Steve Frey
“If you build it, he will come.” Remember that old baseball movie, “Field of Dreams,” that contained this prophecy?
Well, for Radford (And Christiansburg’s downtown, too), there is a similar statement that many believe: “If you build it, they will come.”
The “they” in that statement refers to new businesses, tourism, industry and other institutions that will rev the local economic engine into a higher gear. What should Radford “build” to fuel that growth?
The Radford Chamber of Commerce and city government is looking for ideas and had a productive meeting to begin brainstorming.
This column will focus on some concepts that may or may not have been discussed for consideration. Again, this is a wish list, just a vision of what could be.
We should all be brainstorming what is dreamable.
After that, pare down what is possible based on taxes, practicality, regulations, and the willingness to persevere.
That perseverance part has to do with the rolling up of sleeves and committing to a multi-year plan and the hard work it entails. It will cost money and commitment, but the reward is well worth the hard work it takes to make a dream come true and the additional jobs and commerce that could come to Radford.
What follows is one version of a dream for Radford.
A Theme for Radford
Local municipalities have developed slogans to “brand” their areas. You see things like “Mountain Playground” or “Star City” and you begin to associate a city, county or other area with the description.
One suggestion would be to brand Radford as Virginia’s River City or The River City for short. Radford is defined by the New River; why not build on that and create a brand that is hip, enticing (river/water activities/views) and instantly recognizable.
For the purpose of this vision quest, let’s use, “Radford: Virginia’s River City.”
Village Green
Jeff Bezos is not moving the new Amazon center to Radford. When you look at the criteria for an area to be chosen, Radford is missing a few attributes. Okay, if not Amazon, who will be moving their company here. The short answer is that there’s nothing huge on the horizon.
Companies or industries will be looking for available land, a skilled workforce, a progressive city yearning for diversity and growth, an excellent school system for worker families and to produce future workers, and great amenities for worker families. They want recreational activities and good restaurants, as well as cultural opportunities. These ideas should be kept in mind.
How about stores?
Is Target going to move into one of the buildings in Downtown Radford? Probably not. They sell on large volume and need an expansive layout to create the revenue based on that volume to be successful. They also need parking, easy access and a large customer base.
It’s not just Target; many large companies have similar needs. Sears, JC Penny’s, Macy’s, Kohl’s, well, you get the picture, are probably not going to move downtown into one of Radford’s older buildings.
Even if they did, how long would they last with online ordering and free delivery available to everyone? Online commerce is the way of the future.
So, let’s go the way of urban renewal and get rid of the old buildings downtown. What you just heard was the sound of hundreds of heads exploding in the New River Valley. That is not the direction to take.
No, people like the historic buildings. They like the nostalgia. They like the memories of a simpler time when you could go downtown, get a soda pop at one of the many drugstores, catch a movie and head up the hill or back to the West Side with change in your pocket. Maintaining a link to the past with a view to the future seems like a good idea.
So, what goes into those buildings?
First (Now we’re just spit balling here, right?), we need to promote the updating of some of those buildings. Could zoning laws be created and enforced to create minimum standards for the appearance and safety of buildings?
Could those downtown buildings be made into an “historic district,” where standards for appearance and maintenance are prescribed? There should be a minimum standard created and enforced. These are ideas to explore.
Okay, let’s say the buildings are set. Who’s coming in?
Why not look for successful towns to study for possibilities. When we have visitors, we sometimes visit Floyd. Floyd is developing an artsy/music vibe, with a concentration of different shops and events to draw interest.
Someone mentioned Blowing Rock, North Carolina, to take a look at. I second that motion. Blowing Rock is an amazing little town.
Yes, it is in the mountains with the Blowing Rock Park as an original draw, but they’ve taken their downtown and created a mix of antique, art and boutique stores, restaurants and many other attractions. Plus, they have a community pool/splash park right downtown. Check it out: www.blowingrock.com
Then there is Mount Airy, North Carolina. Mount Airy calls itself Mayberry, because Andy Griffith grew up there. They have a rejuvenated downtown filled with amazing little and bigger shops with a variety similar to the description of Blowing Rock above.
