The future of the Violet Crown cinema on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall seemed bleak this past February when the Board of Architectural Review granted Heirloom Development approval to demolish the structure for a residential building.
“The prospect of losing this cultural asset for the Virginia Film Festival, the community, and for the city itself was potentially devastating,” said Jody Kielbasa, vice provost for the arts at the University of Virginia and the festival’s director.
Kielbasa said Violet Crown has played a central role in the film fest since 2015, as both a box office and a venue with seven theaters screening festival entries. The business operates in a building owned by a separate company.
Heirloom Development filed plans in fall of 2024 for a building that sought to maximize the new zoning code, which theoretically allows an 184-foot-tall structure in downtown zoning. Heirloom’s Jeffrey Levien argued that the city needed housing and told the BAR that the Violet Crown was “outdated.”
While Levien was successful in getting demolition approved, he walked away from the project earlier this year after a special exception permit request faced steep opposition. The Violet Crown kept operating, with management insisting they intended to stay in business.
On October 21, a trio of local artists announced they had been working behind the scenes in recent months to secure the purchase of 200 W. Main St.
“The Violet Crown is a crucial asset to the Charlottesville community, a jewel of the Downtown Mall, a tentpole of the Virginia Film Festival, and the cornerstone of our arts-and-culture corridor,” said writer and editor Rachel Baker in a press release announcing the sale.
Baker is joined by audio producer Annie Galvin and theater and events producer Lindsay Meck. They began their efforts after news broke that Heirloom Development wanted to clear the way for a tall building.
According to the release, an entity called Lisadell LLC will purchase the building for a sum not yet disclosed. The 2025 assessment is $6.26 million, according to Charlottesville records. So far, the State Corporation Commission has no records for such a company in Virginia.
The trio also negotiated a lease extension with Es Vedra Cinemas, the Austin, Texas, company that operates the Violet Crown franchise.
Galvin said the theater is a reason she loves being a Charlottesville resident, pointing to her daughter’s first experience watching a movie at a cinema when they both attended a cat-themed film festival.
“The Violet Crown screens indie and foreign films that don’t always play at other local venues, so this theater greatly expands the city’s cultural offerings,” she said.
Meck grew up seeing films in the theater and said she wants others to have the experience.
“I am thrilled to be a small part of continuing Charlottesville’s remarkable cultural legacy by preserving this physical manifestation of Charlottesville’s creative spirit, and to help ensure that it will continue to be a forum to inspire and entertain audiences of all ages for years to come,” Meck said.
The CEO of Es Vedra Cinemas, Charlie Tiantawatch, said the company is planning on new seats, an overhaul of concessions, and other upgrades.
“We could not be happier to work with the new ownership to not only continue this tradition, but to work alongside them to continually enhance the moviegoing experience in every way we can,” Tiantawatch said.
The 2025 Virginia Film Festival is October 22 to 26, with screenings at Violet Crown, The Paramount Theater, and on the Grounds of the University of Virginia.
