Shortly before the pandemic in March 2020, former University of Virginia president Jim Ryan announced an initiative to contribute land for the development of up to 1,500 affordable housing units in Albemarle County and Charlottesville.
While none have yet been built, UVA officials remain committed to moving forward at three sites. Each is at a various point in the development process.
“Since the beginning of the affordable housing initiative, the university has been committed to contributing either university or UVA Foundation-owned land, with the idea that it will enable affordable housing to be built in areas that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive,” said UVA spokesperson Bethanie Glover.
Glover said the earliest any of the projects might go to construction is 2028.
UVA chose the group Preservation of Affordable Housing to develop a two-acre site at the corner of 1000 Wertland St. The group filed plans for a six-story building with 180 units all to be rented at below 60 percent of the area median income.
While the city’s Department of Neighborhood Services approved a preliminary development plan, the Board of Architectural Review declined to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness at a meeting in February 2025, asking for design revisions.
POAH also asked for $3 million in funding from the city, which Council declined to provide. Council directed staff to negotiate with UVA to see if it would provide a cash contribution.
UVA selected the Piedmont Housing Alliance to develop a 12.73-acre site off of Fontaine Avenue that will go through Albemarle County’s permitting process. PHA filed a rezoning in December 2025 for 375 units but requested an indefinite deferral in March in order to respond to the first round of comments.
UVA’s official website on the initiative states that construction here may not start until 2031 due to the need to rezone and secure funding. PHA is one of the area’s most prolific nonprofit developers, with pending projects at 501 Cherry Ave., Park Street Christian Church, and the former MACAA property on Park Street.
The third location identified by UVA is the North Fork Discovery Park, owned by the UVA Foundation. The Albemarle Board of Supervisors approved a rezoning for a portion of that land in February 2024 that would allow up to 1,400 residential units. Bluestone Land LLC, a local company, has been hired as the development partner.
“North Fork is a very different site from the initial two properties in terms of size, scale, project phasing, and affordability mix,” reads the housing initiative’s website. “We anticipate market rate and workforce/middle-income housing in addition to affordable units at this site.”
Glover said the development process is complex and it takes many steps for a project to be ready to move forward.
“We know it will take a lot of creativity to make the financials on each project work, and we will work with development partners to think outside the box,” Glover said.
The City of Charlottesville did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
