Another preliminary ruling from Judge Worrell allows lawsuit against Charlottesville’s zoning code to proceed

A major feature of Charlottesville’s relatively new zoning code is that developers can build more places to live without seeking additional permission from local elected officials. There has been an active lawsuit since January 2024 that claims the city did not follow Virginia’s regulations to study the impact more people would have on area roadways. […]

Local land use in 2024, by the numbers

There has not been an uneventful year in Charlottesville real estate for a long time, and no amount of column inches can capture all that happened in 2024. Here’s one way to take the pulse of this year.  0: The number of places there will be to live at 218 W. Market St. The developer […]

Shortened stay

Four years after opening its doors, the Quirk Hotel in Charlottesville was sold for $24 million to Blue Suede Hospitality Group on Monday, April 29. The hotel will undergo a complete rebrand—including a renaming—later this fall. Originally opened in March 2020, the Charlottesville Quirk Hotel is the sister location of the popular Richmond-based Quirk Hotel. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Producing the goods

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank served nearly 118,000 people in the last fiscal year, all while relying on aging equipment at the space it rents at 1207 Harris St. The City of Charlottesville is planning to invest $215,000 in unspent federal funds to help the organization solve a crisis. “BRAFB’s current refrigerator unit was […]