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Equity Empowerment Advisory Board urges 'statement of harm' and reparative actions for urban renewal's legacy
Summary
The Equity Empowerment Advisory Board presented an annual report documenting harms from historic urban-renewal projects (Commonwealth Project, Gainesborough, Civic Center construction), urged adoption of a statement of harm, memorials for displaced residents (Old Lick Cemetery/Corner Springs), and recommended housing reinvestment and a reparative funding mechanism.
Angela Penn, chair of Roanoke’s Equity Empowerment Advisory Board, told council on Dec. 15 that the board’s community listening sessions documented lasting trauma from mid‑20th‑century urban‑renewal projects that cleared neighborhoods, moved residents and businesses and, in some cases, relocated graves.
The EAB’s report summarized historical projects — including the 1955 ordinance (documented as ordinance number 12381) that approved the…
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