ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, April 17, 1997               TAG: 9704170032
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: LESLIE HAGER-SMITH THE ROANOKE TIMES

GLENCOE PLANS ON TRACK, BUT SCALED BACK COSTS RUNNING HIGH

Historic house conversion and renovation more expensive than expected.

Radford has scaled back plans for the historic Glencoe house in the face of higher than expected renovation costs, City Council learned this week.

The former Wharton family home will still be converted into a museum of Radford history, but will not be used to house the Chamber of Commerce and other offices, as originally envisioned.

Architect Bob Rogers brought council members up to date Monday on renovations, which will take place in three phases, beginning with urgent repairs to stem water damage to the structure, and ending with site work.

The home, which sits adjacent to Kollmorgen Corp.'s Inland Motor Division on First Street, was a gift from the corporation to the city. Early plans for the welcome center/museum were as grand as Glencoe itself. Some hoped that its nine rooms might also house the Chamber of Commerce, offices for Radford's Heritage Foundation and perhaps even the city's office of economic development.

Plans unveiled on Monday were more modest than that, and the price tag much higher than expected.

Rogers displayed schematics which showed the bottom floor containing the USS Radford permanent archives, a conference room and kitchen/workroom. On the main floor, visitors will visit permanent history exhibits in the former library and dining room. A large reception room in the former parlor and a visitors welcome center are also planned. The top floor will be used for theme displays, for example, transportation and American Indian history. It will also house a curator's office.

The Chamber of Commerce, with three employees, already requires 1,800 square feet. Moving it to Glencoe would have taken half the space available, according to Mayor Tom Starnes, who was as disappointed as other council members to see the plan fall through.

Even with $265,000 in proceeds from a 1995 land sale set aside, council will have to struggle to fund the project. Emergency repairs to the roof and exterior, scheduled to begin in June and finish by fall, will take that much alone. Estimated overall cost: $638,030.

LENGTH: Short :   50 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  ALAN KIM THE ROANOKE TIMES. The former Wharton family 
          home will still be converted into a museum of Radford history.