Price Gutshall

Vice President of Economic Development

Downtown Roanoke, Inc.

COMMERCE, CULTURE, AND IDENTITYTHE RESURGENCE OF DOWNTOWN ROANOKE

Downtown’s Decline

1986 1990 1998 200211,500

12,000

12,500

13,000

13,500

14,000

14,500

15,000

Downtown Employment

Year

Employees

Downtown’s Decline

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 199670

75

80

85

90

95

100

Office Occupancy

Year

% Occupancy

Downtown’s Decline

Importance of Downtown

Plans

Tactics - Revitalization

Impact – Preservation/Residential

Tactics - Use

Impact- Residential population sours from 50 people in 2000 to

1,500 by 2015

- Office Employment reaches new high of 14,500

- Private investment in new districts throughout the downtown, in excess of $500 million

- Most restaurants per capita in Virginia

- Office Occupancy around 95%

Next Steps• Retail Recruitment Strategy

• Streetscape Improvements

• New/more public space

• Tourism/hospitality

• Entrepreneurship

• New Construction

Thank you!