VDOT estimates the Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29 project will be completed in Fall 2025. Charlottesville GIS.
With the missing medians, peeled-up pavement, and barrage of cones, it’s hard to miss the construction on Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29. But Virginia Department of Transportation Project Manager Will Stowe says there’s a method to the madness.
Construction along the busy corridor started earlier this year and has mostly consisted of right-of-way acquisitions up to this point, according to Stowe. “Currently, the main work is along the Hydraulic corridor,” he says. “We are preparing to build a roundabout at the intersection of Hillsdale Drive and Hydraulic.”
Located between the Whole Foods Market and Kroger parking lots, that particular intersection is a notoriously busy one. Data from VDOT’s crash map over the last two years shows clusters of accidents in and around the intersection. By putting in a roundabout, VDOT hopes to improve safety and traffic flow in the area.
VDOT is currently relocating utilities and installing drainage, and they plan to implement a detour for which construction is projected to last between 40 and 45 days. This detour will take drivers to the nearby intersection of the 250 Bypass and U.S. 29/Emmett Street next to Bodo’s Bagels. In an effort to reduce traffic as a result of the detour, VDOT intentionally scheduled the work while the University of Virginia, Albemarle County schools, and Charlottesville City schools are out of session (UVA holds summer session classes, but student presence on Grounds is significantly lower compared to the fall and spring semesters).
During construction, drivers will still be able to access businesses and other locations along Hydraulic Road, Brandywine Drive, and Michie Drive, but the area will be closed to through traffic.
“We’ll make sure that all the roundabout signage and guidance is in place, [and] the pavement marking will make it pretty clear which ways you need to go,” he says.
Aside from the roundabout, the project will also include signal changes, handicap ramp improvements, and the construction of a pedestrian bridge over U.S. 29 by the Shops at Stonefield.
“We’re also installing Amber beacons at the crosswalks around the roundabout to alert traffic to pedestrians,” says Stowe. Other pedestrian crossings and street lighting will be added throughout the construction area, but one big change for drivers will be the removal of left turn lanes from Hydraulic Road onto Route 29. “Reducing the phases at that light … will give a lot more green time to the other operations [there].”
VDOT has already started preparing for the pedestrian bridge over U.S. 29, but construction will not significantly affect drivers and pedestrians until at least this fall. “We’ll be focused on the roundabouts and signal[s] this summer,” says Stowe. “We’ll be focusing on getting the pedestrian bridge built into the fall and into next year.”
While UVA leadership has continued to stress its willingness to engage with students over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, one such conversation did not proceed as planned on Thursday, May 9, when members of Apartheid Divest—a coalition of 43 student groups—walked out on a pre-scheduled meeting with UVA President Jim Ryan. More than 30 students stood in silence outside the meeting room, with their hands raised and painted red, as remarks and demands were read aloud to the UVA president.
Ryan listened to the statement in silence, leaving after the group started to chant, “35,000 dead and you arrested kids instead” and “Jim Ryan you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide.”
In a statement to the Daily Progress about the decision to not move forward with the meeting as planned, Apartheid Divest member Josh Rosenberg said, “President Ryan’s actions were so inexcusable that there was no way we could have a good faith conversation with him after he refused to engage in good faith with students protesting peacefully for Palestine.”
Further division over how to best address UVA’s decision to call in police to break up the encampment arose on Friday, May 10, at a faculty senate meeting. Upper leadership, including Ryan, Longo, and Vice President and Provost Ian Baucom, attended the first portion of the gathering, and were grilled by several members and a small contingent of supporters among the faculty.
At the height of the conversation, multiple professors expressed their frustration with administration not dismissing the no trespass orders issued to protesters on the scene, especially those issued to faculty members and current students.
After leadership left, the senate passed an amended resolution calling for an external review of the events of Saturday, May 4, but declined to pass a resolution of solidarity.
Moving up
Supplied photo.
On May 13, Jamie Gellner started as the new Director of Transportation for Albemarle County Schools.
Prior to her current role, Gellner served as the Director of Special Projects, Program Evaluation, and Department Improvement for ACPS. She also has a background in transportation management, with experience in both Charlottesville and Fairfax.
“Our students deserve safe, reliable transportation services that support their education,” said Gellner in a release from ACPS. “I am eager to collaborate with students, families, and, of course, the dedicated staff of the Department of Transportation to implement innovative solutions and ensure every student arrives at school safely, on time and ready to learn.”
Gellner’s appointment comes at the tail end of a bumpy school year for bussing in the county, which experienced a driver shortage at the start of the 2023-24 school year. After three months, ACPS was able to expand bus services to all students requesting transportation outside of the walk zone.
Over the summer, Gellner will be working to minimize potential driver shortages that may pop back up this fall.
Cause for celebration
It’s graduation season in Charlottesville! Celebrations kick off at the University of Virginia on Friday, May 17, with events including valedictory exercises, the Donning of the Kente ceremony, and the Fourth Year Class Party. The main ceremonies will be held on Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, at 9am, with respective commencement speakers Daniel Willingham and Risa Goluboff. Expect traffic delays at the Corner, Downtown Mall, and just generally all of Main Street over the weekend.
Phoning in
The Charlottesville Police Department will resume responses for some non-emergency calls on June 1. Responses were temporarily paused in 2021 due to staffing shortages. Significant improvements to staffing will allow officers to respond to credit card fraud, false pretense, impersonation, larceny, vandalism, and lost property calls in person.
Compromise concessions
Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a compromise budget passed by the Democratically controlled state legislature on Monday, May 13. While the new version includes funding for schools and pay increases for teachers and other state employees, other key Democratic priorities were scrapped on the bargaining table. Notable changes include the exclusion of language requiring reentry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the removal of any tax increases or decreases.
