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

DATE: FRIDAY, June 17, 1994                   TAG: 9407130040
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV7   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                 LENGTH: Short

TRAIL-SHOPPING CENTER LINK SOUGHT

Even though the trail is presently designated to end at the New River Valley Mall, across Peppers Ferry Road from the new shopping center's site, advocates eventually want to extend the Huckleberry's route to Downtown Christiansburg.

Linking downtown with the rest of the trail is "speculative" at this point, said Bill Ellenbogen, president of Friends of the Huckleberry. There's no official route for the extension and no money to build it.

Construction of the 400,000-square-foot shopping center, which may include a Wal-Mart Superstore, is not a certainty, either. Christiansburg Town Council approved a rezoning of the site earlier this month and site plans are being prepared by developer William "Bill" Matthews.

If it is built, the shopping center will be squarely in the extended trail's path.

Ellenbogen said he has informally mentioned the trail extension to Matthews. Trail supporters have asked Christiansburg officials to consider making the trail extension part of the community's plans.

Even though no one has committed, Ellenbogen said: "I feel good that it will occur. All we're asking is that people be open-minded."

For now, the six-mile hiking and biking trail will run between the Blacksburg Library and the New River Valley Mall. Construction may begin later this year.

Ellenbogen said the Huckleberry Trail is intended to be "both a symbolic and physical link" between Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Extending the path to Downtown Christiansburg fits that concept well, he added.