BLACKSBURG, Va. – Housing is a constant point of discussion in the town of Blacksburg, and on Tuesday, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors voted to cancel a plan that could have housed almost 5,000 people.
Now, residents of the town and members of the Virginia Tech community are left wondering what’s next.
“It’s a 152-year-old institution; we’ve got some housing that is 50 years old or older,” said Mark Owczarski, a Virginia Tech spokesperson.
The proposed Village would have been located where the current school golf course is. With the cancellation, some leaders in the town of Blacksburg are now concerned.
“There is nothing thrifty about undermining a plan that is being executed and is well on its way to being realized six or seven years into its life,” said Leslie Hager-Smith, mayor of Blacksburg.
I stopped at the Blacksburg Municipal Building to talk to Mayor Hager-Smith. She said the entire town will feel the effects as the university continues to grow.
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“We cannot endlessly absorb any plan they have,” Hager-Smith said. “We love our students, but there is a very natural lifestyle conflict between the way 18–20-year-olds want to live and behave and the young family next door that has toddlers and school-age children.”
Hager-Smith also noted that the housing market is already strained in town, and they are running out of space to build more student housing.
“In the last decade, we have added about 5,400 student beds; we have done more than our fair share,” she said.
For the students, opinions are split on the decision.
“I don’t know if I would’ve loved new dorms there,” said students Jillian Riccio and Sophia Weir. “I think more housing would be helpful, but I don’t think the golf course should be gone.”
“I know the president of CMG [Leasing] is on the Board of Visitors, so I know that that seems pretty biased,” added student Nisha Polk.
We asked Virginia Tech spokesperson Mark Owczarski what led to the decision to cancel the Student Life Village, but he said he could not comment.
Now, it’s just a waiting game to see what the future holds for the town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech.
