Turnpike.

Area contractors are invited to drop off priced items -- such as windows, doors, countertops, cabinets, plumbing fixtures, lighting and flooring --Tuesday through Thursday. Items will be stored until the sale. On the day of the sale, contractors should bring tables, cash for change, a tent in case of inclement weather and business cards. There is no cost to participate, but you may donate a portion of your proceeds to NARI or Habitat for Humanity.

To sign up, e-mail info@naricentralva.org or call (804) 641-1438. The groups are also looking for sponsors to help with advertising costs. Sponsors will be recognized on a banner at the sale."

Rug for a Rug

"Capel Rugs, located at 3995 Deep Rock Road in Henrico County, has partnered with Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity for its "Trade In, Trade Up" event today through Oct. 31. Shoppers who bring gently used rugs to the store will receive savings on new area rugs. Donations benefit the Richmond Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

For each rug donated, shoppers will receive 25 percent off their purchase of a new area rug and a tax donation receipt from the Richmond Habitat ReStore if the rug is reuseable. The store's staff will be available to help customers unload used rugs Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m"

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Posted on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 5:32pm

Richmonders Repair Homes Free of Charge

Rebuilding Together of Richmond recently performed free home repairs for a resident in the Bellemeade community, and is set to do more next spring according to WTVR.

Rebuilding Together is the nation's largest nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing critical home repair and modification services to those in need at no cost to homeowners.

With the help of everyday citizen volunteers, skilled trades people, the support of local business and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together affiliates make life considerably better for thousands of low-income homeowners.

This type of work is great for homeowners in need, but also for the entire neighborhood because improvements to a neglected home can help protect property value of the surrounding homes.

"Applications will be available on site for an upcoming free repair event being held April 24, 2010. The deadline for applications is November 1, 2009. Typical repairs and renovations include painting, heating/cooling, roof, windows, handrails, porch repairs, improved lighting and removal of trip and fall hazards.

The program is available for homeowners who are 55 years of age or older or have disabilities; having a household income of less than $25,000; and own their own property in the Bellemeade or Oak Grove community."

Read the full story.

Or, visit Rebuilding Together to obtain the application.

Posted on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 5:22pm

Portsmouth Could Help Truxtun Fight Blight With a Special Designation

The Truxtun neighborhood in Portsmouth is about to receive some help in fighting blight, according to The Virginian-Pilot.

The extended Truxtun neighborhood has about 600 houses. The original area was built in the early 1900s to house black shipyard workers. Crime, absentee landlords and vacant housing later became problems in the area.

City Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on a revitalization plan. The strategy to fight crime and renovate vacant properties will help to improve the home values in this and surrounding neighborhoods.

"The historic Truxtun neighborhood and surrounding areas are finally close to getting a long-awaited strategy to fight blight.

The City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a revitalization plan for the neighborhood, which opened in 1919 to house black shipyard workers and their families.

While approval of the plan will not immediately translate into city money to revive the neighborhood, designation as a conservation district will enable Truxtun leaders to apply for federal grants.

'We haven't gotten to the end of the tunnel, obviously, but we're getting closer to it,' said Vanessa Claytor, president of the Old Truxtun Community League.

She and other neighborhood leaders have been working with the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, city staff and police and sheriff's departments for more than two years to preserve the neighborhood's history.

With enactment of the plan, the housing authority would be able to acquire and redevelop blighted properties, and money to boost home ownership and do home repairs could potentially become available to residents."

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Posted on Monday, October 12, 2009 - 10:50pm

Richmond Plans to Give Shockoe Bottom a Makeover

A recent meeting held in Shockoe Bottom gathered 60 residents, business owners and city officials to discuss the Bottom's potential, revitalization needs, and assets, according to a story published by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The attendees discussed the basics of what is not being taken care of, such as broken parking meters, empty tree wells, overgrown weeds and lack of trash cans; to the opportunities for transit, entertainment, history, and more.

The meeting was a first in a series to decide on an economic strategy to guide the development of the neighborhood using $125,000 set aside by City Council this past spring.

Homeowners in the surrounding neighborhoods should also voice their opinion about the project because improvements to Shockoe Bottom will make it a more attractive place for socializing and entertainment, which can help boost property values beyond the Bottom.

"In a rare feat of late, a town-hall meeting with no shouting was held yesterday by Shockoe Bottom residents, business owners and city officials.

The discussion of the Bottom's future followed the city's issuance Friday of a request for proposals for an economic strategy to guide development and redevelopment in the neighborhood.

The project will be financed with $125,000 set aside by the City Council this spring.

The meeting, held at The Old City Bar on East Main Street, was the first in a series of discussions on the Bottom's potential, its revitalization needs and its assets.

'We want to use this little bit of money to start having an honest conversation about what really works in this area,' said City Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson, whose 6th District includes the Bottom, calling it 'the most precious land in the city of Richmond.'

She challenged the approximately 60 people in attendance to begin thinking about what Richmond lacks and how the Bottom could fill those needs.

Among the suggestions to focus on were transit, pride and history, creating a sense of place, tourism, blighted buildings, pedestrian traffic and enforcement of ABC laws."

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Posted on Monday, September 14, 2009 - 3:22pm

Downtown Roanoke Residents Looking Forward to New Grocery Store and Pharmacy

Residents in downtown Roanoke may soon have some new businesses to help keep them living healthy, according to The Roanoke Times.

Four business partners have purchased the building at 16 W. Church Ave. and plan to create a food and retail hub called StayWell Marketplace. The plans include a grocery store, pharmacy, health-focused food court and a fitness center.

