We’re gonna need a bigger court! In April, Albemarle and Charlottesville contracted Moseley Architects to study the feasibility of combining general district court operations in the Levy building, a 150-year-old opera house purchased by the city and county. While the Levy hosted the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court until it relocated to its current building on Park Street, Moseley Architects told officials that the structure lacked sufficient space for two court systems.
Now, Albemarle County supervisors need to decide whether to keep its district court in in the city, or look for a new site. The Levy building remains a viable option for the county. According to the April study, the current structure has space enough for the county’s case load. And in a memo to county supervisors for a January 5 meeting, staff writes that the City of Charlottesville "did not anticipate the need to relocate and expand its existing [court] facility."
At the same January 5 meeting, county staff will decide whether or not to hire an architecture firm to review the previous court studies, interview court staff and identify alternate sites for a county district court, among other tasks. According to the memo, Albemarle County can cover up to $35,800 with funds in its "Court Square Enhancement" account.