Elmwood Park Proposal Drawings On Display at Library

Library parking lot (right) becomes a scenic boulevard under the plan.

Parks & Rec Director Steve Buschor explains plan to journalist Valerie Garner.

Hill Studio, which is creating plans for the re-design of Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke, had its preliminary plans on display tonight in the basement of Roanoke's Main Library, just off the park. This is the first phase (at $4 million) of what will eventually be a $9 million re-do of one of Roanoke's most popular festival sites.

Stage backs up to Williamson Road for unloading.

In the new vision, a permanent stage (75 feet by 45 feet) will be enlarged and will contained an enclosed area at the back and a dock that borders Williamson Road, so that vans and trucks can easily be unloaded. In front of the stage area a water fountain that looks like a moat will be built and that base area can be used as a dance floor when the water is emptied. In front of it will be 1,900 seats created from the terraced hill facing the stage.

The parking area beside the library will be landscaped and removed as a parking area (many of the spaces will be added in front of the library, simply by making the spaces slant, rather than parallel to the curb). The area at the end of the parking lot will be flattened for vendors, as will be the walkway toward the stage area.

The hill overlooking the entire area will hardly be touched.

Architect David Hill (left) talks with lawyer Steve Lemon.

Architect David Hill says the entire area will work in concert with the 1952 art deco library, "a great piece of architecture," and brick used on the new stage will match the library's brick. The art deco sign at the entrance of the library, which has been removed (David didn't know why) will be replaced. It is a marvelous and distinctive piece of Roanoke-ania.

None of this has been approved, but the drawings are up for a while for you to view and give your opinion.