Key points from the forceful removal of a pro-Palestine encampment from UVA by police May 4 remain a topic of debate. Photo by Eze Amos.
Administrators, faculty, students, and the broader Charlottesville community continue to grapple with the forceful removal of a pro-Palestine encampment from the University of Virginia by police on Saturday, May 4. No one can agree on exactly what happened.
University leadership, including President Jim Ryan and University Police Chief Tim Longo, outlined the timeline of events from their perspective at a virtual town hall on Tuesday, May 7.
“So I will start with the obvious,” said Ryan at the opening of the meeting. “Saturday was a terrible and terribly sad and upsetting day. I’m very sorry it got to that point.”
Though he acknowledged there were disagreements with the decision to dissolve the encampment and bring in state police, Ryan stood behind the choices made and outlined leaderships’ decision-making process.
In response to UVA’s event, faculty members organized their own within two days—billed as Eyewitness Perspectives: An Honest Town Hall—to provide clarity on the differing points of view, supplemented with photo and video evidence.
“By gathering eyewitness accounts from people who served in various capacities in the Liberated Zone, from observer to liaison to participant, we want to set the record straight on events as they unfolded,” said Professor Tessa Farmer at the opening of the Thursday, May 9, meeting.
Following the meetings, everyone—protesters, faculty, administration, and observers—are struggling with what comes next.
At press time, UVA has indicated that final exercises will proceed as planned. Leadership has repeatedly assured that freedom of speech is a priority on Grounds, and they will continue to engage student groups in conversations about the conflict in Gaza.
Points of contention
While the timeline of police presence on the scene is largely agreed upon, the details surrounding opportunities for de-escalation, level of force, and resistance differ between UVA administration and faculty.
UVA SAID
The decision to end the encampment was made for the safety of the community. Reasons cited include protesters calling for more people and resources on social media throughout the week. Emergency alerts were required by the Clery Act, but leadership acknowledged at the Faculty Senate meeting on Friday, May 10, that they brought more people to the scene.
PROTESTERS SAID
Despite the calls for more attendees and supplies, the size of the encampment shrank throughout the week. More observers showed up on Saturday, May 4, after UVA issued multiple emergency alerts. Multiple attempts were made to contact leadership, including Ryan and Vice President and Provost Ian Baucom, throughout the morning and afternoon of May 4.
UVA SAID
Protesters were unwilling to take down the tents on Saturday, May 4, and clearly understood UVA’s tent policies.
PROTESTERS SAID
Early in the morning of Saturday, May 4, faculty liaisons reportedly notified administration of the exemption for recreational tents listed on the UVA Environmental Health and Safety website. Faculty also mentioned other students were simultaneously using similar tents by the volleyball courts on Grounds.
UVA SAID
Law enforcement identified four men dressed in black, at least two of whom “were known to law enforcement personnel as participating in violent acts elsewhere in the commonwealth.”
PROTESTERS SAID
No one at the faculty-led town hall indicated that they saw or were informed of the “four men dressed in black” at the encampment.
UVA SAID
When he went to remove the tents, Longo said he became fearful given demonstrators’ use of umbrellas and protest chants.
PROTESTERS SAID
Video shows Longo approaching the encampment. Protesters can be seen holding open umbrellas, several with their backs to officers, while reciting a call-and-response: “We have a duty to fight for Palestine. We have a duty to win. We must love each other and protect one another. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” After several rounds of chanting, during which neither Longo nor any other officer is seen approaching the encampment, UPD walked away from the protest.
UVA SAID
UPD officers “were met with the use of umbrellas in an aggressive manner” when attempting to remove the tents and break up the demonstrators, precipitating the decision to involve Virginia State Police.
PROTESTERS SAID
A video from the faculty town hall shows UPD officers attempting to physically take the umbrellas as protesters hide behind them. One person can be heard yelling “What the fuck?” repeatedly before the crowd repeats “UPD, KKK, IDF, they’re all the same.” Faculty allege officers approached multiple times to take the umbrellas, with the video showing the third encounter.
UVA SAID
Some protesters resisted arrest or threatened police, with one attendee charged with assaulting an officer.
PROTESTERS SAID
VSP encircled and closed in on the encampment, cutting off bystanders and liaisons. Video shows professors attempting to deescalate the situation by standing between officers and the encampment, repeating, “These are our students, on their campus” as armed law enforcement officers moved in. Faculty and protesters broadly dispute claims of violence by encampment participants.
UVA SAID
Student protesters at the encampment would not engage directly with administration, instead acting through faculty liaisons, showing an unwillingness to hold conversations.
PROTESTERS SAID
UVA administration has demonstrated a willingness to hold conversations about Palestine, but with no substantive action taken.
UVA SAID
Longo claims people affected by chemical irritants deployed were given medical treatment on the scene, with no significant injuries occurring to protesters.
PROTESTERS SAID
No eyewitnesses recall any organized medical treatment center on site. Any first aid provided was given by demonstrators, observers, or faculty.
Conceptualized 50 years ago, Charlottesville's Downtown Mall endures. Photo by Stephen Barling.
The Downtown Mall is a central feature of life in Charlottesville—a place where residents, locals, and students alike head for shopping, meals, drinks, and entertainment. But there’s more: At eight blocks, it’s one of the longest pedestrian malls in the country. Of about 200 pedestrian malls built in the 20th century, ours is one of only 30 that survive. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s also (word has it) the most popular tourist spot in the area, after Monticello.
And the Mall is a huge income generator for Charlottesville. According to Chris Engel, director of the city’s Office of Economic Development, an analysis from 2013 showed 17 percent of the city’s tax revenue from business license, meals, and sales taxes was derived from the Mall, which is only 3 percent of the city’s commercial area. “It’s reasonable to assume the percentage is similar in 2024,” he says.
