Town Council, Board of Supervisors tour community development projects in Vinton

Vinton Town Council invited the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors to town on March 30
for an update and tour of the numerous community development projects in the works within the
town. Everyone was there— Mayor Brad Grose, Vice Mayor Laurie Mullins and Council
members Sabrina McCarty, Mike Stovall, and Keith Liles, along with Board of Supervisors
Chair Tammy Shepherd, and Supervisors Phil North, David Radford, Martha Hooker, and Paul
Mahoney. Several members of Vinton’s leadership team attended, along with County
Administrator Richard Caywood and County Director of Economic Development Megan Baker.

“It was a great day of collaboration with the Town of Vinton!” said Shepherd, who represents the
Vinton District on the board. “Roanoke County was proud to participate in today’s joint meeting
and community tour, offering a firsthand look at the projects, progress, and partnerships shaping
the town. Opportunities like this strengthen regional relationships and help ensure we are aligned
as we plan for smart growth, infrastructure improvements, and enhanced quality of life for our
residents.

“We appreciate the hospitality from the Town of Vinton and look forward to continued
collaboration that benefits our entire region.”

The meeting began at the Municipal Building with a comprehensive but succinct briefing by
Town Manager Pete Peters, lunch, a virtual tour of Vinton’s new hotel, and then a bus tour of
bike and pedestrian improvement sites, the Wolf Creek and Glade Creek Greenways, the Vinton
War Memorial Park, the Vinton War Memorial itself, Gish Mill, and downtown Stone Plaza.
Some projects are in the early stages; some are nearing completion.

Peters briefed council and the board on partnership projects, projects the town has undertaken on
its own, and a quick look at previous town budgets which have made the developments possible.
He talked about the vision of “placemaking” and “place building” in Vinton— investing in place:
social places where people can meet and interact, engaging places like the library, playground, or
simple outdoor space that creates a compelling reason to visit and return frequently, comfortable
places that feel safe and inviting, and places that have access, and are easy to observe and
navigate with convenient and attractive connections. He said it takes many incremental baby-
steps along the way to build such a community.

In a PowerPoint presentation, Peters revisited the past and where we came from— rusty benches
and trash receptacles downtown, aging Gateway signs that weren’t welcoming, “No
Trespassing” signs telling visitors to leave more than to stay.

He demonstrated the progress that has been made with the Dunham wholesale business turned
into the eye-catching library, Roland E. Cook Elementary and the old William Byrd High School
turned into fully leased apartment complexes, a car dealership turned into a dynamic restaurant
and boutiques. A mostly non-descript brick annex building has become a way to entice visitors to
the town with the Lady Appalachia mural painted by acclaimed artist Jon Murrill.

Much of what has been accomplished has been through grants. Peters said the town has applied
for grants with every acronym possible to fund economic development projects.

The town wanted to preserve a historic “Cundiff Drugstore” sign; to do so, staff spent a year’s
efforts on establishing a historic district downtown where it would be permissible.

He reminded board members of the many signature events which the town hosts— not just the
Christmas Parade, but the Fourth of July celebration which attracts thousands, the now 300-flag
Field of Honor at the War Memorial for those who have served in the military, and the Chamber
of Commerce Mingle at the Market concert series, which last season drew crowds of over 1,000
each night. He mentioned the town’s efforts to recruit locally based restaurants which offer live
entertainment nightly.

Peters summed up the town’s Comprehensive Plan 2050 and Strategic Plan 2025-2030 which
detail the town’s “marching orders” for the coming years. He touched on recent budgets which
have funded CIP projects and a full-time staff of 72. He discussed the variety of revenue sources
in the town which are not dependent upon real estate taxes, unlike many other localities. Rosie’s
Gaming Emporium has had a significant impact on town finances, which mostly likely will
increase dramatically in July through a shift in the state’s “local revenue retention” policy.

Another project, pushed by Supervisor Shepherd, will bring money to the town coffers with little
effort from the town due to a revenue sharing agreement between the two entities. The Board of
Supervisors voted to rezone about 36.501 acres in the Vinton Business Center from Planned
Technology Development (PTD) to R-3 medium-density residential, clearing the way for a
developer to build roughly 175 townhomes, which will benefit the town substantially.

The town is catching up on paving roads, something that had been neglected prior to 2022. Since
then, approximately 80% of Vinton’s streets have been milled and paved.

Stormwater projects abound in Vinton due to the fact that many pipes are over 50 years old. The
Vinton Public Works Department has become a legend in the region for the crews’ snow
removal expertise. All 11 signalized intersections in the town have been replaced, adding GPS
and Opticoms for the benefit of emergency vehicles. Four signalized pedestrian crosswalks have
also been added throughout the town.

Valley Metro is one of the areas in the region showing the most growth in ridership because of
Vinton’s switch to reciprocal routes.

