- 540-362-3293
- PO Box 7082 Roanoke, VA 24019
- 5301 Williamson Road, Suite B, Roanoke, VA 24012
- Pay Online
Every town has its main “strip” – Williamson Road is Roanoke’s. At the intersection of community and business, it is a true a microcosm of the world, with its many international restaurants and businesses.
The business district is composed of an older commercial area rich with history; a highway ribbon peppered with restaurants, service shops, ethnic grocery stores, car lots, churches, vintage stores, schools, banks, a civic center, and a library. It’s all here.
The area through which Williamson Road passes was settled in the first half of the 18th century by pioneers moving down The Great Road from the northeast to Virginia and North Carolina. Some of these pioneers stayed in the Roanoke Valley and settled on large farms northeast of what would become Big Lick and then Roanoke.
Until 1912 there was no Williamson Road. What is now Tenth Street was the only road of consequence in the area. Residents petitioned Roanoke County for a road that would lead to downtown. Several residents provided the funding, land and machinery to build the road and the state provided prisoners for the labor.
Hence, the establishment of Williamson Road.
According to the City’s Williamson Road Area Plan developed in 2004, the era following World War II was when the real building boom came. Between 1940 and 1960 more than 3,500 lots were developed. Postwar prosperity, housing shortages, new mortgage-lending practices, and the automobile all combined to make the area both accessible and desirable to people seeking suburban home ownership and business establishments.
Fast-forward to the early 1980’s when the Williamson Road Area Business Association (then called WRABA) was established, and from there, the jump to May 24, 1993. On that date the Roanoke City Council adopted ordinance number 31427, establishing the Williamson Road Area Special Service District (SSD). The SSD was created to “provide additional governmental services not being offered uniformly throughout the entire City, included but not limited to, economic and business development and promotional activities intended to foster business retention, business recruitment; planning for the development or revitalization of the Williamson Road Area for its transportation needs and to create a more attractive environment in the Williamson Road area.”
As a result of Ordinance #31427, WRABA signed an agreement with the City of Roanoke for the administration of the SSD project. The SSD provides for the collection of an additional ten cents per one-hundred-dollar valuation ($.10 per $100) of real estate on Williamson Road between Orange Avenue and the city limits, traveling north.
On March 15, 2021, the City Council amended and reordained the Williamson Road Area Service District to include “the area shown as designated on a map entitled “Official Map of Williamson Road Area Service District”” effective July 1, 2021 designated as Project Number 6860, and Project Number 6860-2 prepared and maintained in electronic format by the Office of the City Engineer. This expansion also increased the revenue estimate for the Williamson Road Area Service District Tax for FY22 by $156,511, increasing by the same amount the appropriation to the Williamson Road Area Business Association. Total tax to be received is estimated to be $258,511 yearly.
Roanoke City Council established the Williamson Road Area Special Service District (SSD) in 1993. This was established in an effort to allow Williamson Road to pursue endeavors to improve the economic vitality and enhance the quality of life of the greater Williamson Road corridor and surrounding areas. It further was created to provide additional assistance intended to foster business recruitment and retention as well as plan for the development and revitalization of the greater Williamson Road area.
In recent years Williamson Road has had the opportunity to extend its SSD footprint and by association, increase the number of businesses it can help and be a part: extending up from the Berglund Civic Center towards the City, along Hershberger Road to 581, and to the Airport Road and Towne Square businesses. Financially, the tax paid by the businesses will allow the Association to not only continue its work but to also increase its reach and effectiveness, working with the area businesses and their concerns.
Since the creation of the Williamson Road Area Business Association in 1981, we have been helping this area of Roanoke, VA become a thriving business district. In 1993, we secured Williamson Road Area Special Service District (SSD) to help acquire more funds to get the job done swiftly, and we have the backing required to accomplish the task in the right way. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(6) voluntary membership organization and do this work because we believe in our neighborhood and business owners. We understand for businesses to want to come to Williamson Road, it needs to be an attractive location filled with other successful companies. These also help enrich the community members and raise the value of their property and give them a sense of pride, which is invaluable. Of the 450 businesses on Williamson Road, we have 125 of them as volunteer members, and we are always looking to add more. Please contact us today if you would be interested in joining our association!
Check out some of the latest press and other notable announcements for the Greater Williamson Road Area Business Association.
WDBJ7: “Shop Williamson Road” underway in Roanoke – November 18, 2024
WSLS10: ‘The Heart of Roanoke’: Business Association’s plan to bring vitality to Williamson Road – April 1, 2024
WDBJ7: Williamson Road in Roanoke may be getting some upgrades – April 1, 2024
The great thing about Williamson Road Area Business Association is our board members are business owners within the area. They understand what is needed and required for our area to succeed and how to attract these other businesses to come and make your neighborhood a better place to visit. You can find them all listed below as well as the company they represent:
As important as it is to have business minds in a team like ours, it doesn’t discount the need to have workers join. We are always welcoming new members from the surrounding community because only as a team can we reach all of our goals for Williamson Road. Creating a unified voice allows us to build something much more significant than ourselves in the community. We have helped build festivals and events such as Restaurant Week, where local restaurants and neighbors celebrate each other. Please reach out if you have further questions about membership or our team.