They have an arts and crafts fair in the fall that goes on for blocks and blocks with a closed down city center that the shops benefit from, too. Check out Mount Airy: www.visitmayberry.com. By the way, in addition to Mayberry, they brand as Mount Airy–Mountains, Music, Mayberry, and Merlot! Pretty catchy, huh?
In Florida, there is a little town called Dunedin on the Gulf of Mexico. It rejuvenated its downtown about 20 years ago and now is filled with restaurants, art studios, ice cream shops and specialty boutique shops.
It has a vibe that draws visitors from all over the Tampa Bay area. It has a marina and dock on a sound that heads out to the Gulf. There are extensive recreation activities including a pool and splash center. It is home to Honeymoon Island State Park with beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. It is also the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays, but the downtown village makes the town. Check it out: www.dunedinfl.com
Abingdon is the home of the Barter Theater. It also has a beautiful, rejuvenated downtown area. It places a special focus on the arts. Check out the William King Museum of Art that is a beautiful ex-school building transformed into a free museum and a studio for artists. Here’s Abingdon: www.visitabingdonvirginia.com
It would seem that the best way to rebuild downtown is to obtain more great restaurants, boutique shopping, art focused shops, specialty shops, ice cream shops, bakeries, antique shops, theater, craft beer places and the like.
But where to park? How about taking the Third Avenue parking lot and building a multi-story parking garage similar to the one in downtown Blacksburg? (Remember, we’re dreaming here!) Plenty of parking and close to downtown. Give village residents a break on the cost of parking.
Next, create a walking mall from Third Avenue to Tyler similar to Charlottesville. Extend Tyler behind Wells Fargo and the gas station to the Farmer’s Market parking lot for easy access.
Allow restaurants in this area to have room for outside seating in good weather. Create a plaza effect with lots of trees and green spaces.
Yes, this would mean extending and widening for the Tyler extension. Perhaps the train depot could help with a little space. It would also mean rerouting traffic on route 11, although with route 81, there is probably not too much through traffic.
Place a water fountain/small green in Main Street near the present Farmer’s Market area. Take half the parking lot near Wells Fargo and make it into a cool playground park for children.
Keep all of the parking slots possible except for where the playground goes in. Take the bus parking lot, move the bus function to another lot in town (There are several possibilities.) expand it as much as possible, and make it into a car parking lot.
That way there are multiple parking possibilities surrounding this area with the parking garage, the former bus parking area, and the remaining parking lots/spaces along the extended Tyler Avenue.
Call this area “Village Green” to identify a specific section of Radford for visitors coming in. Connect the Village Green area with the trail (Call this trail The Ingles Trail.) next to the river with a bike/walkway off the Farmer’s Market and through the parking lot off of New River Drive.
Put a walking bridge over the railroad tracks for this trail. That way Radford’s Village Green area will be connected by walking trails to the Ingles Trail and Bisset Park.
People walking along the trail can scoot over to Village Green for an ice cream cone, lunch, a visit to shops or the theater, or a stop at the amazing playground.
In December, the Fountain Square area (Formally called the Farmer’s Market area.) in Village Green would be a great place for a Christmas tree lighting, right in one of the business districts.
Fountain Square would be a great place to put in an outdoor skating rink (Remember, we’re dreaming!). Can you imagine people skating around the rink with the Christmas tree and vendors selling hot chocolate and soft pretzels?
Yes, the rink would need a system for creating the ice at times, but this has been done elsewhere.
In season, Fountain Square would also continue to be the home of the Farmer’s Market. It would be a venue for concerts, Saturday night summer movies with a giant inflatable white screen, and other social activities.
In the fall and spring, have concerts that will draw Radford University students, also. RU, how about supporting the city by having some of your activities for students at Village Green? Students will start to see The Village as a fun place to check out stores, get a bite to eat, see a concert, movie, etc., even more than today.
Village Green will have parking, gathering spaces, a relaxing walking mall and all of this just off of the university. Add in incentives for moving to Village Green for small businesses in the way of grants and tax incentives and you have the recipe for a real resurgence.
