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Roanoke approves plan to build downtown train station, new bus depot

Construction is expected to begin in 2020

ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke City Council voted Monday to approve a multiyear project that will see a major change to the downtown transportation infrastructure.

The council voted on an agreement to authorize the purchase of property at Salem Avenue and 3rd Street, currently Brandon Parking, for $2.185 million to build what it's calling a modern transit transfer facility for Roanoke.

The vote paves the way for portions of downtown Roanoke to be revamped.

The purchase is part of a larger initiative which City Council breaks down into three components:

  • The city's purchase of Brandon Parking, to be used to construct a transit transfer station
  • The city's transfer of that property to the Greater Roanoke Transit Company in exchange for the current Campbell Court Transfer Facility on Campbell Avenue
  • The city's transfer of that property to Hist:Re Partners LLC, in exchange for property at Jefferson Street and Norfolk Avenue (adjacent to the Amtrak platform), to enable private redevelopment of the Campbell Court property and development of a train station at the Jefferson Street property
  • The city feels that the current bus hub on Campbell Avenue has outlived its usefulness to meet the demands of modern-day bus service.

    Upon its completion, this multifaceted project will allow for a new transit transfer facility, a redevelopment of the property that is currently the transit transfer facility and construction of an actual train station for Amtrak riders, not just the current platform.

    The city will close on the Salem Avenue property on June 30 and begin design/engineering by the fall. Construction will take place in 2020 and 2021.

    Once Hist:Re Partners has acquired the Campbell Avenue building, which is expected this year, it will begin redeveloping the property into a minimum $25 million mixed-use project.