Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 18, 1993 TAG: 9303180547
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY REED
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
EARLE WILL STAY AN EYESORE UNTIL CREDIT CRUNCH IS OVER
Q: We've heard a lot about Renew Roanoke, and we invested. Now we want to know when the old Hotel Earle will be rebuilt. It is a real eyesore for people traveling on Interstate 581 and a disgrace to the City Market area. B.C. & E.G., RoanokeA: The Earle will remain a burned-out hulk until money happens, said Dave Saunders, managing partner for the owners.
Saunders said Wednesday there are development plans, but there's not a bank or funding source anywhere that will back the Earle and the adjoining Shenandoah Hotel.
When the credit crunch ends, the City Market will really bustle within two years, he predicted.
In the meantime, waiting's frustrating. The other end of that block was called an eyesore three years ago, Saunders said, but now it's Market Place Center, with eight of nine retail spaces leased and doing well. He and Richard Wells, principal partners in Market Towne Properties, claim credit.
The Earle and the Shenandoah Hotel could do as well, Saunders said.
City Planner John Marlles said the Earle is an important building because of its downtown location and visibility, and the planning staff hopes it can be preserved. Building inspectors say it's sound, even without a roof.
So there's no timetable for doing something with the infamous Hotel Earle.
However, there's a back side to every mountain, and if Renew Roanoke can rebuild the Hotel Roanoke, the economic surge easily could cross the railroad tracks and wash some cash into the Earle and Shenandoah Hotel.
Fire hydrants frost-free
Q: Why don't fire hydrants freeze and burst? B.A., Vinton
A: Because there's no water in them - at least not in the part that sticks up.
The water doesn't come on until a firefighter uses a wrench to turn that knob on top of the hydrant.
A valve opens 2 or 3 feet underground, filling the hydrant's barrel with water and sending it out through the fire hose.
After the fire's out, the valve is closed and the few gallons left in the hydrant seep out through a weep hole in the bottom of its barrel within a couple of days, said Craig Sluss of the Water Department.
Inflation wasn't bad
Q: What was the official Consumer Price Index for calendar year 1992? I must have missed it when it was reported. R.S., Roanoke
A: It rose 2.9 percent, a relatively low figure attributed to sluggish economic growth.
Temperature changes
Q: When you call the telephone company's temperature and weather, it's usually five degrees warmer than the one on TV. It leads me to believe we are getting Richmond's temperature. Where is it being taken? N.N., Roanoke
A: A thermometer on the roof of the C&P building on Franklin Road in Roanoke gives the temperature you hear.
TV's temperature is read from the airport, about four miles away.
Got a question about something that might affect other people too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.