How does the city of Roanoke take a property that is currently a liability and turn it into an asset and a taxable commodity? They hold a “fire sale.” Currently Fire Stations # 5 and #9 have been listed for sale. They are no longer able to serve their neighborhoods because they cannot house a modern ladder truck. The trucks are longer than the buildings and as the city replaces some of their 15-year-old worn out ladder trucks they need a viable place to house them.
Rob Ledger finds himself managing this project a short three months after taking the position as Roanoke’s Economic Development Manager. Each facility has had two different parties tour in preparation for presenting a proposal that includes a use for the building, an offering price and any contingencies. A spread sheet of these offers will be presented to City Council. Proposals can be presented to the city through the March 15th deadline.
The last time the city sold a fire house it was purchased by someone interested in restoration and preservation.Bill Hume and his wife Jill own Interactive Design Group and had been leasing space in the city. They were looking to expand and purchase property while remaining in Roanoke. Jill’s father was a founding charter member of the Burnt Chimney fire department, which left Jill with a fond attachment to old firehouses. The Humes put their heads together and came up with a plan that both restored the old Station # 3 and proved their capability for design.
They restored the old wood doors and other characteristics of the old station while turning it into a modern office facility. They chose to do their build-out without attaching to any of the historic walls of the old building. “As an investment property and a corporate office we felt it was necessary to find a facility that had strong characteristics and a good location in the downtown area. The city was instrumental in assisting us in the final purchase of the building and worked with us throughout construction to ensure a timely completion of renovations and allowed us to move into a building that showcased our talent,” Hume stated enthusiastically. One hundred firefighters attended the open house of the renovated building.
Firefighters will again be displaced after April first. Captain Kevin Weeks of station #9 has spent five of his fifteen years serving the city of Roanoke from this old fire station. The crews from both stations will stay intact and combine in the new station located on the corner of 19th Street and Orange Avenue. Two Battalion Chiefs will move over from Station 2 to complete the roster.
Weeks handled questions about all the changes with a ready laugh and expressed pleasure in working from a building that has central air conditioning. “Firefighters love their job and will do the best they can no matter where they are stationed, whether in an 80-year-old station or a new facility.”
Although change is inevitable, especially as the city outgrows some of its physical holdings, it is entirely possible to take something old and make it new again. It requires cool heads and negotiation–and just the right people—who have an eye to the past while working to create a bright new future.
By Christine Slade [email protected]