Welcome to this issue of Roanoke Development Weekly: a quick look at what’s being built, opening, and changing across the Roanoke Valley.
Each week will be a short breakdown of the biggest updates + a few things I’m keeping an eye on.
📈 Top Story: Former Burlington Site Could be Heading Toward Redevelopment
One of Roanoke’s most talked about vacant retail properties may finally be showing early signs of redevelopment activity.
City records show a new “pre-application meeting” filing connected to the former Burlington property along Hershberger Rd. NW. While no official project plans or tenants have been announced, these types of meetings are often used as an early first step for developers to discuss site possibilities, zoning considerations, utilities, traffic access, and redevelopment concepts with city staff before submitting formal plans.
The roughly 80,000-square-foot former Burlington building has sat vacant for years and remains one of the largest empty retail spaces in the Roanoke market. Given the size of the property and surrounding parking area, the site could potentially support a wide range of future uses, including a large-format retailer, entertainment concept, fitness facility, furniture/home store, mixed retail subdivision, or even a broader multi-tenant redevelopment project.
The location has become increasingly active in recent years with nearby additions including Sportsman’s Warehouse, Big Lots, and the future Dutch Bros Coffee site, making the corridor one of the more closely watched commercial areas in the region.
At this stage, the filing remains very preliminary, and no approvals have been granted. Still, after years of inactivity, it may be the clearest indication yet that conversations surrounding the property are beginning again.
📈Roanoke Growth Tracker
Tracking 🟢confirmed openings, 🔵construction activity, 🟡planned projects, and 🔴rumored tenants across the Roanoke Valley.
🟢Wingstop (Electric Rd) - Open May 18th
🔵Crumbl Cookies (Old Country Plaza) - Summer 2026
🔵Nothing Bundt Cakes (W Main St, Salem) - Summer 2026
🔵Academy Sports + Outdoors (Towne Square) - Fall/Winter 2026
🔵Kick Back Jack’s (Valley View Mall Vicinity) - TBD
🔵Wingstop (Lake Drive Plaza, Vinton) - TBD
🔵Publix (Route 221) - TBD
🟡Wingstop (W Main St, Salem) - TBD
🟡Teriyaki Madness (W Main St, Salem) - TBD
🟡Dutch Bros (Hershberger Rd) - TBD
🔴Costco (Exit 150, Cloverdale)
🔴Dave and Busters (Valley View Mall)
Know a local business opening, expansion, redevelopment project, or rumored tenant? Reply to this email and let us know. This list will be maintained and updated weekly.
📢 Opening Spotlight: $26M RoVa Labs Biotech Incubator Opens in Roanoke
A major new addition to Roanoke’s growing Innovation Corridor has officially opened with the launch of RoVa Labs at Carilion Clinic.
The new 40,000-square-foot biotechnology incubator located on South Jefferson St. will provide specialized wet lab space, startup support, and shared research facilities designed to help grow biotech and life sciences in the Roanoke Region. Organizers say the project is expected to support approximately 250 jobs within five years.
The facility is designed to help early-stage biotech and life science companies grow by providing specialized laboratory space, equipment, and startup resources that are often too expensive for smaller firms to access independently.
The $26 million project is part of a broader push to position Roanoke as a regional hub for healthcare innovation, biotechnology, and medical research commercialization alongside institutions such as Carilion Clinic, Virginia Tech, and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.
You can learn more about RoVa Labs here: Agreement Creates RoVa Labs at Carilion Clinic
🏡 Housing Watch: Keagy Village Multifamily Development
A proposed 224-unit apartment community at Keagy Village in Roanoke County remains in the planning stages following earlier rezoning approval.
The development would include four 4-story multi-family buildings totaling 224 residential units, along with amenities such as a clubhouse, pool, fitness center, co-working space, coffee bar, bike storage, and additional green space.
Plans also call for new sidewalks and pedestrian connectivity throughout the site as part of a transition between the existing commercial corridor and surrounding residential neighborhoods.
While no construction timeline has been announced and no visible site work has started, the proposal remains one of several larger housing projects currently being tracked across the Roanoke Valley.
The site also carries some additional history locally. Keagy Village has struggled to remain full occupancy since opening, and early concepts for this portion of the project once included a potential anchor tenant or grocery store before plans ultimately shifted toward residential development.
🏗️ Development Watch + Whispers
A few readers have suggested that Coldstone Creamery may be eyeing a return to the Roanoke Region, potentially as part of the Salem Sonic redevelopment project covered in last week’s issue.
📍Confirmed / In Progress
Hospitality House of the Blue Ridge is moving closer to reality at 2110 Carolina Ave. The planned project would provide affordable lodging for patients and families traveling to Roanoke for medical care, just steps from Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
Shadwell Properties has confirmed plans for a new LDS facility on the recently sold Sanderson Drive property in Roanoke County. While the LDS Church previously announced a future Roanoke Temple in 2023, it has not yet been publicly confirmed whether this specific site would include the official temple structure or a standard meetinghouse.
🔦 Local Spotlight: Black Dog Salvage + Roanoke Mountain Adventures
Two longtime Roanoke businesses are preparing for major changes along the Roanoke River Greenway corridor.
Black Dog Salvage recently announced plans to shift much of its large-scale salvage inventory and operations to its Ashlawn Street warehouse location in Norwich, while maintaining its well-known main showroom, retail presence, and Dog Bowl stage near Memorial Bridge.
The transition will create room for Roanoke Mountain Adventures, which specializes in outdoor gear, consignment, kayaks, and tubing, to expand from The River House into part of the Black Dog campus after reportedly outgrowing its current space.
The move continues a broader wave of activity surrounding Roanoke’s riverfront and greenway areas, especially as additional outdoor recreation investments continue taking shape nearby.
Know a local business expanding, opening, or doing something interesting? Send it my way.
💬 Reader Responses from Last Week
Last week’s question asked about what business, restaurant, or retailer you’d most like to see come to the Roanoke Valley. Here are a few responses from our readers:
Ron R: Raising Cane’s, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, and Culver’s
Ginger R: Bealls
LeighAnn: Trader Joe’s and Cheesecake Factory
Mike P: Bonefish Grill
Peggy F: Wegman’s
There was also plenty of support for more locally owned restaurants, late-night food options, and entertainment concepts.
One thing continues to stand out: there’s clearly strong demand for both new national chains and unique local businesses as the Roanoke region continues growing.
💬 Reader Question of the Week
What’s one vacant property, empty building, or underused site in the Roanoke Valley you’d most like to see redeveloped?
Just reply to this email. Community answers will be featured in next week’s issue!
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Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic week.
-Scott
Facebook: Roanoke Growth and Development / Instagram: @roanokegrowth
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