Community Developments

Roanoke County broke ground on the first phase of the Plantation Road Bicycle, Pedestrian and Streetscape Improvement project on a bright and sunny morning on March 8, 2017. The ceremony took place in the front yard of Double Envelope, located in the middle of the bustling corridor. Enthusiasm was high among a crowd made up of area business representatives, local leadership, Plantation Project construction team members and County and VDOT staff. 

“Is this not the most beautiful place in the county?” declared Al Bedrosian, Roanoke County Supervisor for the Hollins District. “You’ve got thriving businesses and you can hop right on I-81. The Board wants to make this the best corridor there is.” 

Bedrosian thanked the staff for the time they’d taken to keep the project alive since its inception in the Hollins Area Plan in 2008. Board of Supervisors Chairman Joseph P. McNamara emphasized the importance of the long-awaited project.

“This project represents a key economic development strategy for the Hollins area in support of some of the County’s largest employers,” said McNamara. “Improvements to our commercial corridors create economic opportunities for new investment in Roanoke County.”

The overall project encompasses the length of Plantation Road (Route 115) from Interstate 81 to Williamson Road (Route 11), a distance of about one mile. It is estimated that there are between 13,000 and 16,000 vehicle trips per day in this area. The corridor holds more than 3,000 employees—the largest concentration of employees within Roanoke County. 

The improvements will make it easier for those employees to comfortably walk to stores and restaurants in the area, as well as to Walrond Park. Erik Fox, vice president of Plantation Road employer Harris Corporation, shared that he is excited for Harris employees to have safe access to these amenities every day.

Brian Sass, CEO of BSC Ventures, parent company to Double Envelope, echoed these sentiments but stated he felt that “the most significant part of the project is that it sets a great standard for the County to make investment in development.”

Phase I will improve the west side of Plantation Road. It includes: a 10-foot-wide shared-use path from Williamson Road to Walrond Drive; street trees; curb and gutter; and a “Welcome to Hollins” sign. The anticipated completion date is June 2018. Approximately $4.2 million in federal, state and local funds have been allocated for the project.

Future developments for the area will include a traffic signal with pedestrian crosswalks and signals at the Lila Drive intersection. Grant funding has also been requested for sidewalk between Walrond Drive and Gander Way, as well as for Williamson Road between Peters Creek and Plantation Roads.