What traits would you like to see in Charlottesville’s next police chief? What seasonal events are you excited to see return? If you had a warning label, what would it say?
These are among this year’s C-VILLE Question of the Week. For most people, the answers to those questions would cover a pretty broad range of topics. But for the Twitter account @Luffa_Klein, all these queries come back to the same subject: The Dewberry Hotel.
All year, multiple times per month, the avatar-less Twitter account has responded to our question, almost always finding a way to tie our prompt back to the unfinished steel shell that’s been sitting on the Downtown Mall for more than a decade, neglected by owner after owner.
When asked to describe the perfect burger, @Luffa_Klein wrote, “My perfect burger is made with ‘organic meat’ from the Jungle Project fed ‘cows’ at the unfinished disaster Dewberrry Living!” To a question about the very best theater experiences, @Luffa_Klein responded, “Recent favorite theater experience is the Dewberry Mystery Drama. A dark scary unbelievable saga about an unfinished screaming disaster jungle project in mid C’Ville with a tragic NO ending. Get ready C’Ville it’s scare!” And on, and on, and on.
We delighted in the creative, off-the-wall answers—and we started to wonder. Who was behind @Luffa_Klein? And what did the Dewberry ever do to him?
Well, I’m pleased to report that we were able to track down our man of mystery. The person behind the @Luffa_Klein account wants to remain anonymous, but C-VILLE can confirm that he’s a longtime Charlottesville resident—and he’s been having just as much fun with the Question of the Week as we have. “I made it a sport, so to speak,” he says.
When it comes to the Dewberry, “I think it’s ridiculous,” he says. “It appears unsafe, it doesn’t make sense. I’m not a lawyer, I’m not an activist, I’m not politically involved, really… [But] it just sits there as a graveyard monument.”
As it happens, there’s been some movement around the building in recent weeks—graffiti has been removed, and so has the sign on the front of the building that said “Coming summer 2009.”
“The current work being done is a temporary art installation by The Friends of the Downtown Mall,” says city spokesman Joe Rice. “As far as the status of the building, it is my understanding that the owner is actively looking at options and a plan could materialize at some point in 2022.”
For @Luffa_Klein, anything is better than what’s there now. “I don’t mind a hotel,” he says. “I just want to see it finished. Whoever comes up with a good idea.”
The Best of @Luffa_Klein
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
“My karaoke success is always the Dewberry Serenade. Always full of surprises and no solutions. Refrain goes ‘unfinished (14 years) disaster jungle concrete monument not removed from beautiful downtown.’ Sing along C’Ville.”
How do you expect the UVA basketball teams to fair this year?
“UVA basketball teams will do just fine this season as long they don’t have to practice at terrible incomplete concrete rumble monument Dewberry (many names) in C’Ville center…FIRE ALL INVOLVED!”
What’s been the biggest success in your garden this summer?
“My success grow this summer has been Jungle Weed growing for FREE at the down town C’Ville unfinished (14 years) disaster Dewberry concrete monument that wasn’t taken down or removed. Shame on you C’Ville!”
What’s your beverage of choice this summer?
“My best all time drink is Dewberry Sour but hard to make sense of. Hard to learn because ingredients changes name all the time. Hard to make because it takes time (14 years) and hard to drink because you can swallow the unbelievable nonsense in a empty glass.”