The future of a deteriorating, vacant building in downtown Blacksburg’s historic district remains uncertain amid town action against the owner.
Located at 210 N. Main St., the four-story building was the site of the Sharkey’s Wing & Rib Joint before the restaurant moved next door in 2005. More than 20 years later, the condition of the building has visibly deteriorated with boarded windows, chipping paint and rotting from the inside.
“It’s definitely a building we want to see activated,” said Andrew Warren, Blacksburg’s director of planning and building for the town, “ultimately, it is [under] the control of the property owner.”
The current owner, Mao Zijiao, acquired the property from Fengs Group Real Estate in 2023, according to online town real estate records. There is no sale price listed for the 2023 transaction, with a “deed of gift” designation assigned. Fengs Group bought the building in 2017 for $700,000 from Mary Dritselis, according to the online records. The building is currently assessed for $676,000, according to the town records.
A for sale sign is displayed on a ground-floor window, along with a phone number with a New York area code.
A woman who identified herself as Amy Chen answered that number. She said she manages the property, but she declined to answer any other questions.
The building was first built in 1920. Two years later, it was the home of the historic Lyric Theatre. The theatre moved to College Avenue in 1930, but the 210 N. Main St. building has remained part of the Blacksburg Historical District and, with that, is eligible for tax credits and incentive programs.
“The first would be a partial tax exemption for rehabilitated structures within a historic district,” said Warren. This would exempt real estate tax levied on the additional assessed value resulting from renovations for 12 years.
The town can also provide a bonus based on the building’s density, a revitalization grant worth up to $20,000 and a rebate-based incentive program for buildings located in tourism zones, he said.
“And we’ve had some conversations with Montgomery County as well,” said Deputy Town Manager Matt Hanratty. “It would be really helpful because the tax rate of the county is more than three times the rate in town.”
Hanratty also highlighted a grant that was awarded by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which will be applied to the ongoing flood study of the town. The study will assess the creek that runs underneath the downtown buildings, in particular, providing more public information on where the base flood elevations are.
“Engineers aren’t cheap and we’re looking at it holistically as a town-wide thing, but it will absolutely help this property because it is in floodwaters,” said Hanratty.
In 2019, a historic preservation certification application was submitted to the National Park Service by Fengs Group Real Estate, detailing an estimated rehabilitation cost of $1.5 million.
There was a proposal for a building renovation for an Asian restaurant at one point, but that plan fizzled, Warren said.
“It comes down to numbers at the end of the day,” said Hanratty about why the building has not brought in new business as of late. “It’s basic math that the sales price plus the rehabilitation costs for the building is basically exceeding what they can get back in rents when they amortize it with construction loans and permanent loans.”
Maintenance violations have been issued to the property owner in accordance with the uniform statewide building code of Virginia. In May 2024, boards were placed on windows on the third and fourth floors facing Main Street, and windows were replaced on the side of the building, as there were concerns about glass panes and debris falling down onto people walking by.
This maintenance was conducted by a contractor hired by the town, which the property owner was billed $1,500 for afterwards, according to Warren.
“You know we’re looking for more larger things. We understand property owners are going to have peeling paint from now and then but we’re looking for more critical issues that would lead to health safety and welfare issues,” said Warren in reference to what the town examines before violations are issued to a property owner.
Warren said a violation is pending to address the protective treatment of the building, including peeling paint and the deterioration of both cornices and belt cornices.
The building’s deterioration has not gone unnoticed by neighboring businesses.
“I think that businesses are really hard up in Blacksburg because of the fluctuating seasons, with students only here for part of the year,” said Ayla Lampros, manager of 310 Rosemont, a fashion boutique located right next door. “And then that building hasn’t been kept up at all, so I think it’s gonna take somebody that wants to come in and put some money into something, somebody that feels passionate enough to do that.”
While limited to violation enforcement on the property owner and providing incentives to prospective owners, Hanratty said he recognizes community expectations to keep the property owner accountable for the historic building’s deterioration.
“I think there is more we can do on the property maintenance piece, just being more aggressive to hold the property owner accountable for the condition of the exterior of the building, and we need to do that, that is our job.”