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2022 SESSION

22106169D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 271
Offered February 22, 2022
Commending the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center.
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Patrons-- Rasoul, Austin, Ballard, Head and McNamara; Senator: Edwards
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WHEREAS, the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, a historic hotel in the Gainsboro neighborhood of Roanoke, has served the community and hosted numerous illustrious guests for 140 years; and

WHEREAS, originally designed to accommodate workers from Norfolk and Western Railway Company, the Hotel Roanoke was designed in a Tudor Revival style by the architect George T. Pearson and opened on Christmas Day in 1882; and

WHEREAS, the Hotel Roanoke underwent several renovations in the 1890s, and in 1916, the last remaining original section of the hotel was moved to the rear so that a new wing designed by the Roanoke firm of Frye and Chesterman could be added in its place; and

WHEREAS, in 1931, the original wing was demolished, and the replacement structure is the oldest remaining section of the hotel; the current central wing with its distinctive tower was designed by the firm George B. Post and Sons and built in 1938; and

WHEREAS, additional wings of the Hotel Roanoke were completed by the firm Small, Smith and Reeb in 1946 and 1954; the hotel served the community for many years until it was gifted to the Virginia Tech Real Estate Foundation in 1989 and closed shortly thereafter; and

WHEREAS, in 1992, Virginia Tech launched the Renew Roanoke campaign to raise money for the restoration and remodeling of the Hotel Roanoke; the project included the construction of a conference center and a pedestrian bridge over the nearby railroad tracks, creating a direct link with downtown Roanoke; and

WHEREAS, the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center reopened in 1995 as part of the DoubleTree chain and currently operates as a member of the Hilton Curio Collection; the hotel was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1995 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1996; and

WHEREAS, over the course of its long history, the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center has hosted a number of high-profile guests, including United States presidents and other dignitaries, as well as actors, athletes, and recording artists; and

WHEREAS, the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center has had a significant economic impact on the Roanoke community, generating thousands of jobs and stimulating tourism throughout the region; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center on the occasion of its 140th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the hotel’s history and contributions to the Roanoke community.