Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 6, 1995 TAG: 9506060120
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Residents in a postal district that includes South Roanoke are being polled by Barton J. Wilner, general manager of Entre Computer Center.
Wilner, who lives in South Roanoke, mailed just over 2,500 letters to residents last week. Wilner said the letter was sent to the most obvious potential members but was not meant to be exclusive. The letter asked recipients to copy and distribute it to others who might be interested.
The club must have a membership of 400 to 450 families to be feasible, he said, because buying the property and remodeling the building would cost $4 million to $5 million. The property covers most of a city block along Carolina Avenue between 22nd and 23rd streets.
The estate is owned by Carilion Health System. It once served as the Roanoke Fine Arts Center, which later became the Roanoke Fine Arts Museum.
Jess Kent, a spokesman at Carilion's property management department, said Cherry Hill, appraised at more than $1 million, will be offered for sale at the end of June.
One offer is on the table in addition to the proposal for the club, according to Kent. He said others have expressed interest, and he expects multiple offers when the property is formally listed for sale.
Wilner said he has retained Tunnell-Spangler and Associates, an Atlanta architecture firm specializing in recreational facilities, to design and evaluate the feasibility of the proposed club. "Bill Tunnell has just spent three days in Roanoke visiting Cherry Hill and is very excited about what this club could be," Wilner wrote in his letter.
Wilner said such a club is "something that's missing in that neighborhood." But he said he sent the letter because the community must speak to the issue. "This is a study; this is not a done deal."
Wilner envisions indoor and outdoor tennis, a fitness center with locker facilities, dining and a junior Olympic (25-meter) pool with a baby pool.
Interested people can contact Wilner at 2709 Crystal Spring Ave. S.W., Roanoke 24014.
by CNB