Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
MONTGOMERY COUNTY- Kevin Byrd, Executive Director of New River Valley Regional Commission, addressed the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors on the NRVRC’s need for a larger office space at the BOS Aug. 26 meeting.
Byrd, in his presentation, explained that the New River Regional Commission has existed for about 55 years (since 1969) and for the first 30 years, was based out of Radford. In the past 25 years, Byrd explained, they have expanded their space multiple times but now needs a larger space and a space that is accessible after hours for public meetings. Byrd said the NRVRC has 22 employees currently and in their current space, many of them share offices, even explaining that one office is 383 square feet and shared between three employees. This new building would not only locate NRVRC within Montgomery County, but also, with some construction, provide the organization with the space and offices needed to comfortably provide for their staff.
The NRVRC is currently planning on purchasing the old American National Bank Building off of Market Street in Christiansburg. With this location, Byrd explained, they would build out the drive-through area and enclose that to create a large conference room that would have after hours access for their public meetings where they need space. This would also allow them to lock down the rest of the building. Byrd also addressed this building’s central location as ideal because it also faces Franklin Street and is close to Uptown Mall and other Uptown Christiansburg amenities.
“This is,” Byrd said, “ideally centrally located for the organization and right in the middle of what happens in the New River Valley in that main intersection there. It’s also accessible through public transit which is not the case where we are currently.”
The purpose of Byrd’s presentation was to gain a consensus from the Board of Supervisors before reaching out to the other localities the NRVRC serves and explain the proposed changes to the building when it is purchased. Byrd also showed a breakdown of the financial cost with the building currently priced at two million dollars to purchase before any construction is done. The estimated total project cost with the purchase of the building and construction is 3.5 million dollars.
“This is an important asset,” Angela Hill, County Administrator, said, “for the county, and I think for our region. I think that Montgomery County is in a good position, a critical position, to help the Regional Commission to move forward at this point.”
Hill explained that at the next board meeting, it would be best that the Board of Supervisors sign a support agreement to help the NRVRC in terms of helping them with banking and funding. This would be the next step so that the NRVRC could begin to entertain financing options.