News Real Estate

House down

The City of Charlottesville issued a stop-work order on Friday, April 26, at 521 Park Plaza in the North Downtown neighborhood. When it served the document, the city discovered the three-bedroom house had been demolished.  At some point late last week, a yellow excavator smashed the one-and-a-half-story structure into pieces. City records listed the home, […]

Sean Tubbs | May 1, 2024

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Hall pass

On Tuesday, April 30, representatives from the University of Virginia Alumni Association will publicly present a site plan for “a new Alumni Hall” at the corner of Emmet Street and Lewis Mountain Road.  The Alumni Association is a separate entity from the university, and pays property taxes to the City of Charlottesville. Unlike UVA, it […]

Sean Tubbs | April 24, 2024

News Real Estate

Change of plans?

The developer of a planned nine-story apartment building at 218 W. Market St. is considering building a hotel there instead. “It’s a great opportunity to further expose the Downtown Mall to visitors coming into Charlottesville, and increase the vitality of our downtown,” says Jeffrey Levien of Heirloom Development. In September 2020, City Council granted Levien’s […]

Sean Tubbs | April 17, 2024

News Real Estate

One exit

Any structure erected in Virginia must conform to building codes created around a century ago to ensure safe construction methods are followed and that people inside can get out if there’s a fire. Such provisions spread across the country after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in March 1911 in New York City that led to […]

Sean Tubbs | April 10, 2024

News Real Estate

Buffer zone

Ten months ago, Albemarle County Supervisors authorized County Executive Jeffrey Richardson to proceed with the purchase of 462 acres around the Rivanna Station military base. In late March, Richardson filed for a rezoning with the county’s Community Development Department to rezone just over a third of that land for economic development purposes. “A key element […]

Sean Tubbs | April 3, 2024

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More homes away from home

A nonprofit group that provides a place to stay for families of young patients at the University of Virginia Medical Center has made a significant property purchase in Fifeville. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charlottesville purchased a one-time auto repair garage at 316 Ninth St. SW for $700,000. The March 15 acquisition of the former […]

Sean Tubbs | March 27, 2024

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A month in

Charlottesville’s new Development Code has been in effect for a month, and most of the players involved say not enough time has passed to determine any effects so far. “It’s early in the experience for staff and developers and they are still learning the day-to-day implications of the new code,” says James Freas, the city’s […]

Sean Tubbs | March 20, 2024

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Bigger portfolio

As Charlottesville considers an ordinance to create a land bank to generate more affordable housing, one government entity is already providing much of that function. In addition to owning and operating hundreds of public and voucher-based units across the city, the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority has been buying more property to guarantee lower rents […]

Sean Tubbs | March 13, 2024

News Real Estate

Housing more

The University of Virginia’s Great and Good strategic plan helped guide the public institution to recently surpass a $5 billion fundraising goal. One item in the plan calls for the creation of a Good Neighbor program. “Affordable housing is one of the six issues that was identified by the community as being important to work […]

Sean Tubbs | March 6, 2024

News Real Estate

Build-out

For many years, aspirational plans adopted by elected officials have called for Route 29 to become more than just a shopping destination or a way for travelers to pass through the city. “The Hydraulic Small Area Plan seeks to identify opportunities for a more sustainable mixed-use development pattern that departs from the historic, suburban patterns […]

Sean Tubbs | February 28, 2024