But these are just data points. As the Mall approaches its 50th anniversary, I set out to explore its story.
Growing, growing, gone
There are still plenty of residents who remember the pre-Mall, small-town Charlottesville that in the 1950s saw people—and their dollars—heading to the suburbs. The new Barracks Road Shopping Center and others like it siphoned off the city’s shoppers and a large chunk of its tax revenues.
By 1959, the downtown business community knew drastic change was needed, and over the next decade various groups developed revitalization proposals which were hotly debated and repeatedly rejected. It’s a measure of how dire the situation must have been that in 1974, the Charlottesville City Council took a make-or-break decision: It approved a $4.1 million proposal to radically redesign the town’s heart. (The vote was a less-than-rousing 2-0; three of the councilors abstained due to opponents’ cries of potential conflict of interest.)
The proposed design was the work of internationally known landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, the designer of Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, the groundbreaking pedestrian/transit Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, and many other landmarks. Halprin’s human-scaled designs featured a free pedestrian flow combined with spaces for gathering, carefully placed trees to both shape and shade the walkway, and the use of water features and participatory fountains. It’s a tribute to the city’s business community and planners that a small college town took this ambitious step.
On July 3, 1976, the Downtown Mall was opened with the placement of a commemorative brick in front of the Central Place fountain. But that didn’t mean instant prosperity—the downtown area couldn’t be insulated from changes in consumer habits or national economic trends. By the 1990s, department stores Miller & Rhoads, Roses, and Leggett had moved, and Woolworth’s had gone out of business. Gradually, the Mall morphed from a business district (banks, law offices, stores) into an entertainment/cultural space.
The Mall evolves
Renowned landscape architect Lawrence Halprin created the proposed design for the pedestrian mall. Photo by Willi Walker.
In 1980, the first sidewalk café, The Muse, opened. The following year, Miller’s became the Mall’s first music venue and the city installed six steel sculptures by University of Virginia professor James Hagan. In 1988, the first Fridays After Five concert was staged; and six years later, the expansion of the Mall’s eastern end created a permanent stage for that event and others. The 1996 opening of Regal Cinemas (now Violet Crown) and the Charlottesville Ice Park (replaced by the C.O.D.E. Building) developed the Mall’s western end and drew more evening and weekend visitors.
It’s hard now to imagine that in the Mall’s early years, the Paramount Theater sat shuttered in its very center. The theater, a downtown feature since it opened in 1931, shut down in 1974. Julie Montross, the Paramount’s executive director, credits a 12-year effort by committed members of the community, working with the city government, to restore and reopen the old theater in 2004 as a nonprofit community cultural space. “It’s a huge benefit for our mission to be in the heart of things,” says Montross. (Andy Pillifant, the Paramount’s director of communications, maintains that the Paramount’s blade sign, finally restored in 2015, is the third most photographed object in Charlottesville after Monticello and the Rotunda. Hard to prove, but believable.)
Another Mall success factor: By the 1990s, Halprin’s trees had matured. Mall observers credit that overhead canopy with creating a real sense of place—as well as shade that made people want to linger.
Speed bumps
This is not to say there weren’t ups and downs along the way. Convenience and habit kept most UVA students on the Corner, and until West Main was revitalized, there was no real connection between Grounds and the downtown area. Linnea Revak (a UVA grad, class of 2010) who now owns Darling + Dashing on the Mall, says, “When I was an undergrad, students never walked up Main Street.”
Beth Meyer, an architecture professor at UVA, was involved in the 2008 debate over how to renovate the Downtown Mall. Photo by Sanjay Suchak/UVA University Communications.
By 2008, 30-plus years of wear and tear on the area’s lighting, water features, and pavement was showing. The Council’s consideration of a $7.5 million renovation project led to heated debates about time, cost, and the nature of the Mall itself. Beth Meyer, a professor in UVA’s School of Architecture, was one of those who got drawn into the debate.
“Halprin’s design was so brilliant, minimalist with its flowerpots and lights and trees. It’s an outdoor living room,” she says. “Some people understood Halprin was important; others thought [honoring the original design] was a huge waste of money.”
Meyer and others argued for restoring some of Halprin’s features that had been cut—the large fountain, play spaces for children—but in many instances, budget won over design. Re-laying the brick pavement, after another protracted debate, was done in sections over the winter of 2008-2009 so as not to close the Mall entirely. Unfortunately, the project coincided with a national recession, and many businesses were hit hard.
Once again, the Mall’s fortunes recovered—and then came August 11 and 12, 2017, when a deadly white nationalist protest struck the city. Those shocking events did spur a rallying of the community to support Mall businesses. But the trauma made itself felt in years of city government dysfunction.
The next punch was COVID-19. With the pandemic shutdown, businesses on the Mall had to pivot. Retail moved online, restaurants launched takeout, stores started delivery services. The Paramount was one of the few that stayed open. “It was important to us that the lights stayed on,” says Pillifant, so the theater hosted small-group events or created social distancing by taping photos of past performers to nine out of every 10 seats.
The shutdown resulted in a series of closings, especially among smaller businesses, and created an impression among many residents that the area was struggling. In fact, according to the City’s semiannual survey, the January 2024 vacancy rate for the Mall’s street-level businesses was about 3 percent, down from almost 6 percent in July 2023. “Anything 10 percent or under is a healthy figure, and the Mall has never been above 10 percent” since the survey was started in 2008, says Engel.
Rapture owner Mike Rodi says lunchtime traffic hasn’t been the same since the pandemic. Photo by Stephen Barling.
