Albemarle County has several rules intended to limit commercial development in the vast majority of its 726 square miles, including large stretches of highway. For instance, you can’t have a country store that’s more than 4,000 square feet in total size. In 2024, the owners of Greenwood Grocery on Rockfish Gap Turnpike learned that the […]
Albemarle County has several rules intended to limit commercial development in the vast majority of its 726 square miles, including large stretches of highway. For instance, you can’t have a country store that’s more than 4,000 square feet in total size. In 2024, the owners of Greenwood Grocery on Rockfish Gap Turnpike learned that the […]
Nearly $10 million in funding for Phase II of Kindlewood was finalized last week, supporting the multi-year, resident-led redevelopment effort to transform the affordable-housing community formerly known as Friendship Court. Phase II of the Kindlewood redevelopment broke ground in January, with an anticipated completion date of Fall 2026 and total cost of $86 million. The […]
One purpose of urban planning is to determine appropriate places for people to live, but in many localities, elected officials have the final say. For instance, the Town of Scottsville Comprehensive Plan calls for around 1,000 people to reside in that community by 2040. “Growth of small towns more often occurs in periodic jumps, with […]
Almost a year has passed since Charlottesville’s new zoning code went into effect and staff in the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services continue to process applications despite a pending lawsuit. At least 107 different types of plans have been filed since February 19, 2024, when the new system was put in place. This includes […]
Charlottesville’s new development code offers a lot of building possibilities for property owners, but the city’s Board of Architectural Review still has plenty of control in areas designated as historic. The Delta Zeta Housing Corporation paid $195,000 in 1979 for a triangular property on Chancellor Street that included a former hotel and a one-story building. […]
The pending closure of Roses in the Pantops Shopping Center is the latest in the end of an era, as 20th-century commercial patterns continue to wane. A looming vacancy might be seen as a catalyst for new construction to fit the needs of the 21st century, but a representative of the firm that owns the […]
The Albemarle Board of Supervisors is not likely to expand the county’s designated growth areas any time soon, so economic development officials have to make the most of what they have. That includes a 62-acre section of land along Broadway Street on the western side of the Rivanna River that is entirely surrounded by the […]
In any given year, Albemarle’s community development department processes thousands of documents that are used to determine what gets built throughout the county. As 2025 begins, the county has launched a new way for residents and businesses to access those documents via the internet. Monday morning saw the debut of Civic Access. “This portal provides […]
One of the toughest issues facing the greater Charlottesville region is the ever-increasing cost of housing, a barrier to financial stability for many. The problem has been getting worse over the past few years due to rising property assessments, increasing income disparity, and a shortage of housing. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and […]
The developers of a proposed six-story building at the corner of Wertland and 10th streets returned to the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review in December to get additional feedback. “A development team consisting of Preservation of Affordable Housing, National Housing Trust, and Wickliffe Development Consulting was chosen by the UVA Foundation to be the developer […]