Technical Reports, Community Design Assistance Center

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Browsing Technical Reports, Community Design Assistance Center by Author "Alsaiari, Hamad"

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    Radford Comprehensive Plan Updates: Radford Village Center and Foundry Industrial Area Conceptual Master Plans
    Gilboy, Elizabeth; Browning, Lara; Alsaiari, Hamad; Burg, Gardner; Kim, Kyunghee; Rosenberger, Jack (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2015-06)
    The City of Radford is in the process of updating their 2009 Comprehensive Plan. As part of this process, several conceptual sketches that convey practical, yet visionary ideas for future development and redevelopment were needed. The city requested the Community Design Assistance Center’s help with this. The areas in need of conceptual sketches included the Radford Village Center and the Foundry Industrial Area, both located in the west end of the city.

    The Radford Village Center is located roughly parallel to the Norfolk and Western Railway, Bisset Park, and the New River. The Village Center area consists of several blocks southwest of the Memorial Bridge and contains the West End Downtown Historic District. Currently the area contains some vacant/underutilized lots. Many of these lots are located between the West Main Street businesses and the rail line.

    The city sees an opportunity to utilize this space to create a more usable open space for pedestrians and shop patrons as well as for limited infill development where appropriate. It is envisioned that the rear facades of these existing businesses will serve as “back porches” to a pedestrian friendly open space. The city requested that CDAC develop a master plan that takes advantage of the topography and river views. CDAC also looked at the potential for updating current parking in the area.

    The Foundry Industrial Area consists of approximately 140 acres situated between Bolling and Denby Streets along the New River. Historically, the area has been used for heavy industrial manufacturing. The site may soon be open for redevelopment and the city is considering the opportunity for a light industrial business park. The Design Center worked with the city to develop a master plan of this area that included conceptual building layout and character, proposed trails, sidewalk/streetscaping elements along Main Street, and a potential pedestrian connection from the site to a trail along the river.

    The following context map shows the locations of the two sites within the City of Radford, in relation to the New River, and Radford Village Center’s location near Bisset Park.
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    Stecoah Valley Center Conceptual Site Master Plan
    Gilboy, Elizabeth; Browning, Lara; Burg, Gardner; Behbahani, Armaghan Behzad; VanNoy, Jess; Alsaiari, Hamad; Eliason, Amy; Gresham, Carter (Virginia Tech. Community Design Assistance Center, 2015-06)
    The Stecoah Valley Center is located in Stecoah, NC within Graham County. The Center was built in 1926 and served the community as the Stecoah Union School until it was closed in 1994 and converted into a cultural center. The Center now serves the community as a place for after school arts programs, a performance space, an art gallery, a museum for Cherokee history, and an event space to celebrate local arts and agriculture. The Center sits on 10 acres of land currently comprised of a fitness trail that surrounds the extent of the property, a playground, an azalea garden, a pavilion, a separate gymnasium building, and a creek. The majority of the grounds consists of open space to provide ample room for the many cultural events the Center hosts in the summer and fall seasons.

    The Community Design Assistance Center (CDAC) was tasked with developing a conceptual master plan to enhance the cultural and environmental quality of the grounds. The proposed master plan includes a half-basketball court that also serves as an outdoor performance space, outdoor restrooms, a wind garden, a story circle, a creek-side reading area, an interpretive walking trail with a variety of stations, and stormwater management all of which are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible. In addition, open space was preserved to support the many events that the Center hosts every year.

    The Stecoah Valley Center also wanted CDAC to enhance the fitness trail and convert it to an interpretive walking trail, so 5 interpretive stations were proposed. These stations reflect the history, culture, art, and geology of the region.