The Albemarle Board of Supervisors adopted the Places29 Master Plan in February 2011 as a vision to guide the transition of commercial spaces into areas where people could live.
“There is no timeframe for the vision,” reads an introduction to the plan. “In fact, it may be decades before the area builds out in fulfillment of it.”
So far the owners of the Rio Hill Shopping Center and Albemarle Square show no signs of getting on board with the conversion of 20th century shopping centers, while the owners of The Shops at Stonefield have delivered on the residential side of the vision with 686 of 800 allowed units built as of April 1. On the commercial side, less than half of the nearly 1.2 million square feet of commercial space has been built.
Construction is now underway at the former Red Carpet Inn for dozens of housing units that will be reserved for individuals with extremely low incomes. SupportWorksVirginia and Piedmont Housing Alliance secured a rezoning in February 2021 for as many as 140 units.
This spring, the Columbus, Ohio-based Woda Cooper Companies filed plans with Albemarle County for a rezoning to build just under a hundred affordable apartments right across the eight-lane highway.
“Burley Pointe will consist of 92 apartment units, with 16 one-bedroom, 48 two-bedroom, and 28 three-bedroom units in a single four-story elevator building,” reads a description of the project.
Woda Cooper Companies has built a total of 365 communities in 18 states, according to its website. It’s also seeking to build a community called Rosenswald Pointe in Waynesboro. The company is currently managing two projects in the Richmond area and has two more under development.
Like Premier Circle and other affordable properties, financing depends on securing low-income housing tax credits through a division of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.
The 2.6-acre property at 1305 Seminole Trail is currently vacant and the narrative submitted for the rezoning describes it as ideal for apartments due to the proximity to a grocery store and places for people to work.
Another rezoning to build 165 units at 1193 Seminole Trail is currently on hold, according to the county’s permit portal. Immediately to the south is the county line, where another developer is seeking to build another 250 units. The latter is one of a handful of projects being processed under the city’s 2003 zoning code. Both of those are market-rate projects and will have to comply with each locality’s affordability requirements.
The Places29 Master Plan was meant to help guide transportation projects. To prepare for development, the 2011 vision called for the development of Hillsdale Drive Extended, widening U.S. 29 to six lanes between Polo Grounds Road and Hollymead Town Center, and the construction of Berkmar Drive Extended. All three were built, as well as other projects, including a pedestrian bridge currently under construction between Stonefield and Seminole Square Shopping Center.
The plan also called for expanded transit service in the area. Since then Albemarle has invested in public transportation including covering the costs of the MicroCAT on-demand service currently underway. The county has also joined Charlottesville to create a regional transit authority.
The Places29 Master Plan itself has not been updated since its inception, save for an amendment in June 2015. The county’s update of the Comprehensive Plan has now been underway since November 2021.