River Landing at Bisset Park
Next, let’s take a look at Bisset Park. Bisset has more land on the New River than anywhere in the city. Virginia’s River City needs to focus on this area. The river is the central feature that connects all parts of the city and will be its brand. It needs to be emphasized for its recreational opportunities.
Let’s call the area near the Tangent Outfitters “River Landing.” This area needs to have easy access to the river for kayaks, floats, canoes, etc.
An area should be cleared for access and a removable kayak entry dock should be installed. I have seen removable kayak platforms work well in other river areas.
Restrooms should be put in place near here as well as nearby picnic areas.
River Landing should have a white sand beach similar to the one at Claytor Lake installed. The problem of preventing the loss of sand through flooding should be investigated and solved by engineers from Radford and Virginia Tech Universities.
This would be a great learning experience for some lucky group of student engineers and professors. A wonderful sandy beach would be a great asset for both residents and tourists. Another amazing playground should be installed at that end of Bisset.
Charge a minimal fee for visitors using the beach, just as they do at Claytor Lake. Keep the use of the kayak dock free for anyone to use. The Recreation Department will control this area and supply kayaking/water safety activities, in conjunction with Tangent, as well as lifeguards.
Resurface the tennis courts as needed. All facilities should be in top-notch condition.
Extend the walking/biking Ingles Trail by the Glencoe Museum and all the way to Riverview Park. Thin out foliage along the entire trail so people using it can see the river, take pictures, view wildlife, see people kayaking and floating on the river, etc.
River Landing at Bisset Park will be an outdoor recreational center along the river. Continue to have festivals, 4th of July celebrations, concerts, and other community and regional activities there.
Wildwood Park
Wildwood Park will continue to provide a wild, green area in the center of the city. Nature studies of the flora and fauna of the area should be emphasized and expanded, and structures crossing and accessing the stream should be well maintained.
Investigate creating a zip line course from the meadows off of Park Road through the woods. Do people want a quiet, peaceful walk through the woods? Would residents and tourists love a zip line? Food for thought.
Wildwood Park is an important corridor, also, in connecting the Recreation Center area to River Landing.
River Heights
The business section of West Radford could be called “River Heights.” The shopping area will be called The Shoppes at River Heights. Again, this will help visitors identify amenities in various areas of the city. Businesses will be encouraged to open in this area with the same incentives as in Village Green. Architectural and aesthetic standards will also apply.
The Main Street corridor between Village Green and River Heights should have a beautiful combination of green space and trees, be kept neat and well-maintained, with colorful signage.
Signage should actually be coordinated throughout Radford and each area, uniting all parts of the city into one coordinated concept: Virginia’s River City.
The library should be expanded so collections can be enlarged, the meeting area can be enlarged, and the computer/technology area can be enlarged. This will allow for larger numbers of people to meet and use the library.
An amphitheater will be built on the land next to the Glencoe museum to be used for concerts, outdoor plays like the Mary Ingles trek, and other presentations. This could be a great venue for large Crooked Trail concerts, too. Would Kollmorgen be willing to help with the cost? It could potentially be the Kollmorgen Amphitheater!
Across the street, the empty store and the old Hannifin’s restaurant will be eliminated to create additional parking.
This will also provide parking for the new water park that will go in the parking lot and area now occupied by the old Central Lumber. The restaurants and paint store would remain just as they are.
The water park will include an Olympic sized pool and a splash area similar to the facilities at Randolph Park in Dublin. The water park will be called “The River City Splashworks.”
The Recreation Department will control the park and charge a small admission, just as in Dublin. In the summer, the department will provide swimming lessons, have a summer swim team, water safety courses, etc., in addition to regular open admission.
The Splashworks will be connected to the Ingles Trail behind it and, thus, all of the activities throughout the River Heights and Village Green sections of Radford.
Having this near the Shoppes at River Heights will help to bring additional business/visitors to this area. The museum and water park will provide a mutual draw to the area with cultural and recreational opportunities.
Kuhn Barnett Regional Arts Center
Next, take the former Kuhn Barnett Elementary School and make it into the Kuhn Barnett Regional Arts Center. Rent out spaces to working crafts persons. Have areas for lessons in the arts for all age levels. Have music lesson rooms.
