Roanoke City Tried To Buy Claytor Clinic Property As Part of Gainsboro Revitalization

Henri Gendreau -
The city's negotiations to buy the Claytor Clinic property broke down this spring because of the property's convoluted ownership structure, the city said. PHOTO BY HENRI GENDREAU FOR THE ROANOKE RAMBLER

Roanoke City attempted to buy the storied Claytor Memorial Clinic property last year as part of its efforts to revitalize the Gainsboro neighborhood.

The city has earmarked $5 million in federal pandemic relief funds to establish a hub in Gainsboro focused on business development and healthcare.

Last fall, city leaders began negotiating with members of the Claytor family about buying the one-acre parcel at Patton Avenue and Jefferson Street. The Claytors lived in a stately home on the property and ran an eponymous health clinic there until the 1990s.