by Shawn Nowlin and S. Hale
It’s been a long time coming for Goodwill Industries of the Valleys and the Roanoke community at large. A sizable coalition of community leaders, city residents and elected officials gathered on the organizations parking lot off Melrose Ave. Tuesday, Nov. 14 for the groundbreaking ceremony on the future site of the much anticipated Melrose Plaza.
Zenith Barrett, Vice President, Business and Community Engagement for Goodwill served as MC for the ceremony that project leaders and many other community-minded individuals have longed for.
“This project is not just about a physical transformation of a building but is about strengthening families, inspiring communities and empowering individuals in this community and in every community Goodwill serves,” said Goodwill Board of Directors Chair Matt Churchill.
During prepared remarks Mayor Sherman Lea Sr. proudly said, “I’m truly honored to stand here on this momentous occasion as we break ground on a project that is set to transform our community, enhance the lives of our residents and bring about a brighter future for many surrounding neighborhoods. Time after time, I and my colleagues get questions about what are we doing in Northwest? Well, Melrose Plaza is here to answer a lot of those questions. This is a life-changing initiative that will have a profound impact on our city.”
The Melrose Plaza will feature a full-service grocery store, an adult high school with free childcare, a holistic community wellness center and a Bank of Botetourt-operated retail center.
In addition to regular banking, financial classes will also be available for residents. Any of the roughly 14,000 Roanoke Valley adults who dropped out can enroll in the high school program for free.
Goodwill Industries President and CEO Richmond Vincent explained, “Our vision is to eliminate poverty. We are going to do that by empowering individuals, strengthening families and inspiring communities. You are going to hear a lot about Melrose Plaza, but it is a piece of something much larger. The Northwest Hub is a transformational project similar to the Melrose Plaza both intended to restore Northwest. We want everyone in the city to frequent Melrose Plaza. Everything that we do will be with a collective approach.”
In the early stages of the initiative, it was discovered throughout the Carilion Clinic’s health assessment that individuals living in the 24017-zip code had a six-year less life expectancy than those in 24018 – one of several facts Vincent raised in his dynamic delivery to the packed crowd assembled for the occasion.
“There is an amazing book titled ‘A Beautiful Constraint.’ In it, the author references a health system in Alaska that is on the verge of going out of business. They stopped calling their patients ‘patients’ and started calling them customer owners. Things quickly turned around. A simple name change led to a mind change,” Dr. William Lee said. “I want to say to everyone, let’s not come on this campus as patients. Let’s not come as customers. Let’s come as customer owners. The only way this is going to work is if we are all investors in Melrose Plaza.”
Napoleon Bailey, Goodwill Operations Director brought the crowd to its feet with a personal and somber account of what the project means to him and spoke of the special significance to his family.
Standing as a proud “Northwest resident – born and raised in the neighborhood” Bailey with his wife by his side, spoke calmly of loosing their son to gun violence.
“It takes a village and I’m a product of that village. I’m using my pain to become a better leader, a better father and a better person. I’m determined to show young people in this community that they can become more than just a statistic. The Plaza is needed to help the citizens of this community with health, education and nutritional needs and to help situations like my family is dealing with… gun violence.”
After all the remarks were made, about a dozen dignitaries, including Roanoke City Public School Superintendent Verletta White, retired Senator John Edwards and members of Roanoke City Council, put on their construction hats and grabbed a shovel for a celebratory photo.
There are 35 counties and 14 cities throughout Virginia that Goodwill Industries of the Valleys serve. The expectation is for the grocery store to be fully up and running next year.
Now with $30-million dollars cumulatively earmarked, and the ground broken, Goodwill, Roanoke City, a host of public and non-profit partners, as well as various community stakeholders, can rest assure that Melrose Plaza is well on its way to the restoration of a once vibrant community in need.
To stay up to date on all things pertaining to Goodwill Industries, visit goodwillvalleys.com.
