Old digs mean new honors for Roanoke, whose historic Rock building has swept the latest state awards program.
"It’s a prestigious award," said Amy Radford, the city’s marketing manager.
At this month’s Texas Downtown Association Annual Conference, Radford accepted the award on the city’s behalf for winning top honors in the Best Renovation-Rehabilitation — Public Sector category.
Four other finalists also vied for the award. They were the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at the Ritz in Austin; Baxter’s on Main restaurant in Bastrop; the Schuerenberg building in Brenham and the Cotton Exchange Saloon in Temple.
Officials from several cities applauded as a Roanoke structure built in 1886 took the prize.
"When people saw before-and-after pictures, they just gasped," said Radford, crediting architect Joe Judy among others for restoring the building. She accepted the award on behalf of the city, sharing recognition with Shane Harris and Denise Etcheson of RGA Architects Inc.
Rick Gilliland, principal of the Roanoke firm, has spent months helping preserve a unique part of Roanoke history.
Other Roanoke structures bearing RGA’s architectural touch include the Martin Doyle building and City Hall, as well as facade work for Tortilla Flats restaurant and the Shane Murphy property.
A structure once known as the Rock Hotel now stands as the Roanoke Visitor Center and Museum. Architects sought to preserve the building’s frontier aesthetic that’s permeated its walls since S.M. and B.S. Snead built them more than 100 years ago.
With proper marketing and homespun flavor — ingredients already boasted by Babe’s Chicken Dinner House — Roanoke sees the Rock building and ongoing Oak Street redevelopment as ways to accelerate its already growing reputation for down-home charm and uptown ambition, a balance few communities achieve.
State officials are taking notice.
In July, four judges evaluated the Rock building and others throughout the state for the Texas Downtown Association accolade. The judges were Scott Day of Urban Development Services in San Antonio; Carolyn Howard, executive director of the Beaumont Main Street Program; Rich MacMath, an architect with HDR Engineering Inc. in Austin; and Stephen Sharpe, editor of Texas Architect magazine in Austin.
For 10 years, the nonprofit Texas Downtown Association has held the awards program.
"They recognized the dedication it took to get the funding and save the building," said Radford. "It’s recognition of the work the city went through. We’re really happy."
More information is available at www.texasdowntown.org.
When people saw before-and-after pictures, they just gasped.
–Amy Radford, Roanoke’s marketing manager
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