The new Midtown: an opporunity in the workforce
Blacksburg, Va., Nov. 9, 2021 - Station: The construction site for the new police station in Midtown. Photo: Brady Schlesman
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Midtown in Blacksburg is a residential and commercial development under construction right now in the heart of downtown Blacksburg.
By Brady Schlesman
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Nov. 13, 2021
The Midtown development in downtown Blacksburg is a large project without an end date as of right now, but the projection is summer of 2023. The parking garage and police station are set to finish construction and be fully operational by early 2022 according to Matt Gentry of the Roanoke Times.
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The commercial side of Midtown is going to be full of shops, restaurants, and a gym for the residents of Blacksburg specifically Midtown residents. I spoke with store owner, Jeremy Counts of Main Street Pharmacy, about the project.
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Jeremy Counts told me, "It brings more foot traffic, that's one thing we definitely need, and especially on the south main part of downtown, that would be huge."
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Counts reiterated later that he could see himself hiring more clerks to keep up with the busier business. With more people comes more customers, and while he needs to fill more prescriptions more store clerks could help the flow of front end items.
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I also spoke with a student at Virginia Tech, Dawson Racek, looking for a job. He told me he's looking forward to Midtown and is hopeful to get a job there in the gym. He thinks there will be opportunity in Midtown and it will be easier to get a job there.
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According to Lindsey Kennett at WSLS, the project in its entirety is projected to cost over 100 million dollars. This cost is a leap into producing more jobs for the people in Blacksburg as well as creating more opportunities for businesses on main street.