ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240026
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
Town officials plan to rebuild the Lowe's building on North Franklin Street, proposed site for the town's long-awaited recreation center, despite the collapse of portions of the building's roof this month because of snow.
Some residents, however, are not happy with that idea. Locating the recreation center in the building has been controversial since the town bought the site for $1.4 million in April 1995, a figure that did not include renovation costs that may add another $1 million to $2 million to the total. Now some residents are saying it may be time to rebuild the building from scratch and even reconsider placing the recreation center on Depot Street, at a site the town's Recreation Advisory Commission selected as their first choice.
"We just feel like it's not safe. We have no confidence in it whatsoever," said Bob Hockett, a mechanical engineer who was a member of the advisory commission's facilities planning committee and who has criticized the Lowe's site before.
Sam Nixon, a local insurance agent who has been working on the project, estimated repair costs to be between $500,000 and $700,000, with a $1,000 deductible for the town.
Town Manager John Lemley estimated repairs will take a few months.
Town officials and their consultants say they will repair the building and make it strong enough to withstand future snow storms. This month's storm was the second time the building had collapsed. Ironically, town officials were preparing requests for bids to have the building strengthened when disaster struck again.
"We want to put it back, and we want to put it back right, and we want to put it back in a state that will be safe for any occupancy whatsoever," said Bob Oliver of the Blacksburg engineering and architectural firm Mills, Oliver & Webb, the firm that is advising the town on the project.
Oliver said the building, designed in 1968, inexplicably "was not designed to carry a snow drift."
He said the repairs will not use metal frame construction, and "there are areas of the building we're going to take a real, real close look at to make sure it can carry any kind of snow load."
Town officials are waiting for an insurance estimate before scheduling a special Town Council meeting to formally decide their next step.
But after this most recent incident, which Hockett described as "catastrophic," some residents seem to have their minds made up. About a dozen residents attended a council meeting last week to express their worries.
"Of course my major concern right now would be the safety of the present structure, knowing the roof has already fallen in twice," said Kevin Boyle, a postal inspector and father of two children.
"When this came out I was extremely excited that they had bought the Lowe's building and they acted fairly quick, but after knowing more about what their plan will entail, I get a little concerned," he said.
Town officials have been criticized for buying the building in a surprise move, without public input. And the facilities in the building have not met with unanimous approval from residents.
The building was criticized as being inadequate for basketball, perhaps the most popular sport among participants in the town's recreation leagues. In response, the town has refigured its plans, Lemley said, to make the courts regulation width. But roof support beams will still be located close to the playing surfaces, and the only seating for spectators will be behind the baskets.
"If we just start over with a new site a lot of these things can be taken care of," Hockett said.
Hockett and Boyle realize they may have little say in the matter at this point, but they plan to monitor the situation and to spread the word about subsequent developments.
"The only hope we have is if an engineer says the structure has to be torn down and it's unsafe," Boyle said.
Boyle said the Lowe's building may turn out to be a missed opportunity for the town. He would have preferred to see more of a showcase recreation center, one that could attract new businesses and residents, not unlike Blacksburg's.
Still, after the collapse, everyone agrees about one thing: it could have been worse.
"It may have been a blessing in disguise, who knows ... somebody could have been hurt," Oliver said.
LENGTH: Medium: 81 linesby CNB