ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 16, 1996 TAG: 9611180031
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: A Cuppa Joe
SOURCE: JOE KENNEDY
A few promising words have given hope to preservationists that good things may happen for a big piece of Roanoke's past.
State Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, said recently that a study probably will OK the idea of converting Norfolk Southern's former General Office Building North, across from the Hotel Roanoke, to a higher education center.
Less than a month ago, the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation put it and its sister building next door at the top of its list of the area's ``10 Most Endangered Places."
The buildings are a critical piece at the hub of Roanoke's railroad history. With the old Norfolk and Western passenger station, they provide a strong connection to the city's glorious past.
By coincidence, on the clear, cold morning before Edwards' comments appeared in a news story, preservationist Robert France, whose committee issued the Top 10 list, stood across the street from the buildings and pronounced them "classics."
The renaissance revival structure closest to the tracks, for which no plans have been announced, is a homey, Southern office building in a turn-of-the-century style, he said. The north building, designed by Roanoker Paul Hayes and completed in 1931, is an optimistic, art deco monument with outstanding ornamentation.
France recalled that Mac McCadden, the former city councilman, once said, "Superman lives in that building." It does resemble the home of the Daily Planet, Clark Kent's workplace, in the old comic strip.
It won't happen overnight
France praised Norfolk Southern for continuing to heat and secure the buildings after its striking new offices opened near the City Market.
He was alarmed, though, when he noticed that the NW symbol that hung for decades from the enclosed second-floor walkway between the buildings had been removed. Who took it?
"I hope it was Norfolk Southern," he said, and not some ardent collector of NW artifacts.
Initial approval of an education center on North Jefferson Street could save what Rusty Pritchett, the foundation's president-elect, calls "the two most important buildings to the Roanoke skyline." That's the good news.
But, Edwards said, "It's not going to happen overnight." Determining the costs, finding the financing and establishing ownership all lie ahead. That's the sobering news.
Norfolk Southern spokesman Bob Auman said the railroad's understanding is that the city or another public entity could obtain the title to the office buildings and the station "once it has obtained funding to renovate GOB North" for the higher education center.
Treasuring community symbols
Obtaining the money and community support could be a huge job. But getting started could boost a valley that seems peculiarly unaware of the treasures it possesses.
"A lot of people really don't understand that this part of Virginia has a lot of history to it," said Evie Lander, a city planner and member of the foundation.
"If you look at Roanoke in comparison to Richmond or Lynchburg you say, `Where are the really, really old buildings - those great palaces?''' France said. But "I think Roanoke is beginning to realize what it's got" - urban neighborhoods, period homes and commercial buildings and, of course, mountain views.
Many of its old buildings may not be timeless designs, he said; instead, they are "wonderful examples of what they are examples of" - community symbols whose primary value lies in what happened in and around them.
Edwards' words aroused high hopes, but did not change the big picture.
"There's a tremendous amount of education that needs to be done, not only in preservation but also on planning and growth management," Lander said. "A lot of leaders are still too oriented to short-term versus long-term planning and visioning."
Said France, "There are some wonderful buildings in Roanoke that probably are going to be gone by next year."
About that missing NW sign: Auman said NS employees had removed it about two weeks before. "The plan is before Norfolk Southern relinquishes ownership, for all NW signs to be removed that can be removed," he said.
That sounded like another good omen someone will take over the building.
LENGTH: Medium: 83 linesby CNB