Post-pandemic, staffing is still a challenge—some Mall restaurants have cut back on hours or days open. And the pandemic’s work-from-home trend and resulting office closings had a big effect on the Mall’s activity level. On the lovely spring day I interviewed Rapture owner Mike Rodi, there were people strolling, but only one couple was lunching at his restaurant’s outdoor seating. “Lunch traffic hasn’t recovered,” claims Rodi. “Before the pandemic, on a day like this we would have had a waiting list.”
But perspectives vary. “The Mall is livelier than it used to be,” claims Darling’s Revak (whose sector, vintage clothing, is booming). Lily Garcia Walton, chief people officer and general counsel of tech firm Silverchair, whose offices occupy the top two floors of the Hardware Building, says that on any given day, about 20 percent of its hybrid work force chooses to work on site. “They love being on the Mall for its vibrancy, and because of the venues they can go to after work,” she says.
Ellen Joy of Alakazam Toys, who purchased the business in 2019 from its retiring owner, thinks much of the business turnover may be generational. She credits the Mall’s resilience to its sense of community: “When I got here, the Mall was still reeling from August 11 and 12, and everybody came together to reclaim it.”
Recurring debates
Photo by Stephen Barling.
So is the Mall a city asset? “Because the Downtown Mall is such a powerful symbol [of Charlottesville], it’s always an argument,” says longtime local journalist Sean Tubbs. And one thing Charlottesville residents have plenty of is opinions.
One of the persistent gripes is about parking. The City claims there are 1,710 public parking spaces, largely in the public parking facilities adjacent to the Mall. But every Charlottesville driver has horror stories about the mish-mash of signs and designations along the surrounding streets.
Another complaint: The Mall, a public space, had no public bathrooms. For a while, restrooms were available in the Downtown Transit Authority and in City Hall, but the pandemic shut down access to them. Finally, in 2022—45 years after the Mall opened—the city leased space in York Place for public facilities.
Then there’s the seating issue. Halprin’s design specified 150 moveable public seats. In the 2009 renovation, the city installed 30 fixed benches but removed the ones in Central Place because of complaints about vagrancy. In the meantime, more restaurants leased space outside for expanded service, which advocates for Halprin’s vision called encroachment on the public’s space.
The biggest threat to the Mall’s success, however, is a growing perception that it’s not a safe place. Over the decades, there have been complaints about vagrancy and panhandling, but in the last few years, concerns about physical and verbal assaults have ballooned.
“The Mall is absolutely a safe place to go,” says Chief of Police Michael Kochis. Department statistics show 115 incidents of Part 1 (violent or serious) crime in the last 12 months, compared to 102 in the previous 12—“and larceny is a driver,” says Kochis. Pulling out incidents of gun violence, the figures are two incidents in the last 12 months compared to two incidents in the preceding 12. In those same periods, shots fired incidents (not considered Part 1 crimes) have decreased from nine to three.
“Are there challenges? Absolutely,” Kochis says. “It’s important not to let the data cover up how people are feeling.” He acknowledges an increase in the number of unhoused persons on the Mall, who gather there since Charlottesville has no 24-hour shelter. Of this population, “there’s a small number who are in crisis and that can cause issues. We’re trying to identify them and get them help.”
The good news is that that department, on track to be fully staffed again by summer, has assigned an officer to the Mall four days a week (weekends are covered by officers on shift). Having an assigned officer provides an ongoing law enforcement presence, builds relationships with the businesses, and enables the officer to recognize the unhomed regulars and keep an eye out for those who may be in crisis. All officers are now going through crisis intervention training, says Kochis. In addition, the new city budget includes funding for the development of “anchor teams,” made up of a law enforcement officer, a paramedic, and a mental health clinician, to respond to situations that require a broader response.
These initiatives are badly needed. But Kochis points out that city government—and the Charlottesville community—need to have in-depth conversations about law enforcement staffing levels, mental health support and services, and community housing.
Whither the Mall?
All things considered, is the Mall a success? “Yes,” Engel says without hesitation. “It’s one of the few pedestrian malls that remains. People from other cities come here to observe [what Charlottesville has done].” But clearly, making sure the Mall continues to thrive will require a more proactive approach to its long-term management.
Greer Achenbach is the executive director of the Friends of Charlottesville Downtown volunteer group. Photo by Stephen Barling.
So whose task is that? The City owns the Mall’s right-of-way (the streets and sidewalks), but there has never been a single-point person for its needs, and there is no single line in the city budget for Mall funding. Maintenance and repairs are handled by the Public Works Department and Parks & Recreation; long-term projects fall under the city’s Capital Improvement Plan.
The buildings along the Mall, however, are privately owned. What most visitors think of as “the Mall” are the restaurants and retail outlets—most of them tenants, whether for 15 years or five months. Over the years, several volunteer groups have taken on the role of speaking for that business community; hopes are high for the newest version, the Friends of Charlottesville Downtown, set up in 2021.
One advantage for this new group, explains Greer Achenbach, the organization’s executive director, is that it’s a nonprofit 501(c)(3), funded by private philanthropy, which means it can hire full-time staff. The Friends wants to promote all of downtown Charlottesville, but recognizes the Mall is “a unique asset.” Achenbach sees her charge as promoting the businesses—through marketing, media, and special events—while working with the city to create an environment that draws both visitors and residents. Perhaps the Friends’ most noticed contribution so far is artist Eric Waugh’s “Music Box on Main Street,” a multi-part mural wrapping the abandoned Landmark Hotel building, but more special events like the holiday train and the recent open-air flower market are in the works.
“Some of the downtown’s issues are out of our area,” says Achenbach, “but we’re trying to be the energy/driver to keep things from getting stalled. We’re able to speak with one voice for business, tourists, and local users.”
