Jefferson Street Structures On Endangered List

Two vacant structures fronting Jefferson Street in downtown Roanoke were named to this year's list of the Roanoke Valley's endangered sites, compiled by a local preservation group.
The dilapidated Patrick Henry Hotel, once a lodging gem, and the former location of longtime department store Heironimus, both were named as neglected buildings by the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation.
In a news release, the foundation said neglect causes structures to deteriorate, lose value or even demand higher renovation costs.
'So often, nowadays, it's development that threatens our built heritage,' said Mike Kennedy, president of the foundation, in a news release. 'With the slowing economy, I suppose we'll see more neglect and fewer bulldozers tearing holes in our historic fabric.'
Financial uncertainty also could limit future development, the foundation stated.
The Patrick Henry Hotel, at 617 S. Jefferson St., opened in 1925. It closed in 2007 because its temporary occupancy permit expired, its sprinkler system was outdated, and wet crawl space the property was out of compliance with city code.
The hotel since has fallen into disrepair, and space saver storage its owner, Affirmative Equities Co. of New York, owes $80,310 in taxes to the city of Roanoke, according to Dana Long, manager of the city's billings and kerosene space heater collections department. If the taxes are not paid by Dec. 31, the property is eligible for a tax sale.
The structure at 401 S. Jefferson St. that once housed Heironimus has been vacant since 2005, after the closing of the Emporium shops. Heironimus shut its doors there in 1996.
There are signals that new life could come to the former Heironimus building. Bill Carder, executive director of Downtown Roanoke Inc., said potential purchasers have looked at the 75,000-square-foot structure for future development.
Also, the cityDowntown Roanoke Inc. have been working on a tax incentive program to attract developers to create more downtown retail space, he said.
'The Jefferson Street corridor is our No. 1 priority right now,' Carder said.