The three-story office building at 321 Hillsdale Dr. will require little retrofitting to become the new site Elk Hill Charlottesville School.
One of the goals of the extension of Hillsdale Drive from Greenbrier Drive to Hydraulic Road was to help encourage redevelopment of shopping centers designed for the 20th century.
“The new street alignment will begin to break down the block structure east of U.S. Route 29 and shape future development parcels in the area toward a more urban form,” reads a section of the Hydraulic Small Area Plan adopted by Albemarle and Charlottesville in 2018.
Since then, the Great Eastern Management Company has moved ahead with plans to redevelop the Seminole Square Shopping Center by converting retail spaces into destinations for recreation, such as the cvilleSmash pickleball complex now open for business and the soon-to-open Cocos Adventure Factory. The company has an approved site plan for 300 apartment units on the site of a now-vacant grocery store and is seeking to secure financing.
A private school that specializes in students with mental health and behavioral challenges has decided to invest in the same area to expand its offerings. Elk Hill Farm purchased a three-story office building at 321 Hillsdale Dr. for $3.4 million on May 29.
“Families need help to navigate and find solutions to the challenges they face on a daily basis, and our school desperately needed more space to expand our services,” said Laura Easter, chief executive officer of the Elk Hill Charlottesville School and Family Center, in a press release announcing the purchase.
The additional space will allow Elk Hill to serve around 50 students, an increase over what it has been able to offer at a series of other locations in Charlottesville. The school has other programs across Virginia, including in Staunton and Goochland County.
Services offered at the Elk Hill Charlottesville School include mentoring, parent coaching, and therapeutic monitoring. Easter said other locations were considered but the Hillsdale site can easily be converted for educational use.
“The natural daylight which streams into the interior provides a burst of energy and hope, which matches the tenor of the important work we do,” Easter said.
The deal was brokered by MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate. Executive Vice President Sam Orr said the site’s proximity to other businesses was part of the appeal.
“321 Hillsdale is in move-in ready condition, and will require a minimal investment to retrofit the interior in time for the start of the school year,” Orr said. “The building has strong curb appeal and provides the space to accommodate the school’s current needs and planned growth.”
In March, staff in the city’s Neighborhood Development Services signed off on the proposed use in a zoning verification letter. “General education” is allowed under the property’s Node Mixed use zoning.
Orr also said the site’s grounds offer space for outdoor learning.
The property also is close to a future recreational amenity mentioned in the Hydraulic Small Area Plan. The Meadow Creek Trail is a linear park that would span from Meadow Creek Gardens to Greenbrier Park, providing key pedestrian bridges to improve accessibility.
Cost estimates for the project have kept increasing and now stand at $4.9 million. In May, Charlottesville City Council agreed to allocate an additional $1.5 million. The project has not yet gone out to bid.
