ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke city councilmembers are defending the decision to move forward with the downtown bus station relocation project.
Some call the vote Tuesday night one of the most controversial decisions in the council's recent history.
"Ultimately, we still believe this is the best location, considering all of the options," Roanoke Vice Mayor Joe Cobb said.
Cobb is defending the city council's decision, despite a room full of opposition Tuesday night.
"It has no place downtown. It has no place in West Station with our 300 residents," developer Bill Champman said.
Chapman is one of many against the decision. He's the developer behind the future bus station's neighbors: West Station Lofts, Big Lick Brewing and Tuco's.
His concerns stem from statistics from the city showing 270 911 calls to the Campbell Court Bus Station in 2018. Of those, 170 were for criminal behavior.
"The facts show that of any place downtown, the bus station as it currently exists generates more crime than any other location in all of downtown Roanoke. Why that's going to change when it comes to West Station, I don't know," Chapman said.
"You can label a place as a crime magnet, but then you have to look at the reality of that," Cobb said.
Cobb said more calls happen in more populated areas. He and other city leaders aren't ignoring safety concerns, though. They said the new station's open-air design will help.
"When you open up a space and support it with open-air and lighting, that immediately begins to reduce potential criminal behavior," Cobb said.
The city did a lengthy study and identified five potential sites for a transportation hub. The one most people liked best is directly across Salem Avenue from the Campbell Court Bus Station. According to the city manager, the owners of the parking garage weren't willing to sell, so the city respected that decision.
In the end, city leaders decided the location in front of the Virginia Museum of Transportation was best because it's walking distance to the Amtrak platform and they could afford the property.