For the last several years, the only inhabitants of the Villa Heights property in Northwest have been wildlife. Now a local non-profit is kicking the buzzards out of the 19th century home to bring life and youth back in.
“This is like seeing Lazarus rising from the dead,” said Roanoke City Council Member Anita James Price.
The property is about about to change dramatically.
“I literally opened this door and you could hear the buzzards upstairs flying out when I opened the door,” said Council Member Michelle Dykstra. “I mean, there has been wildlife living here I can tell you that.”
At Tuesday’s ribbon cutting, city council and members of the non-profit renovators Restoration Housing celebrated the start of renovation on what is soon to be a new Boys and Girls Center.
Dykstra, also CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Roanoke, said this center will focus on bringing in middle and high school students and teaching them soft skills for employment. They’re also hoping to partner with other local non-profits to take advantage of the three acre property.
Council member Price was visibly pleased. For her, this is full circle business.
“This building is a part of my life,” Price said. “When this was Villa Heights Recreation Center, we spent many hours here with dance programs and recreation activities.”
Project leaders say they know Villa Heights has seen much better days.
So has this community.
“A few years ago after the fire, I came to look at the property,” Price explained. “On the playground a little boy, not knowing I was on city council, he just looked at me and said, ‘I really wish this place was open again and I wish I had someplace to go.’ That has stuck with me through the years.”
Renovation won’t be easy. Summer rains have made a hard project even harder.
But over the next year Dykstra said Villa Heights will rise again better than ever.
“And to know that it’s going to be a home again for the community and our community’s kids is really exciting.”
Published September 25, 2018 on WDBJ7 by Leanna Scachetti.
