Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 14, 1995 TAG: 9502140117
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But that's going to take money, foundation members told City Council on Monday during a pitch for $4.1 million to complete a second phase of renovations at the old high school.
The center needs $600,000 out of next year's city budget to renovate and restore Fitzpatrick Hall into a conference center with a full-service kitchen, meeting rooms of various sizes and a banquet room large enough to seat 500 people.
Down the road, the foundation wants $3.5 million from taxpayers towards a $5.5 million rehabilitation of the former school's 900-seat, near acoustically perfect auditorium. Another $2 million will be privately raised.
``There's no secret that we've come here to ask for money to complete our assignment,'' retired Judge Beverly Fitzpatrick Sr. told council.
Council referred the request to budget study sessions that will begin this week. Because the center serves the entire Roanoke Valley, Councilman Delvis ``Mac'' McCadden asked foundation members to appeal for funding to other area governments, too.
``I think there's an opportunity for the valley to come a little closer here,'' McCadden said.
The old high school, which graduated 19,000 students between its opening in 1924 and closing in 1974, was reborn late in 1993 after years of effort costing $5.5 million in public and private funding.
It's home to an eclectic group of cultural, civic and community service organizations. The city Police Academy is there, as is the Fire Department's administrative offices and a federally funded preschool program for disadvantaged children.
So are a substance-abuse treatment center and the Roanoke Jaycees.
More recently, Roanoke Valley TV, the government and educational access channel, opened a complete television studio.
All the renovated space is leased, and the center is posting an operating profit of about $50,000 a year, said banker Warner Dalhouse, who serves on the foundation board.
When renovation of 5,000-square-foot Fitzpatrick Hall is complete, ``very conservative'' estimates show the new meeting and banquet facility would add about another $50,000 profit annually to the center's bottom line, he said.
Although the soon-to-open Hotel Roanoke will greatly increase the valley's supply of meeting facilities, hotel-related conference centers are pricey. There are few inexpensive places for nonprofit organizations to hold banquets or meetings that last an entire day, Dalhouse said.
``It can be done [at the Jefferson Center] at much less expense,'' he said.
The hall also would be open to private groups for receptions, family reunions and other events such as bar mitzvahs.
The renovation of the auditorium is a bigger job that's at least two years away.
In other action, council unanimously:
Endorsed a plan to merge the city Fire Department with Emergency Medical Services and the all-volunteer Roanoke Emergency Medical Services. The merger is expected to take up to three years.
Approved a $100,000 contract with an Atlanta consultant for a study of what to do with Victory Stadium and the possible development of a city field house for indoor athletic events and training.
Approved a three-year lease between the city and Commonwealth Buildings that would allow the expansion of the Office of Real Estate Valuation into commercial space located at 10 Campbell Ave. The first year's cost would be about $25,000.
by CNB