Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times

The old YMCA on Church Avenue in downtown Roanoke has been vacant since the Y moved to its new building across the street.

Courtesy of Anthony Smith

This rendering of the renovated YMCA was supplied by the developer, who proposes calling it W.E. Muse Station. The building would have apartments plus a restaurant and other commercial space.

A Roanoke developer is negotiating with the city to convert the old downtown YMCA building into a mixed-use project with a restaurant, office space and about 40 apartments.

Anthony Smith has a plan right down to the name of the redeveloped building: W.E. Muse Station -- a reference to Walter Edwards Muse, one of the Roanoke Valley's first black real estate developers.

A public hearing on the sale is scheduled for a Roanoke City Council meeting April 20. A vote could take place immediately after the hearing.

The city has spent nearly five years marketing the old YMCA building, along with two adjoining lots used for parking. It's unclear what the city is asking for the properties, but the three are collectively assessed at a little more than $3 million, according to city real estate data.

The city's economic development Web site includes this about the property: "The price for this site is negotiable and depends upon a proposed development plan for mixed use with parking."

The building has been sitting unused since the YMCA moved to its new home across Fifth Street Southwest in 2004. Initially, there was talk that the old Y building would be torn down and the lot used for parking. City Manager Darlene Burcham nixed that idea in 2003, however, saying that prime downtown spots should be used for new businesses or residences instead of parking.

Smith, 34 and a Roanoke native, said Tuesday that he's been working with city officials for more than a year to develop his plan.

"That property has been sitting vacant in the city's real estate portfolio for several years," Smith said. "They've received several proposals on the property, but on every proposal before mine the developer is asking for financial assistance. We're not asking for a dime of city money. We'd just like them to sell us the building."

The heart of the project will be the apartments, which Smith describes as "affordable market-rate housing with all of the amenities of luxury downtown living."

He said that several town house units are designed into the building's gymnasium and racquetball courts. The remainder of the residences will be one- and two-bedroom apartments, with rents starting at about $750 per month.

In addition, Smith said he plans to bring "a well-known restaurant from Richmond" to occupy the first floor along with doctors offices.

In all, Smith said he estimates his development costs will be "just shy of $5 million."

"We would hope to start construction late summer and have the units available for rent in the early spring of 2010," he said.

Should the city council choose to sell the property, Smith's project would mark another step in the ongoing redevelopment of downtown Roanoke's west end. A number of urban redevelopment projects have crept up Campbell and Salem avenues, turning largely abandoned buildings into art galleries, condominiums, restaurants and office space.

"I think that the old YMCA is a great old building," said City Councilman Court Rosen. "Redeveloping the building and bringing it into the present time with updates and renovations could really make it a spectacular building. That's something Mr. Smith has a vision for. I think the potential for this building to be of great benefit to the city and to spread development to the west side is invaluable."

Smith said he's worked on development projects in Chicago, Richmond and Washington. He returned to Roanoke three years ago "with the intention of coming home to stay" and recently completed work on a subdivision adjacent to Ballyhack Golf Club in the Mount Pleasant area of Roanoke County.

Craig Balzer is one of the partners on the Ballyhack project. He said that he has worked only peripherally with Smith but spent an afternoon driving around with him.

"He's a very nice guy," Balzer said. "He's got good people behind him and he's got some good visions."

As a black real estate developer, Smith said he hopes to be a positive role model for a younger generation.

"There's not a lot of young black professionals here," Smith said. "I'm in love with my city. I want to be a fixture here. ... I'm in Roanoke trying to be an example of a strong businessman."