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.
(Editor note: We’ll be conducting our second gift card giveaway next week. More details in the next issue!)
📈 Top Story: Former Jersey Lily’s Property in Salem now Under Contract
One of Roanoke’s most talked about vacant restaurant properties may finally have a future.
The former Jersey Lily’s property at 1650 Braeburn Dr in Salem is officially under contract, according to listing agent Noah Beckley with Waldvogel Commercial Properties.
The 10,545 square foot restaurant has sat vacant for nearly two years and remains one of the area’s most recognizable former restaurant sites. Prior to Jersey Lily’s, longtime residents may remember the property as T-Bone Jack’s, Cheers, or Western Sizzlin.
At this time, no details have been released regarding the buyer or future plans for the property, and the deal remains subject to closing.
The announcement spared massive engagement across Roanoke Growth and Development’s social media pages this week, generating more than 150,000 views and hundreds of comments from local residents speculating on what could eventually land there.
Among the most requested concepts:
Cheesecake Factory (by far the most common response)
Trader Joe’s
Red Lobster
PF Chang’s
Culver’s
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
Family-style steakhouses and buffet concepts
Others leaned into nostalgia, with many commentors jokingly calling for the return of “Cheers” or even Jersey Lily’s itself.
A few commentors also speculated about local restaurant groups, redevelopment concepts, or entirely new-to-market chains potentially entering the Salem area.
For now, the future tenant remains unknown … but it’s clear the property still has a strong following locally.
📈Roanoke Growth Tracker
Tracking 🟢confirmed openings, 🔵construction activity, 🟡planned projects, and 🔴rumored tenants across the Roanoke Valley.
🟢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
🔵Wawa (various locations) - 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: Wingstop Arrives in Roanoke
One of Roanoke’s most anticipated restaurant officially become reality this week as Wingstop opened its new Electric Rd location at Southwest Plaza Shopping Center.
The national fast-casual chain, known for its wings, tenders, fries, and wide ranges of sauces/dry rubs, drew strong local interest leading up to opening day, with many residents excited to finally have a closer option in the Roanoke Valley.
Early feedback from readers has been overwhelmingly positive so far.
Jacob S., one of the first customers in line, said he had never tried Wingstop before opening day but “loved it” and is already looking forward to trying more flavors. Denise W. recommended the lemon peppers wings, while Dan G. said he’s excited to longer have to drive to Lynchburg for Wingstop.
The opening also comes as second and third Roanoke-area Wingstop locations are beginning to move forward as well.
🏡 Housing Watch: South Roanoke Townhouse Project
Construction activity is continuing to ramp up on a future townhouse community along Richelieu Ave in South Roanoke, where several older homes were previously demolished to make way for new multifamily housing.
The project has become one of the most closely watched housing developments in the city, partly because it reflects how Roanoke’s recent zoning changes are beginning to influence future residential growth and redevelopment patterns.
Supports argue projects like this can help address housing demand and create additional housing options in established neighborhoods. Critics, however, have raised concerns surrounding neighborhood character, density, traffic, and the loss of century-old homes previously located on the site.
With grading work and utility infrastructure now visible, the project is beginning to transition from proposal stage into active construction.
As Roanoke continues growing, developments like this are likely to remain at the center of broader conversations surrounding housing supply, redevelopment, and the future shape of the city.
🏗️ Development Watch + Whispers
New signage and site changes at the former Sheetz on Williamson Rd NE are fueling speculation about a possible new gas station/convenience store concept for the long-vacant property.
A Special Exception Application has been filed with Roanoke City, in reference to an expanded parking lot and upgraded drive-thru access for Chic-fil-A on Valley View Blvd.
📍Confirmed / In Progress
As part of a broader intersection work, a new access road from Route 419 to South Peak Boulevard is currently under construction.
Pizza Den, a popular Salem, VA eatery open for more than three decades, has officially closed its doors for good, citing a combination of personal health challenges, rising operating costs, and shifting local economic pressures.
Tanglewood Crossing, a new mixed-use development off Starkey Rd in Roanoke County, has confirmed that its first phase has been completely pre-leased, with five storefronts under construction in a roughly 14,000-square-foot building. No tenants have been publicly announced yet, but make sure to keep an eye on our socials as we’ll be releasing our speculated tenant list soon.
A newly released site plan map has also revealed a new proposed 4-story apartment building in the rear of the site, along with additional retail spaces under LOI (letters of intent).
🔦 Local Spotlight: Tanglewood Mall
Few commercial properties in the Roanoke region better reflect the changing retail landscape better than Tanglewood Mall.
Once one of Southwest Virginia’s premier shopping destinations, the mall today sits in a unique transition period, balancing nostalgia, vacancies, healthcare expansion, and long-term redevelopment potential all at once.
While many longtime residents still associate Tanglewood with packed holiday crowds, department stores, fountains, arcades, and the traditional indoor mall experience, the property has quietly continued evolving behind the scenes.
One of the biggest recent changes came when Carilion Clinic redeveloped the former JCPenney anchor space into a large pediatric and specialty medical campus, brining consistent daily activity back to the property. The mall has become a popular indoor walking destination and recently welcomed a new YMCA branch as part of broader efforts to diversify uses beyond traditional retail.
Tanglewood also sites near the center of Roanoke County’s long-term “419 Town Center” vision: a plain aimed at gradually transforming the surrounding corridor into a more walkable mixed-use district featuring housing, healthcare, entertainment, restaurants, offices, and updated retail concepts over time.
At the same time, new national retailers and restaurants continue targeting the broader Route 419 corridor, highlighting how retail growth patterns in the Roanoke region continue shifting away from the traditional enclosed mall model.
Even so, Tanglewood remains one of the area’s most recognizable commercial properties, and one that still carries decades of memories for many local residents.
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 vacant property, empty building, or underused site in the Roanoke Valley you would most like to see redeveloped. Here are a few responses from our readers:
John L, Zachary S: Former Sear’s at Valley View Mall
Danielle B: Former Smokey Bones and Logan’s Roadhouse buildings near Valley View, former IHOP building in Salem, and old Advance Auto Parts headquarters off Hershberger Rd
Melissa W: Empty storefronts at Tanglewood Mall
💬 Reader Question of the Week
What former Roanoke restaurant/store deserves a comeback?
Just reply to this email. Community answers will be featured in next week’s issue!
Interested in supporting Roanoke Development Weekly? Get your business in front of 325+ local readers each week. Sponsorship inquiries can be sent by replying to this email.
Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic week.
-Scott
Facebook: Roanoke Growth and Development / Instagram: @roanokegrowth
1