Make this the fine arts center for the New River Valley. Coordinate with the Glencoe Museum and Gallery on special projects, displays, and shows.
Have poetry recitals and discussions. Bring in speakers to talk about the writing process. Teachers and professors can rent areas for their own lessons.
This will become an arts colony and possibly a conduit for art to the small shops and performance venues in Village Green and River Heights. Again, check out the King center on that Abingdon site.
Riverview Park
Riverview Park has had its boat ramp improved recently and is a great place to put in with a kayak or float. In this plan the Ingles Trail would come into the park and should have appropriate signage. Restrooms and additional picnic facilities would be great. Additional uses for Riverview should be explored.
‘A Penny Saved Is a Penny Earned’
Many cities, towns, and counties have moved to solar energy as an energy source for their electrical utilities. Radford should, also.
Radford is going to have the dam on the Little River begin generating energy. It has been estimated that the dam will provide 3 percent of the energy for Radford.
Here’s a suggestion: Take the extra income the city gets from the dam production and any other extra budget money, and reinvest it in a solar energy program. Begin by placing solar panels on schools, government buildings, the recreation center—any and every government building.
Next, take the extra income from that solar energy production and continue to buy additional solar panels.
Acquire the empty lots owned by the former Radford Foundry site after appropriate cleanup. Begin placing panels in, moving east to west. The foundry’s main building and immediate area can remain viable for sale.
Begin in rows and with every successive year add additional panels. There will be a compounding effect, as less and less energy has to be purchased from Appalachian Power.
That will mean Radford Electric will be producing more and more of its own power and reinvesting the profits.
At some point in the process, begin splitting the profits between buying additional panels and dropping the cost of electricity used by the residents and businesses in Radford.
Radford will be a huge attraction for people, businesses and industries moving into the New River Valley because of lowered energy costs compared to other areas in the region. All of that will be accomplished through the production of clean, efficient and economical solar energy.
It will also be a great use for the lots sitting empty at the foundry and soon to be filled with gleaming solar panels illustrating Radford’s leadership as a progressive city looking for ways to encourage business and savings for its citizens.
“I heard that Radford has the best school system in Southwest Virginia.”
That is what everyone should be saying—in Radford, in the New River Valley, in Virginia, and, well, everywhere. The school system is what draws new residents and companies to any area.
Radford wants to have the best teachers, the best curriculum emphasizing 21st century skills and the best-educated students prepared for the future.
Opportunities for even greater synergy between Radford City Schools, New River Community College, and Radford University should be continually explored.
This column is long enough already, so we’ll explore this in more detail later. Suffice it to say, the school system IS the community, so budgeting and programming have to reflect the real needs of the schools, now and in the future.
The Future is Now
Okay, I’ll stop there for now, but that is one possible vision. Yes, there are many variables and problems in accomplishing any of the above. There are probably a lot of details or restrictions I’m not aware of.
However, if you just say, “that’s impossible,” “we can’t afford that,” “it’s just not practical” or “it’s just foolish,” and decide to stick with the status quo, nothing will change. You have to start somewhere.
Now is the time to think outside the box. Everyone wants new businesses to come to Radford, but the businesses have to want to come here. They have to feel they can succeed.
They have to know that large numbers of people will support them. They have to see Radford as a progressive, welcoming, cutting edge city that is growing and prospering.
The more you invest in the city, the more you will receive back in commerce. The neat thing about it is that you invest arithmetically, but the growth and profit is geometric. Once you start the momentum, it begins to gain speed.
The tourism department does an amazing job of promoting Radford for us. What can be done to increase even more visitors to our city? Tourism is free money that when spent here, stays here. Visitors have to have a reason to come. How can we make Radford THE place in the New River Valley, in Southwest Virginia, and in Virginia to visit?
What is your dream for Radford? What do you want the city to become? Think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to dream. The more input the better. Share your ideas with the Chamber and city government officials.
Remember, also, that the only constant in life is change. Let’s create and guide that change for Radford.
And don’t forget, if you build it, they will come.
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.