Recognizing this complexity, a year ago, City Council appointed a 19-member Downtown Mall Committee representing a range of stakeholders: property owners, business owners, and residents as well as the historic preservation community and visitors. With staff support from the city, the committee’s monthly meeting examined issues from the Mall’s design and lighting to access, seating, and parking.
The committee is scheduled to present its report to Council later this month. Several observers believe its recommendations will include naming a point person in city government for coordinating the Mall’s maintenance, operation, and long-term budget needs.
More change will be coming. The city recently commissioned a management plan for the Mall’s trees. Many of the willow oaks lining the Mall are aging out; others have been damaged by pollution, accidents, or vandalism. In the meantime, the stumps of several trees that had to be removed have been decorated with sculptures made from their trunks by local chainsaw carver artist Brad Brown.
“It’s clear the Mall needs some investment, some TLC,” says Engel. “It’s a special place—it needs some regular funding source.”
For years, Crozet celebrated July 4 with fireworks at Claudius Crozet Park, but new homes built in the debris field means a new location is necessary. Photo by Jim Duncan.
Unlike Scottsville, Crozet is not a town, and decisions about land use are up to the six-member Board of Supervisors. The unincorporated community is in Albemarle’s White Hall District, and last year, incumbent Supervisor Ann Mallek narrowly defeated challenger Brad Rykal.
Rykal’s campaign argued Albemarle has focused too much development into Crozet without providing the necessary infrastructure. Even after losing by just 500 votes, Rykal and his campaign formed the group Crozet United and have continued to oppose new homes, such as the 122-unit Montclair development on Route 240.
This week, the Crozet Community Advisory Committee will take up a special use permit that is only indirectly related to residential growth. King Family Vineyards wants permission to hold the annual Independence Day celebration this year and into the future.
“The fireworks celebration has previously been held at Claudius Crozet Park,” reads the application for the permit. “However, after recent housing development encroaching on the park, fireworks can no longer be launched without endangering inhabited dwellings nearby.”
The 22.81 acre Claudius Crozet Park is privately owned by a nonprofit organization right in the middle of one of Albemarle’s designated growth areas. However, Albemarle’s fire marshal will no longer permit displays of fireworks due to the presence of new homes.
As of April 1, Albemarle’s Community Development Department lists 1,482 approved residential units in Crozet that have not yet been built, though that figure largely refers to 1,078 units still allowed at Old Trail Village, which is some distance away from the park.
The U.S. Census Bureau designates Crozet as a place, and lists the population as having grown from 5,565 in 2010 to 9,224 in 2020. The application for the special use permit suggests that a permanent home for Crozet’s Independence Day celebration will help create the future.
“It is a wonderful event that brings people together, both young and old alike,” reads the narrative. “It is an opportunity for people that have lived in Crozet for their entire lives and those who may have just moved to the area to share a common space and make memories together.”
The Crozet Community Advisory Committee meets at 7pm Wednesday in the Crozet Library.
Jim Duncan is a member of the CAC and realtor who has written about Crozet issues for years. He said that while he is glad King Family Vineyards wants to be the new venue for Independence Day celebrations, he laments the change of venue from Claudius Crozet Park.
“That was such an important part of life in Crozet for decades,” Duncan said. “So many were able to walk to the fireworks and see them from their homes and be part of the community in that way.”
Officials with Crozet United declined to provide comment for this story.
The Quirk Hotel, soon to be renamed and rebranded, conveniently stands on West Main Street. Supplied photo.
Four years after opening its doors, the Quirk Hotel in Charlottesville was sold for $24 million to Blue Suede Hospitality Group on Monday, April 29. The hotel will undergo a complete rebrand—including a renaming—later this fall.
Originally opened in March 2020, the Charlottesville Quirk Hotel is the sister location of the popular Richmond-based Quirk Hotel. The Ukrop family—best known for its Richmond-area grocery store chain and baked goods—purchased the Charlottesville site for $3.75 million in 2017.
Both Quirk Hotels were operated by Retro Hospitality and owned by the Ukrops family prior to the sale. The Ukrops also sold a minority share of ownership in the original Quirk in January 2024.
Since its launch in New York two years ago, new owner Blue Suede Hospitality Group has acquired four boutique apartment hotels, with locations in Miami, Memphis, Tennessee, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. The acquisition of the 80-room Quirk in Charlottesville marks the group’s first Virginia location and is of a similar size to its Miami holdings.
“We are very excited to continue the great legacy of this remarkable hotel, and further enhance its connection to downtown Charlottesville,” said Blue Suede CEO Kenny Lipschutz in a comment via email. “We look forward to doing our small part to contribute to the dynamic and growing momentum downtown, and are inspired by the opportunity to further support the unique and vibrant Charlottesville community.”
Retro Hospitality will hand over management of the property at the end of June, but BSHG says it will honor the hotel’s existing reservations and events. Since its opening in 2020, the Quirk has become a popular venue choice for couples planning weddings, with a large rooftop bar, changeable indoor and outdoor spaces, and customizable menu options from its full-service restaurant.
The biggest changes will come this fall, when the hospitality group anticipates rebranding the Quirk and announcing a new food and beverage partner.
Despite the rebrand, the Quirk Art Gallery will remain the same, according to Ted Ukrop.
“Katie and I want to thank our guests, artists, and investors for supporting Quirk Charlottesville over the past four years,” said Ukrop in a press release issued by real estate group CBRE, who brokered the deal.“Not all ventures or pursuits go as planned and opening two weeks before Covid certainly presented many challenges. Katie does plan to keep Quirk Gallery open in its current hotel location.”
