New Direction in Blacksburg Planning
Anyone's who's tried to buy housing in Blacksburg can you tell you - it's a tough market. With Virginia Tech increasing enrollment and young families vying to make sure their children attend Blacksburg schools, there's a significant shortage of bedrooms in the town.
Now the Town Council and Planning Commission are looking to change that, but it'll mean changing the face of Blacksburg. A few residential projects have already been approved recently including The Retreat, Sturbridge Square, Preston Row, Midtown, and Whipple Duplexes
All of these will change the way the town looks and feels. There are two being considered by the Planning Commission now, The Standard and the Stadium View developments that, along with the recent approval of Midtown, will change the landscape of the town.
1. The Standard at Blacksburg. A rezoning request is before the planning commission to turn 5.5 acres in the 1000 block of North Main into one of the tallest off campus buildings in Blacksburg. At about 70' feet it will be a multi-use tower with retail and parking on the bottom and 4-6 stories of apartments above, just next to Abby's restaurant.
The request for rezoning also includes other parcels around Moog for further development.
2. Stadium View Planned Residences. Next to Stadium Woods, another development before the Planning Commission to add more bedrooms to Blacksburg is the Stadium View Planned Residential District. This development it proposing planned residential and low density multi-family apartments. With the location being close to campus, the town has made it a point to incorporate bus and bike handling into the plans so that residents are less likely to increase traffic with short trips downtown. The public hearing on this is currently not scheduled, but the application is pending.
3. Midtown Development. Already approved by the Planning Commission and ready for construction, Blacksburg Midtown area is integral to the town and because of that it's been under discussion and planning for years. It's the area bordered by South Main, Willard Dr, Ehart St, and Clay St. It's the "Cricket Meadow" behind the Gourmet Pantry building. According to the design firm that's creating the mock up, "Midtown is a planned real estate development project to be built on 22 acres in Blacksburg, Virginia. The planned new community will span nearly 5 blocks, featuring 250+ new homes, 100,000+ square feet of work space, retail, and dining, as well as a park and possible new civil facilities for the police department and a Montgomery County Library branch." As of the May vote, building on the first 80 apartments, parking deck, and police station can begin soon.
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