ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180116
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
MOST OF THE PROJECTS that earned the accolade from Downtown Roanoke Inc. this year were at places where the building's exterior needed little renovation. Inside space is important, too.
Three Roanoke retailers who upgraded their properties and the city's construction of a pedestrian bridge were cited Tuesday for helping enhance the appearance of downtown.
La Pasaj, Lee & Edwards Wine Merchants, Fink's Jeweler's and the city's Market Square Walkway won Golden Trowel awards from Downtown Roanoke Inc.
The awards were presented at the organization's 36th annual luncheon meeting at the Patrick Henry Hotel by Mayor David Bowers and by Robert B. Manetta of Carilion Health System, the downtown group's new president.
Instituted 29 years ago, the Order of the Golden Trowel recognizes outstanding physical improvements in the central business district.
Construction projects nominated for it must have been completed during the past 12 months and have occurred within the designated 65-block downtown area.
Manetta said this year's awards went to projects in which building exteriors needed little renovation, meaning they earned distinction by the quality of interior upgrades.
* La Pasaj means "mini-mall" in the Turkish language, according to owner Leman Dudley, who undertook the $1 million renovation at 14 Campbell Ave. S.E. Balzer & Associates was the architect for the renovation that converted the former Mish-Mish building into a series of small shops on three levels. The interior has a Mediterranean theme.
* The $6.85 million walkway the city built to cross Norfolk Southern railway tracks and connect the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center with the City Market district was designed by Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern.
* Lee & Edwards Wine Merchants at 309 S. Jefferson St., with a private residence on the second floor, represents an investment of $175,000. The architects were F. Lee Tucker and Ray Craighead.
* Interior renovations at Fink's at 310 S. Jefferson Street cost $650,000. Jay Gibson and Barry L. Marsh were the architects.
Also Tuesday, state Sen. John Edwards told Downtown Roanoke members that a report is expected next month from architects Motley and Associates about the feasibility of using the vacant Norfolk & Western General Office Building North for the proposed University Center. He said details of the project, on North Jefferson Street, should be available by November.
Edwards described the history of the proposal for a center where Roanoke residents could earn degrees without commuting to schools such as Virginia Tech and Radford University. Surveys indicate such a university would have 5,000 students within five years.
Edwards helped obtain a $200,000 grant from the General Assembly to study the idea.
He said Virginia Tech, Mary Baldwin College, Averett College, Radford, Old Dominion University and other Virginia colleges are interested in such a project. He said Norfolk Southern has indicated it would donate both its former office buildings on Jefferson Street and the former rail passenger station nearby if good uses can be found for them.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff. 1. Alvin Fink, CEO of Fink'sby CNBJeweler's Inc. 2. and Gordon Kendall, (below) manager of Lee &
Edwards Wine Merchants, saw their renovation efforts honored
Tuesday. color.