Quirk Gallery is a major draw for both the Richmond and Charlottesville locations, which prompted the launch of the original hotel. The Ukrops opened the Richmond gallery in 2005 before opening the flagship hotel in 2015. Currently, the Charlottesville Quirk is highlighting artist Kiki Slaughter’s exhibit “Twenty Years,” a retrospective of her two decades as a painter, which will run until June 2.
The sale of the Quirk is the latest shake-up in Charlottesville’s hotel scene, which has seen marked changes over the last several years with the renovation of the Omni Hotel, completed in late 2023, and the opening of the University of Virginia’s Forum Hotel in April of this year.
Another hotel is also currently being discussed by the Board of Architectural review following a proposal from Heirloom Development. The group, which counts luxury apartment building Six Hundred West Main among its local projects, previously obtained approval for a special use permit to build an apartment building at 218 W. Market St., but now hopes to pivot the space to hospitality.
A heavy police presence was deployed to break up the demonstration at the University of Virginia on Saturday. Photo by Eze Amos.
Tensions between organizers and university leadership reached a boiling point underneath the gray skies on Saturday, May 4, when police forcefully broke up a pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Virginia.
By all accounts, the UVA Encampment for Gaza organized peacefully on Grounds, with demonstrators intermittently chanting, decorating signs, and working on their finals throughout the week. But by noon on Saturday, UVA officials were instructing students to avoid the area around the University Chapel and Rotunda due to “police activity.” The gathering, which quickly garnered attention and attracted hundreds more to the scene, was declared an unlawful assembly. Streets were blocked off and traffic lights switched to flashing yellow as Virginia State Police officers in full riot gear surrounded the encampment.
For the organizers on the scene, it was clear that they were about to be forcefully dispersed.
Footage and images from bystanders and protesters at the conflict’s inflection point depict heavily armed officers breaking up the encampment with the use of chemical irritants and riot shields. Videos posted to the @uvaencampmentforgaza Instagram page show police encircling a line of protesters linking arms and holding umbrellas before forcefully separating them using shields and tear gas. As of press time, 25 people have been arrested and released on bail in connection with the encampment according to UVA.
Tim Longo, University Police Chief, addresses the use of megaphones at the on-Grounds encampment on Wednesday. Photo by Eze Amos.
Rising action
The escalation at the UVA encampment comes on the heels of weeks of unrest at college campuses across the country. Students and community members in Charlottesville in particular have been organizing peacefully for months, with events like teach-ins, poetry readings, and demonstrations held by various groups concerned about the Israeli offensive and conditions in Gaza.
Pro-Palestine protesters have broadly condemned the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 people according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Israel’s offensive was prompted by the October 7 attacks of Gaza-based terrorist organization Hamas, which killed roughly 1,200 people and saw hundreds taken hostage.
Organizers at UVA first started congregating near UVA Chapel in the evening of Tuesday, April 30, setting up an encampment and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Palestinian liberation, and action from the University of Virginia. According to a statement from University Communications, organizers were told they could not set up tents due to school policy at this time, and protestors complied with the policy.
The next day, UVA Dissenters and the UVA Apartheid Divest Coalition held a demonstration on the Lawn from 11am to 5pm. At the end of the event, the group quickly picked up and left the Lawn, with some gathering at the encampment in the green space nearby.
Numbers at the protest ebbed and flowed throughout Wednesday, but by early evening roughly 100 protesters remained, spread out on blankets and towels, crowding under trees to escape the intense heat.
Meanwhile, other students continued their day-to-day activities—taking graduation photos by the Rotunda, setting up slack lines near the Homer statue, and lounging in the grass.
A small counter-protest group gathered nearby for a short period but dispersed quickly.
Protesters declined to speak with the media at the encampment but led chants condemning Israel and UVA: “One, two, three, four, occupation no more. Five, six, seven, eight, UVA, you can’t wait” and “Israel, you can’t hide, you’re committing genocide.”
During a dialogue between concerned faculty members, University Police Chief Tim Longo, and other UVA officials overheard on Wednesday, all expressed a desire to keep the situation from escalating. University police started to remove one organizer for using a megaphone without a permit, but the situation quickly resolved.
“[The attendees are] committed to a kind of constantly mobilized, constantly negotiated, incredibly beautiful and peaceful protest,” one faculty member told C-VILLE. “They’ve been gentle, they’ve been open, they’ve come from every community in the U.S. to actually argue for something and speak and stand for something, which is to stop genocide.”
Students displayed signs with anti-war sentiments throughout the protests. Photo by Eze Amos.
Call and response
Throughout the week, the encampment gradually shrank in size. Organizers posted their demands both on Instagram and on the Homer statue on Thursday: continuously disclose investments made by the UVA Investment Management Company, divest from “institutions materially supporting or profiting from Israel’s genocide, apartheid, and occupation of Palestine,” permanently cut ties with Israeli academic institutions, and allow faculty and students to support Palestine without risk of disciplinary action.
UVA responded to the demands the next day, outlining the processes for UVIMCO decisions and emphasizing its support for free speech on Grounds, while indicating it would not cut ties with Israeli academic institutions.
“Your request for permanent withdrawal from academic relations with Israeli institutions is not one we can support,” wrote Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer Kenyon Bonner and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Brie Gertler in a letter released Friday, May 3. “To terminate study abroad programs, fellowships, research collaborations, and other collaborations with Israeli academic institutions would compromise our commitment to academic freedom and our obligation to enabling the free exchange of ideas on our Grounds, both of which are bedrock values of the University.
