ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 16, 1996 TAG: 9603180021
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on March 20, 1996.
H&W Computer Systems and NRVnet are moving into 12,000 square feet of
the former Imperial building on Roanoke Street in Christiansburg. The
square footage was incorrectly reported in a Saturday New River Current
article.
The looming brick factory known as the Imperial building is gaining two new tenants.
H&W Computer Systems, a full-service computer store, and NRVnet, a local modem pool provider, are moving into a combined space of 2,000 square feet this week on a short term lease with the county. The 138,000-square-foot building on Roanoke street is owned by the Industrial Development Authority.
Don Moore, Montgomery County economic development director, said a lease, for approximately one year, was finalized earlier this week. Textile company Donkenny Inc. also rents space in the building to warehouse materials, though the company's lease will be ending in about a year.
H&W is moving from its current location on Christiansburg's Main Street because the company has outgrown its space. NRVnet, which has an office in Blacksburg's Gables Shopping Center, is expanding. The two companies are linked because H&W President Ted Hudson also heads up NRVnet.
The modem pool provider, which opened its doors in November, will keep its Blacksburg office but is moving its 20-person client services and information systems staff to the Imperial building. The marketing, sales and administrative staff will remain in Blacksburg.
Customers will be able to get consulting help from both locations, said John Villasenor, head of the two departments.
"We're bursting at the seams here," he said. "As our customer base grows, we grow with it." His company's client base now consists of about 750 people.
The leases are short term, Moore said, because the Industrial Development Authority hopes to raise funds for major renovation work within the next year. By investing $2 to $3 million, the IDA hopes to lease the entire building to small, high-tech companies in 5,000- to 10,000-square-foot increments.
The IDA bought the building three years ago for $92,000. In past years, the building has housed several textile manufacturers, including the Blueridge Overall factory, Imperial Reading and Health-Tex, Moore said.
"It's becoming obvious as our community has developed that the needle trades basically have not survived that development," he said. So now the IDA is looking toward new uses.
"We think there will be a lot of demand for space in there, generally for high tech companies," he added.
LENGTH: Medium: 54 linesby CNB