Since the University of Virginia purchased the Fifeville estate known as Oak Lawn in October 2023, officials have pledged to include the neighborhood in the discussion of how the 5.2-acre property will be used. A concept plan for the future of Oak Lawn was shared with members of the Fifeville neighborhood during a June 18 webinar.
“It was really important that we did this in partnership with the community,” said Dr. Tracy Downs, chief community engagement officer for UVA Health.
UVA has hired several consultants to go through the process of figuring out what happens next with the property, which until recently has been a private home. One of the firms is Mitchell Matthews, and Project Manager Erin Hannegan noted the site’s proximity to Buford Middle School and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia.
“During this process, we have spent a significant amount of time determining what the aligned vision is across multiple sources,” Hannegan said.
That includes UVA’s strategic plan, the Cherry Avenue Small Area Plan, and the work of University of Virginia President Jim Ryan’s Council on UVA-Community Partnerships. The latter has advocated for more child care in the community.
The property is zoned Residential-C, which means the university will have to pursue a rezoning to build anything non-commercial. That’s due to a 1986 agreement with both the city and Albemarle County, albeit one that is not binding under law.
Hannegan said the request will be to rezone the property to the campus district under the new zoning code, allowing for a daycare with more than 12 occupants, a farmer’s market, community garden spaces, or office space. Actual uses will be determined when the rezoning process begins.
The concept plan includes constructing a long building to serve as a child-care facility along Ninth Street SW, including a parallel driveway to allow children to be dropped off. Downs said there could be spaces for up to 234 children but an exact number won’t be known until the design process is complete.
Community members have asked that the site’s association with slavery be honored as redevelopment occurs. LaToya Thomas with urban planning firm Brick & Story said this request has come up frequently during the public engagement process.
“That includes the Fife family, that includes the enslaved laborers who are part of the site,” Thomas said. “And think about how we’re memorializing that story for future generations to understand the site, the history, and the people who lived there and worked there.”
Sarah Malpass, vice president of the Fifeville Neighborhood Association, said her group is cautiously supportive of child care, but believes community members should get placement before UVA employees.
“We are looking for written commitments either around the percentage or around the number of slots that would be reserved for our residents,” Malpass said. “We’re also looking to make sure that we have shared understanding with UVA on who the real beneficiaries should be.”
Malpass said the Fifeville Neighborhood Association believes the university should have opted to build housing on the site to replace neighborhoods displaced by construction of the UVA hospital.
“We are very open to the idea that if UVA cannot be a partner by developing housing—affordable housing—at the Oak Lawn site, there are other opportunities to contribute to affordable housing around the neighborhood,” Malpass said.
Through its real estate foundation, the university has donated land for a 180-unit apartment building a third of a mile away to the north. All of the units will be reserved for households below designated income thresholds.
A block to the north, UVA also owns 2.73 acres on Roosevelt Brown Boulevard and Grove Street, which it purchased for $8.73 million. Community engagements were halted earlier this year to focus on Oak Lawn.
“Planning for any major development on our Grove Street parcels has been paused while we continue to work alongside the Fifeville community to listen and collaborate,” wrote UVA Health CEO Wendy Horton in a letter this past February.
