Does Anyone Care If This Guy Is Happy?

Posted by Chris Berry on September 29, 2008 in Roanoke Valley

The recent controversies surrounding the Market Building have brought a great deal of attention to the fate of the food court vendors. While they have received constant media attention and the obvious sympathy of the mayor, the plight of another downtown business owner has gone virtually unnoticed by the public or by city officials. The sidewalk construction that has rendered Roanoke Valley Printworks virtually inaccessible for the past several weeks is only the latest episode in a long series of events that the owner has endured for the past two years.

John Reburn purchased the building at 108 Salem Avenue in 2004 to house the shop where he sells hand printed posters and cards, along with a variety of gifts and novelty items. At the time, the building was flanked by Billy’s Ritz on one side and Lonesome Dove on the other. Since then, he has had to contend with the demolition of the adjoining Lonesome Dove building, the construction of the Taubman Museum, and most recently the demolition at Billy’s Ritz.

The demolition began shortly after the building was sold in February of 2008, and the now gutted structure has been surrounded by a tall chain link fence ever since. The fate of that project now seems uncertain since no work has taken place on the site for several months. Unfortunately for Mr. Reburn, the fence still remains.

Mr. Reburn’s property is a very small building that is dwarfed by large scale construction projects on both sides. Passers-by have to look very closely to realize that the shop is in fact open for business, and only the most intrepid among them are willing to brave the dust and debris to make it to his door. Those brave individuals then have to cross a wooden ramp that spans the gaping hole where the sidewalk should be. The number of visitors to the shop has fallen off so dramatically since the sidewalk was demolished that the survival of the business is threatened. Fortunately, the opening of the new museum is only a few more weeks away, and it should provide a tremendous boost.

While the Market Building vendors clamor for compensation from the city, John Reburn has to sit and watch as his business slowly evaporates. Our mayor has made Chico’s happiness his top priority, but no one seems concerned that John has suffered an even greater financial disaster through no fault of his own.

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7 Comments on Does Anyone Care If This Guy Is Happy?

By RoanokeRnR on September 29, 2008 at 11:14 am

Thanks for bringing that to our attention. Good point!

By Matt on September 29, 2008 at 5:53 pm

That isn’t everything, either. According to John, there was an attempt to have him pay for the rebuilding of the sidewalk directly in front of his store. He fought that nonsense off, thankfully.

If anyone hasn’t been in recently, he has spent part of his building closure implementing a new layout for the store. It’s worth taking a look.

By Brian on October 1, 2008 at 12:17 am

John is a prime example of yet another Roanoker who is suffering from poor planing, and an uncaring city manager who is seeking to fatten her own resume and wallet. Not only does he have to put up with this at work but I believe (correct me if I am wrong) he also lives in the apartment above his shop so there is little if any escape for him from this foolishness. At least he will get a “tremendous boost” to make up for any lost revenue over the last year…for a bit anyways.

I stand by my opinion that this museum is a terrible idea. The ice skating rink or the I-max theater that could have been there would have brought in more money than a art museum that is hardly art in and of itself. Maybe it marks Roanoke for the kind of city it is, but there is not enough interest in art here to warrant a museum with a 20$ cover charge. People will go once…or twice. You want people in this town to spend money on a museum there had better be some dinosaur bones, or something else cool in it. Considering it’s location it is plain to see this big ugly building is for visitors, not residents.

Speaking of residents, I am glad you have championed John’s plight, but I am a little surprised you haven’t mentioned any of the other market vendors (market, not market building, we know you don’t care about them) that have been affected, like Ruddie, Ben, or Bill. Maybe it is because you don’t know them or anything about the problems they have faced lately. Maybe because you are just using John to validate you stance against the market building vendors.

Whatever, I don’t even care anymore, just do me one little favor and keep Chico’s name out of your mouth. He is a good hard working man who is losing his ass. He didn’t ask for the mayor’s “endorsement” and he doesn’t deserve to be demonized for trying to stick up for himself. You owned your own catering business at one point so you should understand this on some kind of level, (the word is empathy, look it up), or maybe you don’t, considering how now you are “unemployed” (you should ask some of the market building employees how it feels to be truly unemployed)

If you really want to be part of this downtown community try to get to know some of these people instead of just using their their names in your blog from the comfort of your own home.

Here is one more piece of advice from yours truly, why don’t you write one of your little blogs on the Darlene Brucham’s “retreat” (I believe the the term retreat is proper in both of it’s forms) where the fate of the market building was decided. A retreat none of the citizens were invited to.

By Chris Berry on October 1, 2008 at 7:35 am

Brian,
You are correct about John living above his shop. To add insult to injury, the ARB recently approved the addition of a 5th floor to the neighboring Billy’s Ritz building that will provide hotel guests with an unobstructed view of his once private rooftop deck.

Regarding the use of Chico’s name in connection with this debacle, you can thank the mayor for that. As long as food court vendors can wear t-shirts emblazoned with his name, it’s pretty much fair game for anyone else.

The issue here is not empathy, but entitlement. Why do any of the vendors believe that they are entitled to the use of the building indefinitely, in spite of the fact that their leases are set to expire? In the entire building, only two tenants have leases that extend beyond February of 2009.

By Megan on October 1, 2008 at 10:24 am

That sense of entitlement has mostly come from the city. The owners have been repeatedly told that there will be a place for them in the building no matter how or when the building is remodeled. Perhaps it is silly of them to believe that considering signs to the contrary, but I think many of us are guilty of believing what we want to hear over what the facts show us.

As for John, the list of problems seems to be never ending. He’s also had trouble with construction workers from the new museum coming onto his rooftop to “hang out”. And after he complained about it some statues that he brought back from his trip to Africa have gone missing from the garden and it seems unlikely that the birds did it. He can no longer get the Roanoke police to respond to his calls about shoplifters or even when he called about a vagrant chasing a woman and her child around her car demanding money. Makes downtown seem like a real safe place to live, work and play doesn’t it?

Its things like this that really make me question if this is the kind of town where I want to raise my children.

By Brian on October 1, 2008 at 6:31 pm

FYI Chico printed those shirts up and sold them at cost because he thought the mayor’s statement was just as stupid as you do.

As far as your point about the mayor, he did it once you have done it three times. Excuse me for getting angry with you but David Estrada is like family to me, he is just some pizza dude to you.
I find it funny you have called out the press for their non stop coverage of this story yet you keep writing about it yourself.

Also this might be off subject but empathy is always an issue. As a parent teaching it is a duty as well. Your lack of it would explain a lot about your views and opinions.
(yes I have read many of your other blogs but haven’t responded because I felt they were non issues for me)
Empathy is something we all need at some point in our lives so would it not make sense to provide it as well?

By Robert Hodges on October 14, 2008 at 1:49 pm

No one in Roanoke Government does, and if he is not in the news, they will continue not caring.

The city of Roanoke has not had proper management in MANY YEARS. they consider it theirs and spend money on what they see fit, no mater how it is wasted.

and when they have a real need, they will get to it when they darn well want to. which to say is not on anyone’s time table, and even delayed to their own. and over budget.

Leave it to the city of Roanoke to take a Project, have it take 2-3 times longer than promised, and spend 3-4 times what was originally budgeted. leaving no money for real maintenance to any buildings they own.

Please feel free to share your thoughts. Without your comments, I'm just some guy talking to myself. Let me know if I'm right, wrong, or completely full of sh*t.