But probably none will have the impact of Snyder’s newest project -- a 42-acre, new urbanist mix of residential and commercial development undertaken in south Blacksburg with fellow developer Jeanne Stosser. After working with Anderson & Associates on zoning concerns, the two took their request for a zoning conversion -- from residential and office to commercial -- to town council and saw it granted in a dramatic midnight vote.

Now they are selling the acreage to a Cleveland developer that has already lined up major tenants, while Stosser and Snyder-Falkinham stay on as partners.

"Buying the property was too good an opportunity to pass up," said Snyder-Falkinham. "Nowhere else in Blacksburg could you find a large developable acreage along Main Street. I wanted to buy it, and Jeanne wanted to buy it. It made no sense for us to go to the auction and bid against each other, so we decided to go in together."

A hotelier and a movie theater company have already committed to join the project. Part of the land would also be devoted to residential units. Snyder & Associates has been purchasing and converting Blacksburg apartments into upscale condos for several years.

Georgia Anne Snyder-Falkinham created Snyder & Associates in 1985, several years after the death of her first husband, developer Pete Snyder. Her company has been named New River Valley Builder of the Year three times and won the coveted Builder & Design Excellence Award in 1999.

Snyder-Falkinham, a 40-year resident of the Blacksburg area, says she expects the new South Main development to benefit all of Blacksburg by bringing new entertainment and shopping opportunities to the region and boosting the tax base. "I’m hoping the new town council will work for grants and tax incentives for downtown merchants, so retail in the whole town will be revitalized," she said. "Blacksburg could draw shoppers from around the region."