
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, June 25, 1990                   TAG: 9006250260
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ANTIQUES MALL HAS TO GO

The antiques mall in the old A&P Grocery building on the Roanoke City Market must close by July 20 so the structure can be razed to permit construction of a parking garage that will be part of the Dominion Tower project.

City Manager Robert Herbert has notified Roland Macher that the city needs to demolish the building because the contractor on the tower project needs to begin working on the site.

The city bought the building last fall from Macher and his brother, Richard, for $425,000. City officials agreed to allow Macher to keep using the building until the site was needed for the office tower and the parking facilities.

Macher said today he asked the city for permission to keep using the building until Labor Day so the antiques dealers could stay in business during the rest of the summer, but Herbert denied the request.

"It looks like the contractor on the tower project is not moving so fast and I thought this would help the dealers get the rest of the summer business," Macher said.

Macher plans to move the mall to the nearby Wright Furniture building, which extends from Salem Avenue to Campbell Avenue. But renovation of the Wright building is not expected to be finished by July 20.

Under the plan, the Campbell Avenue side of the building would be renovated and house the antiques mall.

Macher has asked the city Architectural Review Board board for permission to raze the Salem Avenue facade of the building and use part of the site to develop a parking lot for nearby development.

Macher said he can't afford to construct a new building because it would cost $700,000 and he received only $425,000 from the A&P building.

"I don't have the money to do it all. I can't do the Campbell Avenue side without razing the Salem Avenue side," Macher said.

Several board members said they didn't like the proposal for developing a parking lot on part of the site. The board delayed action for a month and asked Macher to provide more information.

The board has approved the demolition of the A&P building. Both buildings are in the City Market Historic District, where no structures can be razed without the board's approval.

by CNB