The Roanoker - May/June 2014 - 82

THE NEW DOWNTOWN IS OLD AGAIN

'...WE ARE STARTING TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL OF
THOSE THINGS AGAIN, DOWNTOWN' -JOHN GARLAND
John Garland insists there is no plan afoot to
supplant the Roanoke City Market Building
as the heartbeat of downtown. Perhaps it's
working out that way accidentally.
His three-year-old 16 West Marketplace
project has suddenly become the center away
from the middle, partly because of all that it
offers, partly because of the almost constant
construction disruptions of traffic patterns and
parking on City Market. 16 West is easier to
reach these days and has a good bit more going on than does the Market Building
Says Garland, former co-owner of Spectrum
Design and now a full-time developer of historic properties: "It's not so much moving the
center of downtown, as it is spreading the love
a little. We want our entire downtown to be
vibrant, welcoming and full of thriving small
businesses and activities."
When Garland was half owner of Spectrum
Design downtown, his firm's proposal for the
renovation of the Roanoke City Market Building was rejected by Roanoke City Council in
favor of an out-of-town firm. Many believed
his design to be superior - and a good bit less
expensive. The renovation has been renovated
twice since, at no small expense.

"We are certainly seeing more people on
the streets at all hours on Church Avenue,
like we have for a while now on Kirk Avenue
(which runs parallel)," he says. "Just like we
were pleasantly surprised when apartments
and Fork in the City came to Marshall Avenue,
or renovation came to Day Avenue, or some
nut would spend money at a house on 1222
Campbell [that would be Garland], we are
thrilled to see positive change on Church and
other blocks west of Jefferson Street.
"Back in the day, most people in Roanoke
made it a point to shop and dine on Church
Avenue at S&W Cafeteria, Heironimus Department Store, Mitchell's Men's Clothing
and DeLongs Men's clothing. Shoot, when I
was young, downtown was the place to be
after school and on weekends. Buying, eating, watching movies, getting haircut, bowling, billiards, going to the library; and we are
starting to be able to do all of those things
again, downtown."
Garland says that was the intent when he
bought the former S&W Cafeteria/Downtown
Athletic Club a few years ago. "I just knew that
that other services had some catching up to
do in response to the increasing residential

16 West has become downtown's adult
version of "hanging out at the mall."

population," he says. "In my opinion, that is
one of the next downtown growth spurts."
As developer Ed Walker has done on Kirk
Avenue, Garland is experimenting with the
kinds of progressive businesses he favors. "16
West was originally geared to offer a diversity of unique dining and service options that
remained true to healthy living and responsible stewards to our environment," he says.
"Thus we have fitness, chiropractic, healing
touch, massage therapy, yoga, artists, all-fruit
smoothies, gluten-free pizza, recycling, salad
bar, etc. and a building that is LEED Certified
and uses a state of the art variable refrigerant
flow heat pump system that does not need
any back-up electric heat.
"I am having such great fun at 16 West
Marketplace, not because I developed the
property, but because of the people that frequent it and who are enjoying the amenities
and the socialization," says Garland.
Growth has been calculated and measured
at 16 West. "We have turned down several
businesses that did not fit our mission," says
Garland. "They have included greasy spoon
restaurants, offices and businesses that would
be in direct competition with current tenants."
The action on the main floor continues at
a faster clip as you climb the stairs. Level 2 has
Carilion's RACXpress, a workout facility. The
third floor contains two upscale apartments.
Recent activities at 16 West have included
(but not been limited to) salsa and swing dancing classes, Sunday church services, tai chi,
yoga, Casino Rueda, Open Mic Night, Friday
hops (featuring Devil's Backbone Brewery and
singer Jesse Ray Carter), Opera Roanoke fundraiser, TedTalks, blues and jazz, Cork N Create,
Liv Fit seminars, motivational seminars, Healing Arts Coffee and Soul Sessions (poetry readings). There was even a movie theater briefly.
Garland occasionally meets with tenants to
discuss "common goals and objectives and to
solidify the team. I can't say it has not been
without struggles, but most good things are."
"I want 16 West to be as much a community
center as I do a market center. In fact, if we can
make the community feel comfortable hanging out and partaking in events then we have
accomplished our market center goals." -DS

The Roanoker - May/June 2014

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