Roanoke’s Architectural Review Board on Thursday approved planned repairs and upgrades to the city’s historic Fire Station No. 1 to allow a developer to bring lodging and retail to the building.
Because the 1907 building, at 13 Church Ave. S.E., is located in the city’s H-1 historic district, exterior changes must be approved by the city’s ARB.
The board voted 4-0 with member Bill Hume absent and Katherine Gutshall recusing herself because she’s involved in the project. Developer Old School Partners LLC is in the process of buying the station from Roanoke City, but the sale, which is subject to numerous conditions, has not closed yet.
Changes to the building must also be approved by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources as part of placing the building in a preservation easement and to qualify the project for historic tax credits.