Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 5, 1990 TAG: 9006050386
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Stone Printing building, now occupied by Frame One, a wholesale framing business, is next to Norfolk Southern Corp.'s old office buildings, the recommended site for a convention center.
"We told them [TAP] that we prefer not to be landlocked if the convention center is on the NS buildings' site," said Vice Mayor Beverly Fitzpatrick Jr.
"We wanted them to know that what they do could affect us - and what we do could affect them."
Fitzpatrick said that the Stone Printing building, across the street from Hotel Roanoke, might be needed for future expansion of a convention center even if it is not required now.
TAP has taken a 90-day option on the building. Calvin McDowell, Frame One's owner, said he is looking for a single-story building for his business.
Also Monday, TAP pocketed a $1.1 million insurance check - a major step toward recovering from the fire last year that destroyed its headquarters. The money will be used to replace equipment lost in the Dec. 23 fire and as seed money for a new home, which is expected to cost $3 million or more.
The check from Bituminous Insurance brings the agency's total insurance award to nearly $1.5 million. The insurance company had already given TAP a $350,000 advance on its claim.
TAP officials made a claim of more than $1.9 million after the fire, although they acknowledged that they expected the eventual award to be lower. The major part of the claim has now been settled, and TAP officials said they hope to settle the remaining parts of the claim within the next 30 days.
With the final settlement almost complete, TAP is now free to move forward with its plans for a new headquarters without long delays for mediation or litigation over the insurance.
TAP officials have said they want to locate their headquarters in the Henry Street revival area near Hotel Roanoke. They say that would fit into the city's hopes to convert the area into a center for tourism, conventions and academic conferences.
NS plans to construct a new office building at Williamson Road and Church Avenue in the Downtown East urban renewal area and presumably will vacate the old buildings.
Fitzpatrick said city officials have not made a final decision on the site for a convention center. At this point, they do not know whether the recommended site will be available because they have not negotiated a deal with NS, he said, but they want to retain flexibility if the site is acquired.
"We are trying to communicate clearly to them [TAP] that this is something that we should work together on," Fitzpatrick said.
Ted Edlich, TAP's executive director, said the agency wants to work with city officials, but it needs to find a new headquarters quickly so all of its operations can be put in a central location.
The Stone Printing building would fit TAP's needs nicely, and the historic structure could be preserved, Edlich said. The city has several alternatives on a site for a convention center, he said.
The Stone Printing building is on the market and if TAP does not buy it, someone else might acquire it, Edlich said. The city could be faced with the same problem even if TAP does not buy the property, he said.
Virginia Tech hopes to renovate Hotel Roanoke and turn it into a conference center. The city's convention and trade center would be part of the overall complex.
Staff writer Mike Hudson contributed to this story.
by CNB