Other concerns have in the past hampered development in the area. Sonic’s initial application for development was first held back by concerns for pedestrian accessibility because of the lack of a sidewalk in the proposal as well as the potential harmful impact of Sonic radio.
Sonic altered its application and re-applied. This application was approved, but the company decided not to build.
Alwang said that the addition of a Sonic or other fast food restaurant to the First & Main area might slightly help the town’s economy.
“The retail tax is a county tax and half of it goes back to the county of origin,” Alwang said, so the only effect a big box store would have, in his opinion, would be displacement of value coming into Montgomery County from Christiansburg.
However, Alwang said, a large commercial development “might help with the local taxes on restaurants and cigarettes. So if a Sonic were added, it might slightly increase the town’s capture of a food and beverage tax,” he said.
Anderson also said the idea that the town council doesn’t support any big box type of growth is a common misperception.
“We do have big box stores here in Blacksburg,” she said. “For anyone to think that Blacksburg is opposed to big boxes is just silly. We have them, we need them.”
Two notable examples of big box stores that have successfully passed through Ordinance 1450 are the Kroger on South Main Street and the recently-expanded Tech Bookstore, also on South Main.
“We aren’t anti-business or anti-First & Main,” Anderson said.
While Anderson and her colleagues look forward to fostering growth in the town and dealing with applications for change as they come, Alwang is not so hopeful about the economic future of Blacksburg.
“The wellbeing of Blacksburg is closely tied to Virginia Tech, and the state’s budget looks sad,” Alwang said. “I’m not at all optimistic about the next three to four years.
“Small businesses can be a positive agent of growth, but I don’t think the town council can do anything for growth.”
Although there’s no way to predict what will happen in the future, Anderson said the council hopes to continue to “act in a responsible manner to listen and pay attention to citizens and to be fair in making decisions.”
Continue Reading: « Previous12
Leave a comment 11 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
Is it Ordinance 1540 or 1450? You might want to make sure you have it correct before you publish the article.
Reply to this Top
It's 1450, to be sure.
Reply to this Top
To consider the expansion to Tech Bookstore a "big box" development is a bit ridiculous. Love those empty storefronts!
Reply to this Top
By any other name it is called "THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS". In trying to 'save us all' from the corporate evil of a well managed retail center the 'frightened little Rugby Field lovers' sold us the notion that this would end our town as we know it. But my children, have no fear. It is clean, it is nice, and it COULD be fully leased if we hadn't been 'frightened' by the tie-dye mafia!!!
Reply to this Top
To this day, I will never understand why the Big Box Kroger store was allowed to be built by Beeks but the First and Main Big Box was stopped.
Reply to this Top
I'll tell you - a little group with a big hippie, dippy mouth and no understanding of economics, development or civics got on their 'high horse' and jammed a bunch of junk down our throats. In the process, they derailed what could have been a fully leased, fully functioning retail center. As we can see, it isn't the big scary monster from hell that they said it would be. It's actually quite nice, very well managed and IF we had a movie theatre, a Sonic and a WalMart (or other anchor) it would be a huge addition to our town. BUT, these fools really messed it up for all of us. BOO!
Reply to this Top
The Tech Book Store is in no way, shape or form a 'big box' store.
It's footprint is about that of the Wachovia Bank Building or National
Bank Building in Downtown Blacksburg.
The only two commercial structures in the 'box' territory are both of our Kroger Stores (one at University Mall and the other on South Main).
One thing we should get built is the movie theatre at First and Main
and what about meeting with the developers to get something a bit more town friendly on the Wal Mart site, such as a Khol's Department Store.
Everyone forgets that the majority of the 'mess' that has been made in complicating and slowing the proper completion of First and Main lies directly in the hands of these people now back pedaling that they are not opposed to the 'box' in theory. All it took was foot dragging right into the gaping jaws of the recession to change their tunes. Same old, same old.
Reply to this Top
I'm all for a big box store but I hope its not a Wal-Mart. Not because Wal-mart is evil, but because there's one within 10 mins of Blacksburg. 10 freakin' minutes. It's not that big of a deal to get there.
Reply to this Top
I hope they build a nice green lot and just plant some trees there. and they can leave a tip jar in the new park to raise revenue.
Reply to this Top
It's been long established that the big box is a wal-mart and the developers want to blame the town for their own bad business decisions. there have been three different attempts to bring a movie theater into first and main but they could never get the financing. the reason why there are empty storefronts at first and main or downtown is the economy. who is shopping? malls are emptying out everywhere.
it's the economy stupid.
Reply to this Top
Ordinance 1450 deals with size, any commercial structure over 80,000 sq. feet requires a special use permit. The real estate and developer backed interests who fought the ordinance had argued that 1450 would make it impossible for businesses to expand or even attempt to bring in businesses over 80,000 sq feet because the ordinance was prohibitive. When Anderson talks about our other "big boxes" she is speaking in terms of the ordinance, which deals with size, not type and making the point that SUPS were granted without trouble to the two businesses who applied. She is not saying that the Tech bookstore or the expanded Krogers is comparable to a Wal-Mart in type, she is comparing them in terms of the need for a SUP. Interestingly enough, when Ordinance 1509 was proposed, which requires a SUP for commercial sites over 50,000 sq. feet, it was unanimously approved without any controversy at all. No drama, just another SUP and developers have to deal with SUPS all the time whether it be putting in a drive-through or a home trailer. This one just happens to deal with size.
Reply to this Top