BLACKSBURG — The Town Council on Tuesday is set to take a vote on a new operating agreement with the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation, the organization that runs the historic Alexander Black House and St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall properties.
The new measure is a one-year renewal, which Blacksburg town officials said they wrote up as a way to formally continue their long-existing commitments to the foundation while at the same time giving the two parties the time to consult and have discussions about other changes that could be made to the agreement.
The renewal of the agreement comes as the town has been on the receiving end of some criticism from some — and not just Blacksburg residents — over the upkeep and care of Odd Fellows.
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Odd Fellows, located on Gilbert Street, is the only remaining structure from New Town, northern Blacksburg’s historic Black community. Speakers who have recently addressed council about the structure have voiced fears that a failure to preserve property would lead to further elimination of local African-American history.
The criticism and expressed concerns came after the completion of a report earlier this year that listed off a number of issues with both Odd Fellows and the Alexander Black House and proposed recommendations for collections, maintenance and improvements.
While Blacksburg officials acknowledged some of the recent comments on Odd Fellows, they said one of the reasons driving the renewal in front of the council is the fact the current agreement between the town and the foundation will expire this month.
The current agreement, however, had a five-year duration, a period slated to end this coming Thursday.
Town Attorney Larry Spencer said he’s not sure if there will be any significant changes in the future with the town’s commitment to the foundation, but the upcoming renewal provides the time for discussions.
“There’s definitely going to be a review,” he said. “This could give us time to have a dialogue.”
As far as the proposed renewal, Spencer said much of the conditions in it are similar to the existing agreement.
For example, the current agreement called on the town to provide the foundation $112,285 in operations funding for the 2019 fiscal year and the following years covered by the document.
Blacksburg restored and reopened Odd Fellows in 2009.
The Alexander Black House is a Victorian-era building that bears the name of the great-great-nephew of Blacksburg founder William Black, whose descendant built the structure in the late 1890s and resided in it until his 1935 death.
The town council meeting Tuesday will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Blacksburg Municipal Building.
Yann Ranaivo (540) 381-1661