The city of Roanoke is buying 236 acres of the former Ole Monterey golf course for $8 million and may use the land for housing, a new city school or industrial development, among other options.
The city is purchasing the land, which abuts Tinker Creek Lane, from Valley Lands Inc., according to a Wednesday news release. Valley Lands has a Charlotte, N.C., address, according to city real estate information.
“Advancing priority projects requires having developable land available,” City Manager Valmarie Turner said in the release.
The ordinance that the city council approved for the sale was added to its agenda during a regular meeting Tuesday.
The other undeveloped plot of land of comparable size in the city is Evans Spring, which encompasses 150 acres and is owned by multiple private landowners.
The city listed potential future uses for the former golf course land in the release: a new school, a housing development, parks and recreation facilities and expansion of the Roanoke Centre for Industry and Technology
Claire Mitzel, spokesperson for Roanoke City Public Schools, said that the division has not been involved in the city’s process to purchase the property. In an email Wednesday, she said the schools look forward to learning more about the city’s vision for the land and how it might relate to future school facility needs.
The property is assessed for tax purposes at $2.8 million, according to the city’s real estate data, and the city negotiated the price to acquire the property free of liens or encumbrances.
“This is something that we’ve been looking at for a while. It’s one of the largest open areas that is available for development, and so I’m really excited to see the possibilities that can come from this land,” councilman Peter Volosin said during Tuesday’s meeting. “I think this was a great price for what we’re getting, and the opportunity it opens up for our city is tremendous.”
Councilwoman Evelyn Powers said Wednesday that the council has also discussed opportunities to bring light manufacturing or housing to that space. She said it could also be a place where Roanoke City Public Schools could build a third high school, if the division decides that is how it will proceed to fix overcrowding in its schools.
“I keep telling people, we can’t tax our way out of this situation,” Powers said — referring to two tight budget years in a row, with citywide cuts. “We need to build our way out of it. And if we’ve got property, we can work with people to come in here and build our base out.”
When asked if the council would consider a data center for the property, Powers said that she does not think the council would be supportive of that and that such a project has not been previously discussed as an option. In July, the council unanimously voted to restrict potential data centers in the zoning code.
Powers said that Turner is considering options for what sources the $8 million might come from and that the council expects an update from her soon. The city’s community engagement department did not respond to a question Wednesday asking where the city will get the money.
Vice Mayor Terry McGuire said during the meeting he hopes that the public has input on the use of the land and that the city makes decisions transparently.
“I would just like to say that I can be supportive of this, but we do have an existing comprehensive plan, and I would hope it is the intention of city staff and every member of council to be collaborative and engage with the community and get feedback on what the future of this site might look like,” McGuire said before the vote.
McGuire said Wednesday that he has concerns after seeing a Roanoke Economic Development Instagram post that city officials have “predetermined plans” for the land. The post said the purchase was a “strategic acquisition” that will expand the city’s “capacity for future industrial and manufacturing development.”
“This to me feels like PR to try to drive towards, ‘We made a strategic decision, exciting opportunity to expand the industrial park.’ That is not the conversation that the council had,” McGuire said, adding that the council has not yet discussed a desired outcome for the land.
McGuire said one need in the northeastern part of Roanoke is more park space.
Alison Blanton, a trustee of the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation, said Wednesday that the land the city bought abuts land owned by the Kegley family, 116 acres of which is under a conservation easement. The land the city bought includes the gravesite of Col. William Fleming and his wife. The foundation listed the golf course land on its endangered historic site list for 2026.
Blanton said that she hopes the city will be “sensitive” in developing the property, given the area’s history.
It is not the city’s first purchase of golf course land. In 2005, the city bought the Countryside golf property near the Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport for $4.1 million. The land still sits mostly vacant, with some ballfields. There is discussion of the airport buying some — or most — of that land for a runway expansion.
