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Route 419 Town Center Planning Study

Breathing new life into an old mall

  • 1.5M

    Square Feet

  • 760

    New Housing Units

  • Roanoke County, Virginia

    Roanoke County, Virginia

Creating a new neighborhood with a strong sense of place where people of all ages want to live, work, and play

We helped the community reinvigorate a declining mall and the commercial corridor it anchors to turn parking lots and outdated buildings into a walkable new town center for the Roanoke Valley. Over 20 years, redevelopment will replace parts of the mall with a pedestrian-focused street grid, complementary new stores, and more than 400 units of housing that respond to emerging market demand. The result? A new neighborhood with a strong sense of place where people of all ages want to live, work, and play.

Working closely with residents, businesses, and other stakeholders, we created a plan that protects commercial and cultural assets and adds a host of new connections—linking business to business, neighborhood to the Main Street, and the new town center to the region. As well, the plan’s complete streets recommendations turn a high-volume highway into a lively, landscaped corridor that serves foot, bike and auto users equally well.

The plan uses market demand to boost both quality of life and economic performance by making the area more appealing to businesses and educated young workers. Approved in 2019, it has already helped win $25 million in funding for connectivity improvements.

At a Glance

Offices
Meet Our Team

Steve Kearney, Principal

Working with—and learning from—community members is what excites me most in all of my planning projects.

Anushree Nallapaneni, Urban Designer

I enjoy graphic visualization of design ideas and urban data analysis and strive to incorporate innovative approaches in my work.

Mike Rutkowski, Senior Principal, Complete Streets Leader

When we work with our clients, we simply want to create a place where our families would want to be.

Steve Kearney

Principal

Anushree  Nallapaneni

Urban Designer

Mike Rutkowski

Senior Principal, Complete Streets Leader

We’re better together

  • Become a client

    Partner with us today to change how tomorrow looks. You’re exactly what’s needed to help us make it happen in your community.

  • Design your career

    Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.

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