“We recognize that this is an incredibly difficult moment for our world. We are seeing disturbing images of arrests and bitter division on campuses across the country. The staggering loss of innocent lives as a result of the conflict in the Middle East is heartbreaking,” reads the final paragraph of the university’s response. “Throughout these times, members of our community have shown a willingness to engage, to debate, and to respect and care for one another and the University we call home, and we hope that you will be willing to participate in further discussion on the issues you’ve highlighted so that we can better understand one another.”
Those at the encampment dissented, posting images of the letter with the words “BULLSHIT” and “FREE PALESTINE” written in marker over the response. Attendees started setting up tents later Friday evening.
Friday night, UPD officers arrived at the encampment in response to megaphone usage and tents before leaving. “Given continued peaceful behavior and the presence of young children at the demonstration site, and due to heavy rain Friday night, officials allowed the tents to remain overnight,” said UVA in an official statement on Saturday, May 4.
Recreational camping tents were exempt from university tent regulations according to a UVA website which was changed the morning of May 4, shortly before VSP raided the protest.
Accounts of the escalation vary significantly.
“We hoped and tried to handle this locally. But when UPD’s attempts to resolve the situation were met with physical confrontation and attempted assault, it became necessary to rely on assistance from the Virginia State Police,” said UVA President Jim Ryan in the May 4 statement. “I recognize and respect that some will disagree with our decisions. This entire episode was upsetting, frightening, and sad.”
Protesters used water to aid those hit with chemical irritants employed by police dispersing the encampment. Photo by Eze Amos.
A statement from the University Communications elaborated on this claim by Ryan, reporting that “around 11:45 a.m. [on Saturday], the University Police Department announced again that the group was in violation of University policies and gave them 10 minutes to vacate the premises. Authorities were again met with agitation, chanting and violent gestures such as swinging of objects.”
Allegations of violence by protesters have been refuted by the encampment. “Welcome to the University of Virginia, where we encourage free speech unless you’re protesting genocide,” posted @uvaencampmentforgaza on Instagram on Monday, May 6. “Where we brutalize our students and mace our community members, where we will arrest your friends and call in militarized troopers when anyone threatens our profit.”
Not over yet
The forced removal of the encampment and arrest of protesters has rallied support among the university and broader Charlottesville community. Hundreds gathered on the Lawn on Sunday, May 5, with several student groups issuing open letters of support for organizers and condemning UVA’s deployment of law enforcement.
“We categorically REJECT President Jim Ryan’s comments and subsequent explanations regarding the events of May 4th,” shared Muslims United, the Black Student Alliance, Pakistani Students’ Association, Afghan Student Association, Black Muslims at UVA, the Environmental Justice Collective, the Asian Student Union, the Bengali Student Organization, and the Sikh Students Association in a joint statement on Instagram. “His portrayal was based on misrepresentations and biased views. Those who were present at the encampment have attested to its peaceful nature.”
Several other student groups and professors at UVA have since spoken out against the university’s handling of the encampment and students’ arrests.
Sunday evening, approximately 100 organizers went directly to Ryan’s residence at Carr’s Hill, chanting for the president to “drop the charges” against arrested demonstrators. Ryan and Provost Ian Baucom were notably absent during the VSP raid, only issuing statements hours after the scene was declared stable by UVA Emergency Management.
As of press time, UVA has not issued any additional public statements regarding the encampment or police action on Grounds.
The Charlottesville Department of Parks and Recreation will begin remedial efforts at Oakwood Cemetery on May 13 following the conclusion of a forensic investigation and information sessions.
The investigation into conditions at the historic, 14-acre cemetery started in December 2023 when the city hired Line and Grade Civil Engineering to conduct a “comprehensive forensic investigation” into sinking, wet ground in a section of the site near Elliott Avenue and South First Street. Both hydrologic and hydraulic factors have contributed to the area’s dampness.
Affected areas of Oakwood Cemetery closely align with sections historically designated for the graves of non-white people, according to the city. “If left unmitigated, the land will swallow these gravesites, further obscuring the legacy of those who have been laid to rest,” shared the Department of Parks and Rec in an April 11 press release.
Further findings from the investigation indicate that the water-logged portion of the cemetery likely includes undocumented burial sites as well.
Prior to starting work in Oakwood Cemetery, the city held two information sessions aimed at sharing plans with residents and hearing feedback from those with loved ones buried at the site.
Mailing it in
While statewide mail issues have recently been in the spotlight, mail delivery in Charlottesville is operating as normal according to the United States Postal Service.
“All Charlottesville customers should be receiving normal mail delivery. Customers with delivery questions should contact their local Post Office,” said USPS media contact Philip Bogenberger in a comment via email. “In recent years, the Postal Service has made significant investments in our network, brought new products to market and continues to streamline operations with the goal of enhancing service to our customers.”
Despite assurances from USPS, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have both spoken about persistent mail issues in Richmond and previous problems in Charlottesville.
According to Bogenberger, USPS is continuing its local hiring efforts, following previous problems with staffing in the Charlottesville area. The Postal Service is hosting weekly hiring fairs this May for full- and part-time positions at Virginia Career Works, with the next event set for Thursday, May 9 from 2-4pm.
Deadly crash
A privately owned twin-engine plane crashed in a wooded area near Miles Jackson Road the morning of Sunday, May 5, killing both pilot and passenger. The Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia Conservation Police, and Virginia State Police initially responded to a 911 call from Miles Jackson residents who claimed they heard an airplane overhead followed by the sound of an explosion. The remains of 63-year-old pilot John W. Latham of Haymarket and 73-year-old passenger Niiben C.A. Ayivorh of Burke were recovered from the wreckage and transported to Richmond for medical examination.
