The Roanoker March/April 2017 - 17

From 220 to Starkey Road, the average daily traffic count for 2015 was
42,000 vehicles. And from Starkey Road to Brambleton Avenue that
same year the daily count was 28,000 vehicles. Such high-volume traffic
coupled with high-density commercial development has prompted some
to refer to Route 419 as "Downtown Roanoke County."
Presently, the section of 419 from Chapparal Drive to 220 contains
more than 260 commercial and residential properties, making the area
the busiest economic corridor in Roanoke County.

WHAT HAPPENED?
With the continuous development of the 419 corridor after the road's
four-lane construction in 1970, traffic safety and mobility as well as
concerns about a complex patchwork of multiuse residential and business
zoning, prompted Roanoke County to begin evaluating a re-design in
1986. Some suggested six lanes. Resistance came from business owners
and residents who wanted 419 to retain its boulevard-like appearance.
Another alternative proposed at the time was the creation of a south
circumferential highway at a price tag of $186 million. Money and anticipated problems with land acquisition doomed that idea. A story headline
in The Roanoker about the 419 concerns at the time asked, "Can 419 retain its boulevard character or will it degenerate into a Williamson Road
by 2001?" While minor adjustments were made at certain intersections
over the next several years, the problems remained and only grew over
time with more strip malls, apartment complexes, and office buildings.
The decline of Tanglewood Mall as a retail venue has been stark. In the

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mid-1980s, the mall had 120 regional and national retail tenants. Ten
years later that had dropped to 91, and by 2015 only 45 remained. Encouraging news came last fall with a change in mall ownership and hope
for a future that will raise occupancy and retail diversity to prior levels.
"Reimagine 419" was launched by Roanoke County in September
to engage the community in addressing the challenges and opportunities of what county planners refer to as the "Route 419 Town Center"
(Chapparal to 220). This $5.8 million effort seeks to provide an additional southbound lane from Ogden Road to Route 220; add bicycle
lanes; create sidewalks in the Tanglewood Mall area; and incorporate pedestrian crosswalks. All of this serves larger goals of an enlarged tax base,
improved accessibility and mobility, safety, enhanced livability and better
mixed-use development standards. Facilitating this six-month process is
Stantec Urban Places Group, a national design firm that has done similar
planning projects for Charlotte, Tampa and Clemson.
Tanglewood Mall's new owners, Blackwater Resources, acquired the
property for close to $23 million, and have committed to reinvigorating
its retail offerings and appearance, including possibly creating restaurants
and retail stores within the parking lot, akin to what's happened at Valley
View. If that happens, the "419 Town Center" will only grow in traffic
and activity making the success of the county's re-visioning effort more
necessary. As with all change, there is an ample mix of hope and headache, promise and pitfalls-something planners, business owners and
residents are keenly aware of as they try to reimagine the county's most
dynamic commercial corridor. -NELSON HARRIS

MARCH/APRIL 2017 | 17

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The Roanoker March/April 2017

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