A 101′-tall building was to come to the rescue of plans for a CVS on the corner of W. Main and McIntire, but a pharmacy at the current location of RSC Equipment Rental is no longer likely. "We’re working under the premise that it’s out," says site developer Bob Englander. "We think it makes for a better design for the building too."
 The current site of RSC Equipment Rental on W. Main Street might soon make a significant class jump if a rezoning to allow a 101′-tall building with 80 condo units goes through. |
Instead, five to six boutique shops (surprise, surprise) would front W. Main and McIntire, with a tower of about 80 condo units rising above. "We’re going to put as many shops as make sense for the space," says Englander. "One of the things the CVS required was a wide and deep retail space, [which doesn’t] typically work in boutique retail."
Englander, a Richmond developer and president of The CathFord Group, appeared before the city Planning Commission a few weeks ago to discuss his rezoning request for the one-acre site at 301 W. Main St. The request would allow him to build what would typically be a nine-story building, though because of higher ceilings, this would only be seven stories tall.
"My purpose is to build a building like those we’ve built in Richmond," said Englander, who specified the Turning Basin Building in Shockoe Bottom, built in 2001, which is five stories tall with 113,000 square feet of commercial space.
Several commissioners gave Englander a hard time for not coughing up more proffers to benefit the city.
"Certainly it will be an exciting place to live for those residents who have a lot of money to buy those condominiums," said Chairman Jon Fink. "But what are you going to do to support the needs we have in our community?"
Englander raised the possibility of going by-right, meaning he wouldn’t need Planning Commission approval, if design changes as proposed to City Council go through later this year. As opposed to that, said Englander, "what we’re trying to do is…design a building that’s a much better design, provides more housing in an urban core, gets pedestrians on the street, …spending dollars in the neighborhood, and to me, that’s a public good."
Englander now says he’s going to make some additional proffers, though he declines to specify what they’ll be. "We heard what they said, and we will react to that in the most positive way that we can for both the city and the project."
If approved, the building would offer a more concrete extension of the Downtown area into W. Main Street, another link in Charlottesville’s gentrification chain.
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