The plans are timely as the downtown's residential population is growing at a fast rate. Adding services and businesses to cater to the needs of the residents will continue to make the downtown area more marketable to new residents and help to increase property values of downtown living spaces.

"Plans are in the works to fulfill a need for the residents of downtown Roanoke, a neighborhood that's sprouting at a fast rate.

Four business partners purchased a 37,000-square-foot building at 16 W. Church Ave. last month, with plans to open a grocery store, pharmacy, health-focused food court and a fitness center.

As of now, these plans exist only on paper. No businesses have signed on as operators.

The purchase and subsequent plans come on the heels of the summertime openings of two new apartment dwellings in the city's downtown, the 108-unit Cotton Mill Lofts and the 25-unit Lawson Building East. As of March, there were more than 375 apartments and condominiums throughout downtown.

John Garland, president of Spectrum Design, and three other people who also work for the architecture and engineering firm, paid $425,000 for the Church Avenue building that currently houses the Downtown Sports Club. When the structure was built in 1951, S&W Cafeteria was its first tenant. The cafeteria closed sometime in the 1980s, Garland said.

He's seeking photographs from the building's cafeteria days so that he can preserve its architectural features. This historic rehab work is necessary for the owners to be eligible for tax credits to help fund the project.

The timetable for interior and exterior rehab work is unclear, Garland said. Some of it will involve pulling up carpet and vinyl tile to reveal the structure's original terrazzo floors.

Garland and his partners want to create a food and retail hub, named the StayWell Marketplace, to cater to downtown's condo and apartment dwellers."

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Posted on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - 9:56am

Prince William Residents Excited about Route 1 Makeover

The Washington Post recently reported on some big changes happening along Route 1 in Triangle. Prince William County has bought, and torn-down many of the run-down buildings and developed a plan to widen the road and beautify the area.

Work to widen the road and bury the wires is expected to take two years. After that, the plan is to create a six-lane traffic circle at the edge of Quantico's base and build the Village of Triangle, a town center development that would house shops and restaurants.

This could be the ideal time for the county to revitalization the area in hopes of attracting businesses when the economy turns around, and the up-coming base realignment and closures, which will bring thousands of jobs to Quantico and Fort Belvoir.

Area homeowners can look for this project to improve their quality of living and boost property values.

"An eyesore. A ghetto. An area poised for improvement. That's how some residents of Prince William County's Triangle community describe the place they call home.

Located along Route 1 just north of Marine Corps Base Quantico,Triangle for decades has been defined by the untidy highway corridor lined with dilapidated buildings, fast-food joints, less-than-stellar hotels and multiple auto dealerships.

One of the most run-down stretches in the county, it just became more unsightly, but residents hope that is actually a sign of progress as the county tries to revitalize the area.

County officials bought and demolished 40 buildings -- which housed mostly businesses -- along about a mile on Route 1 through Triangle as part of a plan to bury all utility lines and turn the road into a six-lane divided highway with new landscaping, a walking trail and a bike path.

The corridor is dotted with construction vehicles, building rubble and dirt mounds. A good chunk of the commercial base is gone. Residents said they are now pinning their hopes on the county's vision to 'beautify' the road, turning it into a marketing tool that will attract new business to the stalled community."

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Posted on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - 9:34am

Rocky Mount Town Council Mulling $1.4 Million Price Tag for Uptown Revitalization

According to the Franklin News Post, Rocky Mount is hoping to conduct a successful revitalization project for uptown, just as they did recently completed for downtown. The uptown revitalization project extends from West Church Street to Floyd Avenue. It includes Main, West Court, Bank and Warren streets. The uptown project will allow freer pedestrian access, better parking and more business traffic.

Once completed the improvements could have significant impacts on area property values. However, the town council is currently struggling on how to fund the project. State and federal funding leave a gap of $1.4 million that the town must come up with to accept the lowest bid.

"Rocky Mount's local share of the long-delayed uptown revitalization project could be more than $1.4 million, which could force town council to make hard financial decisions in tough economic times. The low bid on the uptown project was $1,990,917.

The bid covers the replacement of water and sewer lines; replacing sidewalks and street surfaces; adding street trees, street benches, historic street signs and more crosswalks; new landscaping and other features.

The town has $631,550 in federal and state grants for the project, but that leaves a shortfall of $1,359,367.

In addition, the town could also face an additional cost of $200,000 for putting utilities underground. Town Manager James Ervin said Tuesday that the town's portion for all elements in the project could be $1.4 million to $1.6 million.

Ervin said the town has several options: scrap the uptown project; redesign the project to lower the cost; borrow the money to pay the local share; or use part of the town's reserve funds (more than $8 million) to pay the local share."

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Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 10:17am

Uptown Master Plan is in the Works for Martinsville

The Martinsville Bulletin reported about city plans to revitalize the uptown business district.

The project would hopefully be funded by a variety of grants and private sources, such as area property owners. Recently about 80 people participated in a “Vision Day” which was held to get area residents’ opinions on how the district should be revitalized. Comments made by residents are being compiled and will be used to develop the master plan, according to officials.

"City officials aim to have a master plan for revitalizing the uptown business district by the end of this year, Martinsville City Council learned Tuesday.

Once that plan is done, the city can apply for a block grant of up to $1.4 million from the state in March that can be put toward the revitalization, according to Community Development Director Wayne Knox.
He said the city has issued a request for proposals from firms interested in creating the master plan.

Knox said the city likely would find out next June whether it receives the grant. If the grant is provided, revitalization efforts spurred by the master plan could start by the end of 2010, he indicated."

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Posted on Thursday, July 30, 2009 - 6:09pm