Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Healthcare Patient Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hospitality House of the Blue Ridge goes under contract for 25‑room facility, seeks $5.5 million to open
Summary
Hospitality House of the Blue Ridge told council it is under contract for 2110 Carolina Avenue, plans 25 guest rooms and shared spaces, and is seeking closing and construction funds to open in September 2025.
Hospitality House of the Blue Ridge said March 17 that it has gone under contract for 2110 Carolina Avenue and plans to convert the building into a 25‑room temporary lodging facility for patients and caregivers who travel more than 50 miles to Roanoke for medical care.
"We are hoping to create 25 rooms ... and a common area in the bottom floor of this three‑story building that will support community and healing," said Emily Reburn, executive director of Hospitality House of the Blue Ridge. Reburn told council the organization is in due diligence and anticipates closing May 1.
Reburn said the organization expects to need $585,000 to reach closing, roughly $3.5 million for construction and a total fundraising goal of about $5.5 million to complete the project and open by September 2025. She said roughly half of the closing funds are already pledged.
The proposed design by Balzer and Associates would place a communal kitchen, quiet and living spaces and a rooftop terrace on the top floor overlooking Roanoke Memorial Hospital and Mill Mountain, with laundry and a meditation room for longer stays. Reburn said Hospitality House operates on a sliding scale and that guest fees historically provide more than half of operating revenue at similar houses across the country.
Vice Mayor McGuire and other council members praised the concept, noting examples from other cities and saying the facility would help family members who otherwise sleep in hospital waiting rooms or vehicles. McGuire asked whether the property currently generates property tax revenue and whether the nonprofit would seek an exemption; Reburn said the building is vacant and the organization anticipates seeking a property tax exemption.
Reburn said the group is working with a local hotel (Holiday Inn at Tanglewood) to provide interim lodging and has served more than 350 nights to guests from seven states and 32 counties in 2023–24. The Hospitality House is continuing fundraising and community outreach and asked the city for visibility and support. Council did not vote on a funding request; Reburn asked the city to help publicize and consider community partnerships.
