Ramblings: City Seeks In-River Kayak Park Builder; Goodwill Grocery Store Opens; Schools Eye Construction Completion

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City seeks in-river kayak park builder

A kayaking center on the Roanoke River should be under construction within the next five months in Roanoke’s Wasena Park, according to city leaders who say the project could become the first of its kind in the state.

Working toward an expected opening in 2026, the city is now looking for a builder with at least seven years of in-stream project experience to construct a whitewater park for paddlers of all levels, plus a setting with calmer waters for tubing, paddle boarding and wading. Work is planned at six locations from beneath the Memorial Avenue bridge to just upstream of the low water bridge near Wiley Drive and Winona Avenue, planning documents said. 

To set the stage, crews will use equipment to deepen the river channel and procure boulders from an outside source that resemble the gray, gray-green and brown boulders of the river. The rocks will be carefully set to produce surf waves, eddies and boofs, or jumps, creating easy and medium rapids through the project’s length. Advanced rapids are expected during high water flow.

The city plans to install sidewalks that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, steps to the water’s edge, a gathering spot, kayak storage and turnouts along the Roanoke River Greenway, which carries cyclists and walkers through the park.

Alex Barge, who sits on the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, called the project “something unique that could certainly set Roanoke apart from other cities, could encourage folks to visit Roanoke, could encourage others to possibly move here.”

Wasena Park was evaluated in a feasibility study in 2015 and chosen when the city tapped $2 million of a $64.5 million-pandemic relief grant in 2022 to begin work. Officials last summer raised the estimated cost to $3 million and said it could go higher.

Forty-three pages of construction drawings prepared by Stantec, a global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm, were submitted to the city’s planning, building and development office for review Nov. 4. Interested builders have until Dec. 4 to bid for the work. Construction is expected to start late this winter or in early spring and take 18 months to complete, according to city spokeswoman Molly Hagan.

The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has awarded a grant of $331,652 to help cover certain costs. The money will pay for most of an ADA-compliant river access point under the Memorial Avenue bridge, Hagan said.

The city previously embarked on the replacement of the Wasena Bridge, which turned a portion of Wasena Park into a construction zone. That work, underway for six months, is expected to wrap in early 2026. 

Goodwill opens Market on Melrose grocery store

A grocery store in Northwest Roanoke operated by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys has its grand opening today (Wednesday).

Market on Melrose fulfills a promise from city leaders to bring a grocery store to a food desert. Roanoke gave Goodwill $10 million in federal pandemic relief funds for the project, which is anchoring the former Goodwill campus at 2502 Melrose Ave. NW A.

A ribbon cutting takes place at 10 a.m. and the first 100 shoppers will receive a gift.

The store will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

The 15,000-square-foot store, which broke ground a year ago this month, offers a variety of fresh produce, meats and dairy products, according to Goodwill, “with an emphasis on nutritious and affordable options.” MDI, a grocery wholesaler, sources the products.

Market on Melrose is the centerpiece of Melrose Plaza, a community hub announced in 2022 featuring the grocery store, a bank, health clinic and free high school for adults.

Goodwill has hired 40 employees for the grocery store, half of whom live in the surrounding neighborhoods, according to a spokesperson for Goodwill. Wages start at $14 per hour.

Roanoke school district eyes construction projects

Roanoke’s school administration building is slated to open officially as a center for parents and families in July.

“We will open that this summer, which is exciting,” Chris Perkins, chief operations officer, said at a school board meeting Tuesday.

The Booker T. Washington Community Empowerment & Education Center has been undergoing at least $3 million in renovations as part of the district’s 2021 “Equity in Action” plan.

The building will serve as a welcome center for parents needing help with school enrollment and host academic workshops this summer. Later, the district aims to provide programs geared toward community health and a parent and guardian “university” that will offer classes on supporting students’ emotional growth, social media safety and preventing gang involvement.

As part of the district’s equity plan, school administration staff are moving into new headquarters, the William B. Robertson Administration Building in the former Roanoke Times office building. Perkins said the goal is for a complete move-in by March. The building will be the home of new school board chambers.

“People don’t realize what we have spent in three years, over $100 million,” Perkins said.

That includes safety improvements, HVAC upgrades, additions at two schools and a new career and technical education center.

More is in the works.

School board members are expected to decide by January what path they want to take to increase the capacity at overcrowded high schools.

One idea is to construct 450-student additions at William Fleming and Patrick Henry high schools, construct a magnet school serving 1,200 students or build a third high school on between 40 and 90 acres that could hold 1,500 students.

District leaders are exploring the idea of transforming Jefferson Center into a magnet school focused on the arts and sciences. But Perkins said Tuesday that “there are a lot of questions about the Jefferson Center and what we can do with it and how much we can do.”

“We may have to look at other options if the Jefferson Center doesn’t pan out,” Perkins said.