Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409270062
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By KRISTEN KAMMERER CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
This time it's the renovation of Woodrum Manor, formerly the Leggett building, into an affordable-housing apartment complex and the restoration of four commercial spaces in the historic Western Hotel Building.
The Giles County Housing and Development Corp. and the Pearisburg Community Development Corp. worked with Pearisburg for 21/2 years to refurbish both buildings.
Ann Angert, executive director of the Giles County Housing and Development Corp., said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week that she believed the new housing would "provide a wonderful asset to the community."
A set of photographs chronicling the renovation show a formidable task. In addition to replacing much of the interior wall and ceiling structure of both buildings, new electric, plumbing and heating systems were added. Workers also made a concerted effort to maintain significant features of the Western Hotel Building such as the staircases, historic door framings, doors, copper window framing and leaded glass transoms.
Now known as Westview, the former Western Hotel Building has nine apartments completed last year all of which have been rented and four commercial spaces completed and leased in August.
One of the spaces will soon be the new home of the Giles County Chamber of Commerce.
Woodrum Manor has 17 one- and two- bedroom apartments, 12 of which are rented. All of the first floor apartments are handicapped accessible.
Strother Turpin lives in one of them.
"I used to live in a house about a block from here," said Turpin, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has been in a wheelchair since 1954. "But I had trouble getting around because of the porch. I had to wait for someone to carry my wheelchair down the stairs." Gliding his wheelchair into his apartment he said, "Now I can come and go whenever I want."
Another resident of Woodrum is Thelma Marie Robertson, 67. Robertson has respiratory problems that require her to use a respirator. "I used to live in the country by myself," she said. "But when my kids heard about this, I moved in. I am well-satisfied because I'm close to the hospital and to my kids. I like living in town more than in the country."
She paused, then added, "I'll bet the people in the country never thought they'd hear me say that!"
The renovations began in 1991 when the town of Pearisburg received a $700,000 block grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Housing and Community Development to construct low-income housing and revitalize the downtown area.
The Giles County Housing and Development Corporation subsequently used Pearisburg's block grant as leverage to put together a funding package to purchase the two buildings from the town and complete the renovations.
A limited partnership, Pearisburg Housing Opportunities was then formed to own and manage the properties. The partnership's general partner is the Pearisburg Community Development Corporation, which is responsible for the daily management of the properties. The limited partner, which brings equity to the partnership, is the Housing Equity Fund of Virginia whose investors include Signet Bank, Central Fidelity, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Dominion Resources, and First Union Community Development Corporation.
"By using this [limited partnership] structure," Angert said, "we were able to hold these properties in the tax base for the county and the town ... and allow the community to retain control of the property."
by CNB