The city of Roanoke has leveled a former hotel, and now is clearing its foundation — all in an effort to reduce flooding and improve water quality.
The site of the former Ramada Inn on Franklin Road is busy with construction equipment, demolishing the hotel's former foundation. Contractors are clearing the way to open up Ore Branch, a stream that emerges near a commercial area along U.S. 220, and flows through the Crystal Spring neighborhood before emptying into the Roanoke River. It's caused frequent flooding events over the years, particularly since shifting in 2012.
"Anytime we can get businesses out of the flood plain and away from frequent flooding, that's important," says Thomas Huntington-Schubert, a civil engineer with the city stormwater utility. "If we can have less flooding on the roadways, that's also big benefit for public safety. We're getting a more natural channel than it was, masonry wall and concrete bottom. That'll then be more open and it'll be like this pretty meadow up above the floodplain we're carving out and then you'll just see the forest continue up to that."
The next phase involves demolishing buildings that since 1997 have been occupied by George's Flowers, a local business that's been operating for 45 years. In October it's moving to a new location on Ogden Road near Tanglewood Mall.
Owner George Clements has mixed feelings about seeing his flower business replaced with a flower meadow.
"It feels really good, but I'm going to be sad to see our building knocked down," Clements says. "But I also see a great healing for this area. And I think it's going to be a fantastic look for people coming into Roanoke."
The entire project costs about $7 million, including about $1.5 million in local money and the rest coming from the state and federal government.
