000000_TownBburg_DowntownLiving_FB

DOWNTOWN’S SIX DISTRICTS

CHAPTER 5

DOWNTOWN WEST: DRAPER

Opportunity site

Existing Conditions: Draper Draper Road holds great promise and potential, with many assets in place. However, it lacks cohesion today, sometimes serving more as a service alley to Main Street. Several buildings are oriented away from Draper; others lack architectural detail. In terms of public amenities, Draper links Henderson Lawn and College Avenue on one end—two gems of Blacksburg—and the Huckleberry Trail on the other. In between are numerous assets, including the popular Market Square Park, the underutilized Marcia’s Park, the beautifully restored Alexander Black House—which serves as both a museum and an important community asset—Kent Square—which is a key office building—and civic assets such as the Library and the Municipal Building. With public realm improvements, private development, and institutional development, the area’s assets could be linked in ways that make Draper distinctive, livable, and a dynamic presence in Blacksburg’s emerging innovation economy.

Blacksburg Museum

Kent Square

Blacksburg Library

Market Square Park

Old motel site

97 Downtown Blacksburg Strategic Plan