RADFORD – Another downtown Radford building has gotten a rehabilitative facelift.
City and state officials will gather with the private developer to celebrate the public-private partnership on Thursday, January 12 with a grand opening celebration. The public is invited to take a look at the new project.
Taylor Hollow Construction, the City of Radford, New River Valley HOME Consortium, Virginia Housing Development Authority, and New River Community Action will be hosting the grand opening of the W.R. Roberts Building, formerly the Radford Fitness Building.
“The W.R. Roberts building is a mixed-use project featuring eight affordable, energy efficient, one-bedroom apartments and 4,500 square feet of street level commercial space,” reads a statement release by Main Street Radford about the project. “This historic renovation was completed through a partnership between the City of Radford’s Community Development Block Grant Program, New River Valley HOME Consortium, and the Virginia Housing Development Authority to create eight one-bedroom apartments affordable to those earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income, or $28,740 per year for a single person household.”
In addition to offering residential apartments, the rehabilitated building also includes 4,500 square feet of commercial space. That space will become the new offices of New River Community Action, a non-profit agency tasked with reducing poverty, revitalizing low-income communities and helping low-income individuals and families work toward self-sufficiency.
City leaders say the project is a good example of a public-private partnership making a positive impact on the city.
“We’re excited to have this building that stayed vacant and unused for the last 10 years come back to life,” says Radford Economic Developer Basil Edwards. “Plus, the City of Radford is happy to have such a great example of a public-private partnership.”
This is the second affordable housing project completed by Taylor Hollow Construction in downtown Radford in conjunction with the City of Radford.
The W.R. Roberts building is located at 1061 East Main Street. The grand opening will begin at 5 p.m. with a dedication of the building at 5:30 p.m. Tours of the upstairs apartments and light refreshments will follow after. Please contact Becky Haupt, Director Main Street Radford at 540-731-3656 for more information about this event.