Botetourt County development marks milestone

Christina Motley | Williams Supply Inc., the first retailer to occupy Daleville Town Center, has recently opened a new lighting showroom. The center is on the site of the former Layman Brothers orchard on U.S. 220, just across from the new Food Lion store.

Christina Motley | Daleville Town Center homes are constructed under the guidelines of EarthCraft House, a statewide voluntary green building program designed to reduce utility costs and be environmentally friendly.

BY CHRISTINA MOTLEY | SPECIAL TO BRBJ

Daleville Town Center is preparing for the grand opening this month of its first retailer, and a medical building is expected to break ground in March.

The development, which integrates retail, office and residential components, is a project of Fralin & Waldron Inc.

The developer bought 117 acres, from Catawba Road to U.S. 220 in Botetourt County, for $5 million in 2005.

Since breaking ground in fall 2008, progress has been steady, with $19 million invested to date.

The developer plans to build up to 400,000 square feet of commercial space. The first 30,000-square-foot commercial building is complete; Fralin & Waldron occupies the upstairs, and Williams Supply Inc., the center's first retailer, expects to hold a grand opening this month.

Lewis-Gale Medical Center will break ground March 1 on a $5 million, 20,000-square-foot building to house an imaging center and physician offices.

Fralin & Waldron will build and develop neighborhoods, with up to 300 residences, including single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums.

John Fulton, of John Fulton Associates in Roanoke, is the project's lead architect.

The build-out is expected to take eight to 10 years.

"With the recession, we face challenging times," said associate broker Kathy Gentry. "We're moving a little slower than originally planned, but we are well capitalized and here to make this dream come true."