[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 198 (Monday, December 17, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE 136TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOTEL ROANOKE & CONFERENCE 
                                 CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 17, 2018

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to recognize a National 
Historic Landmark located in my hometown of Roanoke, Virginia in the 
Sixth Congressional District. The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center 
stands at the heart of Roanoke's downtown, on a hill in the Gainsboro 
neighborhood where it has been located for 136 years.
  Roanoke was founded as the confluence of two railroads. The Norfolk 
and Western Railway established the city as its hub. The N&W--now 
Norfolk Southern--constructed the Hotel Roanoke and opened it on 
Christmas Day 1882. Since then, it has welcomed men, women, and 
children from all walks of life to enjoy the hotel's lodging, its 
amenities--including its Southern cuisine, like its famous peanut 
soup--and just the chance to spend time in one of the city's cultural 
centers.
  Regretfully, due to declining interest in maintaining the historic 
structure, the Hotel Roanoke closed on November 30, 1989. The contents 
of the hotel were even sold to interested buyers. Fortunately, thanks 
to an agreement with Virginia Tech and the desire of community leaders 
to redevelop the dilapidated structure, more than 2,800 people and 
businesses pledged the funds needed to help the Renew Roanoke effort, 
which raised $8 million to save the hotel from demolition.
  In a partnership that included the Virginia Tech Real Estate 
Foundation and the City of Roanoke, the completely renovated Hotel 
Roanoke & Conference Center opened in April 1995. The city built a 
pedestrian bridge to connect the facility to the central business 
district, a vital connection that has contributed heavily to the 
rebirth of Roanoke's downtown. It's estimated in the 23 years since its 
reopening, the hotel and conference center has had a $558 million 
economic impact and has led to hundreds of millions of dollars in 
additional investments by a wide variety of housing interests, 
businesses, restaurants, and cultural amenities.
  Affiliated as a Doubletree hotel from its reopening, the Hotel 
Roanoke & Conference recently converted to Hilton's Curio Collection. 
It's the latest update to take the structure known for its Tudor-style 
construction into a new role in Roanoke's growth. I've been blessed to 
enjoy countless happy occasions with family members and friends at 
``the Grand Old Lady on the Hill.'' The Hotel Roanoke's 136th 
anniversary is just a week away. It's a fine time to celebrate not only 
the Christmas holidays but the contributions made by the Hotel Roanoke 
to the region's history and its very promising future.

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