To ensure the city’s continued economic health, Roanoke is committed to providing its residents with superior access to higher education. To this end, a group of more than 70 business, civic and education leaders from the Roanoke Valley area established Destination Education to lead a regional effort to make the Roanoke Higher Education Center a reality. In 1998 and 1999, Virginia’s General Assembly appropriated $9 million and the City of Roanoke contributed $2.5 million to renovate the former Norfolk & Western headquarters office, which was donated by the Norfolk-Southern Corporation, in order to establish the Center. This historically and architecturally significant building now houses 15 institutions of higher learning that provide education and training for the new millennium. Fall enrollment exceeded 2,500. The synergy created by the Center supports downtown revitalization efforts and ensures that city residents are well-prepared to greet future economic opportunities.