The mayor of Blacksburg discusses how the increase in Virginia Tech enrollment has affected Blacksburg housing.
WDBJ – BLACKSBURG, VA Leslie Hager-Smith, the mayor of Blacksburg, notes that Virginia Tech’s enrollment approaching capacity is nothing new and has been discussed previously, but that if this problem isn’t resolved, neither the town nor the university will grow. Mayor Hager-Smith stated, “Almost all of the students are staying here within the Blacksburg boundaries, and that puts pressure on our neighborhoods.”
She claims that Blacksburg’s schools and reputation for parklands and recreational opportunities draw visitors from outside of Virginia Tech. But we have to accept and make plans for the situation if they are unable to live in the town.
According to Hager-Smith, the main issue is that families in Blacksburg are being forced to relocate as a result of students overcrowding family neighborhoods. “Not only do students do this, but football fans as well, who can purchase a second, third, or fourth home, which takes homes off the market for young families,” said Hager-Smith.
According to town officials, in order to address this issue, more housing has been added to Blacksburg. “To relieve some of the pressure on neighborhoods and build up in greater density where we already have students living on transportation lines and in the vicinity of the campus, we’ve added over 3,000 apartments in the last several years,” Hager-Smith stated.
“While we disagree with some of the characterizations the Mayor has made, the university has been and will remain 100 percent committed to working with the town and other local partners to address concerns that are raised,” Virginia Tech said in response to this issue.
According to Hager-Smith, “this damages not only Virginia Tech’s recruitment and retention prospects, but also our quality of life.”
The mayor adds that Virginia Tech has started a planning endeavor with the town and other organizations, though the nature of the project is still unknown.
We’ll keep you informed as this story develops.
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The Thursday and Friday night games for the 2024 football season were revealed by the ACC as part of their ongoing football schedule reveal. As in previous years, Boston College will play a number of weeknight games; this year, Virginia Tech and Louisville are the opponents on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Strangely, the Eagles’ two games are slated for consecutive weeks: on Thursday, October 17, they will travel to Blacksburg, and on October 25, they will host Louisville.
We found out earlier this week who the Eagles’ season opener is against the Florida State Seminoles on Labor Day Monday, September 2.
The remaining games on the schedule will be revealed by the ACC on Wednesday, and Eagle Insider will provide a comprehensive analysis of the whole schedule that evening.
In 2023, Boston College suffered significant losses to Virginia Tech and Louisville. The Eagles were crushed 56-28 by the Cardinals in Louisville on September 23. On November 11, the Hokies dominated BC 48-22.
The complete schedule will be unveiled on Wednesday during the ACC Huddle, which will be televised on ESPN2 and the ACC Network.Boston College is also aware that on September 14, they will travel to Missouri; on September 21, they will host Michigan State; and on September 28, they will play Western Kentucky. Given their past performance, the lone available spot on their schedule is likely to be occupied by an FCS team. During the conference, they will