Peters then detailed some of the projects that would not have been feasible without partnering
with Roanoke County. Incentives and performance agreements have removed obstacles to
development that would not have been possible otherwise. He mentioned in particular the Gish
Mill Redevelopment Project, which has received millions of dollars in grant funding for historic
preservation and economic development, as well as incentives from the town and even the
Western Virginia Water Authority for fire suppression upgrades. He also included Vinyard
Station which has had a tremendous impact on the downtown area through a partnership
agreement with the town and county.

The greenways and Walnut Avenue have also benefitted from diligent grant funding applications
completed by the town.

The list of projects Peters described was seemingly endless, including Cleveland Commons,
which has rejuvenated a blighted area and increased housing options, Stone Plaza, and the
Walnut Avenue corridor that will bring new businesses and much-needed parking to the
downtown area.

There are even more projects on the town’s list for future growth— the coming roundabout at
Hardy Road and Dogwood Boulevard (Vinton’s most dangerous intersection), fully funded by
VDOT SmartScale grant and scheduled for the Fall of 2027 through 2029; a WAWA near the
roundabout, and the housing potential for the McGimsey property behind River Park Shopping
Center (with the potential for 100+ units).

There is also the ongoing desire to move the Post Office to a new, more spacious location, out of
downtown. The town has plans for renovations to the Charles R. Hill Community Center in the
next couple of years, along with the Vinton Farmers’ Market stage and market stalls.
Here’s a recap of the tour beginning with the virtual tour of the hotel:

The Vinton/East Roanoke County Hotel – Construction is approximately 50% complete on the
hotel, which will have 92 rooms on four floors with plans to open in September. The town
acquired six downtown properties in the area for the project. The town hopes to receive about
$180,000 annually generated from the “bed tax.” It will become the tallest building in Vinton.
The project is using local suppliers and laborers as much as possible.

The Walnut Avenue Bike and Pedestrian Improvements – A $10 million project funded through
VDOT. Walnut Avenue is an aging industrial corridor, but now, with the improvements, more
marketable and ripe for redevelopment, and bordering Roanoke City.

The Wolf Creek Greenway has added actual “flushing” restrooms (at the trailhead closest to
Hardy Road) through grant funding. Work is proceeding on a nine-hole beginners disc golf
course. The town will be partnering with the Roanoke Disc Golf Club for special events.
The Vinton War Memorial is undergoing mostly cosmetic renovations—the footprint has not
changed. There will be new paint, new floors, new windows, new draperies, a new roof, a new
pergola, and a spectacular, art-like, and unique ceiling in the ballroom. The fireplace remains.
The second floor offices are being extensively renovated.

The plan is to reopen in time for the holiday season next fall. This project has been funded in-
house. Demolition is complete. The last renovation was in 2007. Director of Placemaking and
Cultural Events Mandy Adkins says the facility hosts over 200 events each year including
weddings, parties, showers, conferences, and other gatherings.

Capital Projects Director Jamie Hurt says the plan is to maintain and enhance the historic charm
of the exterior of the building while modernizing the interior.

At the Vinton War Memorial Park stop on the tour, Peters explained that originally the park was
intended to be a multi-year project, but at a budget meeting last year, council decided to just “do
it all at once,” not in phases. The grand opening has been set for April 2, with lots of hoopla for
the multi-generational park that has something for everyone. There is not just a playground, but
pickleball courts and a beginning skatepark, sheltered areas, walking paths, and more. The park
was formerly the site of the Vinton Municipal Pool. This project was funded by a grant, the
town, donations from Rosie’s via the Breakfast Lions Club, and Bank of Botetourt.

The next stop on the tour was the historic Gish Mill, in the works for 10 years. The cost of
renovations is about $5 million, half provided by the Town of Vinton through grants, incentives,
and contributions to the waterline project. Roanoke County incentives total $220,000. A good
deal of time was spent initially on stabilizing the building, which dates back to the 1700s in some
sections, the 1800s in others. Because it lies in the flood plain, all of the power services are now
located upstairs with flood gates underneath the structure. The renovated structure will house a
restaurant, bar, and seven Airbnb-style units. Almost all the building is original to meet historic
preservation standards. The stairs in the silo had to be preserved for that reason but will not be
used.

The final stop on the tour was downtown at Stone Plaza and the Walnut Avenue redevelopment
project. Signs of what’s to come are evident at the plaza on the corner with outdoor tables and an information kiosk. The former Cornerstone Antiques building was relocated a few yards when
the project began to create the plaza space. The McClung property across Walnut Avenue is
leased by the town with an option to buy. The 15,000-square-foot building may become a
gymnastics and competitive cheer center. Private investments have totaled $2 million.

“It is so exhilarating to see the progress the town has made,” said Supervisor Mahoney as the
tour concluded.