Neighborhoods - The Roanoke Rambler

Gainsboro Residents Urge City To Focus on Present Housing Stock Over Future Hub

Residents expressed confusion and criticism over a report aimed at guiding the long-neglected neighborhood’s revitalization.

Over the last decade, Southeast Roanoke has experienced the steepest drop in population among any Roanoke neighborhood.

Negotiations broke down in recent months because of the property’s convoluted ownership model, the city said.

The effort marks a shift in city thinking from a focus on downtown to revitalizing neighborhood centers across Roanoke.

Last year, Roanoke inched above 100,000 in population for the first time in forty years. But not all that growth is spread evenly across the city.

Tensions over whether and how the neighborhood should change, cross generational, racial and class lines.