Our hometowns’ revitalization initiatives are greatly aided by state funding

Roanoke, Virginia – To assist repair historic and deserted properties in our hometowns, the State of Virginia is contributing more than $1.5 million. The awards are intended to support the revitalization of Brownfield sites, which are underutilized or abandoned assets that were once developed.

Among the initiatives is the revitalization of Vinton’s historic Gish Mill site. It was awarded a grant of $500,000.

The earliest building constructed in the town, known as the foundational structure, is the Gish Mill building. The town has been investing on this significant historic treasure for more than ten years, and we issued a request for proposals to find a developer. Nathan McClung, assistant planning director at Vinton, stated, “We have the right development team to turn this project into something that will revitalize a historic building.

From the nineteenth century until 1982, Gish Mill was in operation in Vinton. Following that, a country store operated there until 2015, when the town bought the land.

The town eventually found a private developer to work with on the project after searching for a way to redevelop the site ever since.

Finding a developer who would value the property’s historic qualities while simultaneously offering uses that would genuinely enable visitors to take in the architecture, the history of the Gish Mill property, and many of the upcoming businesses that will occupy the space was crucial, McClung said.

The land is currently owned by the developer, who is transforming it into seven short-term rental flats, an ice cream shop, and a restaurant.

“A lot of stabilization work has been done so far, and the Governor’s Office VEDP Grant will help complete the stabilization work. The completed package will then be delivered throughout the course of the next year, at which point the building should be operational and housing both the restaurant and the flats, McClung said.

Although the project has taken a long time to complete, McClung said the most recent award from the Governor’s Office will assist it do so. The project has a $6 million overall cost, most of which has been covered by grants.

By the summer of 2026, the project should be finished and the restaurants and residences operational.

In other news, Roanoke County was awarded a $208,862 grant to safely remove asbestos from historic office buildings near the Carillion Wellness Center in the Tanglewood neighborhood, which is situated at the intersection of Electric and Starkey Roads.

We simply recognized the buildings as a vital piece of real estate that will continue the 419 corridor’s transformation when they go up for sale in late spring or early summer. Megan Baker, director of economic development for Roanoke County, stated, “We just really want to support the success because it’s such a great location and the visibility is great.”

A developer who bought the project’s property has teamed together with the county. The property will be renovated after the buildings have been destroyed.

“We are considering a hotel in the back, retail space, and even an office space. Ideally, there will be a restaurant with a rooftop bar, but the main goal is to keep improving the area and turn it into a premier business district, Baker said.

According to Megan Baker, the project is a component of the county’s broader initiatives to bring the Tanglewood neighborhood back to life.

Over the past five or more years, the mall has undergone renovations with Carillion, and eateries have opened. Given that this is Roanoke’s main business district, we simply view this as an additional amenity. People from the area are even drawn to come here, she said. “The diverging Diamond at 419 is where we’re intending to begin infrastructure enhancements very shortly.
Thus, initiatives like these and the Tanglewood renovation simply keep improving this area.

According to Baker, the project is expected to be finished in the upcoming two years.

The restoration of the Vista Theatre in Altavista, the removal of asbestos from an old hardware store building in Patrick County, and the cleanup of the Southern Virginia Megasite in Pittsylvania County are some of the other projects that benefited from this grant financing.