Charlottesville’s new development code is intended to encourage the construction of new places to live across the city. However, there are still a few remaining large-scale residential projects being reviewed under the old rules.
For instance, plans are moving forward to build 267 units on U.S. 29 at the site of the Hibachi Grill under the old Highway Commercial designation.
Brownwood Properties filed materials earlier this month for the Charlottesville Planning Commission to review in its capacity as the Entrance Corridor Review Board. These depict an E-shaped five-story building with a 116-space parking garage and two courtyards. The entire site is just over four acres.
The property is now zoned Node Mixed Use 10, which would allow buildings up to 13 stories high if additional affordable units are provided.
The project, at 1185 Seminole Trl., is being looked at under the old zoning code because certain documents were filed within the time to retain vested rights. A preliminary plan was approved in early 2024 and a final site plan is currently under review.
The landscaping and lighting plans for 1185 Seminole Trl. do not show any integration with a proposed mixed-use development north of the Albemarle County border. A rezoning to build 165 units on that property is on indefinite hold despite a recommendation for approval from the Albemarle Planning Commission last July. Some commissioners expressed disappointment at the time that the project did not include more apartments or condominiums.
The new plans do show an exit on the eastern side of the property leading to Hillsdale Drive, allowing for interconnectivity to an area where redevelopment is likely. There is no set date for when this will go before the Planning Commission.
Another nearby project is also going through review under the old code. Great Eastern Management Company wants to convert a portion of the Seminole Square Shopping Center to residential use. In all, it seeks to build 300 residential units as well as 18,000 additional square feet of commercial space. That project is a third of a mile to the south on Hillsdale Drive Extended.
The proposed building at 1185 Seminole Square is also within close proximity to the Vista29 project that will eventually feature 140 units for low-income individuals. The new Elysian at Stonefield apartment building offers 52 units of high-end living. All will benefit from a new pedestrian bridge across U.S. 29 to connect Albemarle and Charlottesville.
But not every project that was vested under the old zoning code is proceeding as planned. Riverbend Development submitted new plans for the Belmont Condominiums project in May. The city’s online portal does not state how many units, but notes from a December 2024 pre-application meeting indicate Riverbend will be proposing more than the 130 that had been in the previous plan.
Renderings depict a proposed five-story 267-unit apartment complex slated for 1185 Seminole Trl. Image: Collins Engineering.
