by Gene Marrano
Ed Walker calls himself a “social entrepreneur” – someone who sees redevelopment projects as a way to strengthen at-risk urban settings. “The best way to do that,” says Walker, “is by combining elements of arts and culture, education and knowledge, social entrepreneurship and investment, along with key aspects of local government and citizenship.” A graduate of Washington & Lee Law School, he also attended St Andrews University in Scotland and the University of North Carolina.
Walker is perhaps best known as the developer of several urban residential projects in downtown Roanoke, reviving old structures like the former home of Grand Piano, the Cotton Mill and the Patrick Henry Hotel makeover now in progress.
Walker also founded the downtown Music Lab and the Marrow Donor Center of the Virginias; he opened Kirk Avenue Music Hall several years ago, redeveloped what is now Fork in the City and is a driving force behind “City Works,” which he terms a social entrepreneurship entity.
“I think a social entrepreneur generally is someone interested in finding out how commercial principles can be used …to make a reasonable rate of return,” says Walker, “[while having] some sort of positive social impact.” A third generation attorney, Walker doesn’t practice any more but says many of the principles he learned while studying law have stayed with him today.
Indeed, Walker and his Regeneration Partners business have been the driving force behind much of the residential growth in downtown Roanoke, which many see as a key to making that district more vibrant. “We’re trying to make urban areas stronger from the inside out. Generally what you’re trying to do is convert a weakness into a strength.”
Walker says he doesn’t lose touch with “the income and expense part of it,” when deciding to take on properties like the old Virginia Mills building, or even the decrepit Patrick Henry Hotel, which will become a residential and commercial property when it reopens later this year. “You can’t be fuzzy-headed about the economics for very long.”
Walker says his real goal in Roanoke has been to revive aging structures that have an “exponential impact” on the area – jumpstarting other businesses, leading to other residential property development. Some of Walker’s downtown projects have been “nail biters” he claims, but the clamor for living space has eased those concerns. He notices more people jogging downtown now, more bikes on roof racks, more folks on the streets – signs of life. Walker would rather teach ten people real estate skill sets, so they can go out and do their own projects. “That’s really where most of my interest is these days.”
He would like to see redevelopment in other parts of the city, including northwest and southeast, noting that a valley dissected by both I-581 and railroad tracks makes cohesiveness more challenging.
The downtown resident (with his wife Kathryn and children) is pleased with the music lab’s evolution which he says has reached a higher level since relocating to the Jefferson Center and being aided by “the genius of Dylan Locke and Cyrus Pace.”
Walker founded the lab after a concept he saw in Charlottesville aided by Bruce Hornsby’s brother John and a grant from Dave Mathews. (Walker’s brother is a lawyer and a musician.) “It’s one of the only ways to communicate with that age group,” says Walker about the power of music.
Speaking of music, Walker is the new owner of 101.5 The Music Place, which was in danger of being reformatted by its former owner. His Kirk Avenue Music Hall features local and nationally known music acts, as well as the Shadowbox micro cinema. “The question there was how many interesting things can you do with an empty room?”
Walker had seen his brother play at a similar small venue in Richmond and thought the concept would work well here. “What that’s intended to do is sort of oxygenate the community,” says Walker, “live music … connects people in a way that’s unique. We want to capitalize on that.” About half the nights at Kirk Avenue Music hall are still dark and Walker says there is plenty of room for growth.
If his other endeavors are any indicator you can bet that growth will continue to come.
See Ed Walker in March on “The Interview with Gene Marrano,” on Cox cable Channel 9; air times are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 11:30 a.m.