Playhouse raffle
Volunteers are on site at Piedmont CASA—Court Appointed Special Advocates—to build a playhouse which will be raffled off as a fundraiser for the organization. The raffle for last year’s playhouse, designed by Bushman Dreyfus Architects and constructed by Peter Johnson Builders, brought in more than $30,000 for the nonprofit, which works with local foster children. This year’s volunteer team from Robertson Renovations is working on a design by Hinge, with color to be added by Sun Painting. Raffle ticket sales close May 17, with the winner announced May 18. Visit pcasa.org/playhouse24 for more information.
Brush with fire
On May 2, Albemarle County Fire Rescue found between 25 and 30 individual brush fires covering miles of the county’s planned Biscuit Run Park. ACFR extinguished the fires in about three hours. The first phase of construction on the park began in March, which includes the installation of a parking lot and restrooms, and so the site is closed to the public. The Fire Marshal encourages anyone with information on the incident to contact the office at 296-5833.
When the City of Charlottesville served a stop-work order at 521 Park Plaza, it discovered that this one-and-a-half-story home had already been demolished.
Supplied photo.
The City of Charlottesville issued a stop-work order on Friday, April 26, at 521 Park Plaza in the North Downtown neighborhood. When it served the document, the city discovered the three-bedroom house had been demolished.
At some point late last week, a yellow excavator smashed the one-and-a-half-story structure into pieces. City records listed the home, built in 1979, in excellent condition and without a basement.
The demolition took place despite the new owners having an approved building permit to proceed with a remodeling.
Carrie and Benjamin Yorker bought the property last August for $705,000. The house had been assessed in 2023 at $459,800, and that climbed to $677,700 this January. The home first sold in April 1980 for $59,000.
Benjamin Yorker is a development partner with the Charlotte-based firm Northwood Ravin, and focuses on markets in the southern United States. He has two degrees from the University of Virginia, including a master of business administration from the Darden School of Business.
The city issued a building permit for “interior renovations” on March 19 at what documents describe as Yorker Cottage. Sage Homes LLC is named as the contractor, and “remodel” was listed as the description of the work, with an estimated cost of $550,000. The plans clearly show the structure was to be remodeled, and there is no hint that demolition was pending.
The property is within the Residential-A zoning district, which means three new units can be built on the 0.11 acre lot under the new zoning.
City code defines demolition “as the razing of any structure above the existing grade, or the demolition of any structure below the existing grade.”
Neighborhood Development Services requires a permit for partial or full residential demolition, but it is unclear from the code what the penalty is if someone does not submit one. The cost to apply for a permit ranges from $75 to $1,500, depending on the permit.
The home at 521 Park Plaza is not within the jurisdiction of an architectural design control district, so permission from the Board of Architectural Review was not required. Penalties are much more severe for removing such a structure without the city’s consent.
The city has issued demolition permits this year for 710 Lexington Ave. and 600 Altavista Ave. Requests to take down 1105 Grove St. in Fifeville and 612 Harris Rd. in Willoughby are still pending, while another, 1003 Carlton Ave., is listed as “closed,” meaning the permit was rejected. (The demolition of this structure would allow Riverbend Development to construct a 130-unit condominium complex.)
“The demolition permit informs utilities and other service providers that all services must be disconnected,” says Afton Schneider, the city’s director of communications and public engagement. “The permit is not issued until those groups sign off that it is complete.”
Schneider also says the permit ensures that any hazardous materials, such as asbestos or lead paint, will be mitigated in the removal process. Coordination with erosion and sediment control takes place at this stage.
Anyone who takes down a building outside a historic district without permission must pay the $150 stop-work fee (this is charged per day that work continues without permit), pay double the demolition fee, and resolve any other site issues before new applications can be processed.
At press time, the Yorkers had not responded to a request for comment.
According to Sunshine Mathon, “Permanent supportive housing is intended to be a permanent housing solution for folks seeking a permanent home.” Supplied photo.
Construction is on the horizon at Premier Circle. The former Red Carpet Inn was transformed into an emergency shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic, and helped nearly 100 people exit homelessness. The facility closed in June of 2023, leaving a gap in Charlottesville’s network of shelter services, but construction on the next phase of the project is expected to begin by the end of September.
Virginia Supportive Housing will start work on 80 units of permanent supportive housing at the site this year, followed by 40 to 50 units of low-income housing constructed by Piedmont Housing Alliance. The 80 housing units are slated to open in the first half of 2026, with the low-income housing expected to open two years after, in 2028.
The housing project has taken the combined effort of a number of cooperating partners. Piedmont Housing Alliance purchased the property in 2021 with a $4.25 million grant from the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. A commitment of $700,000 from Albemarle County and $750,000 from the City of Charlottesville allowed Virginia Supportive Housing to begin construction this year.
Although Premier Circle initially was a low-barrier overnight shelter, the long-term goal has always been to transition the site into permanent housing.
“So the operative word is permanent,” says Sunshine Mathon, executive director of Piedmont Housing Alliance. “Emergency shelters really are that, they’re for emergencies. Permanent supportive housing is intended to be a permanent housing solution for folks seeking a permanent home.”
Permanent supportive housing is an approach to alleviating homelessness that falls under the housing-first model. The idea is that stable housing is the first requirement and foundation from which individuals can address other causes that may have led to a period of homelessness.
“It’s not a panacea for every person,” Mathon explains. “There are people for whom the PSH [permanent supportive housing] model won’t be the perfect fit, but it is widely regarded across the nation as the primary tool to provide that stepping stone for people to transition from being in an emergency context into longer term permanent housing.”
In its strategic plan to end homelessness, the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless says a lack of affordable housing is one of the primary problems in the community, and recommends new permanent supportive housing units as a solution.
As a long-term approach, permanent supportive housing is geared toward those for whom homelessness has been persistent, long-lasting, or recurring. Last year, on January 25, 2023, the area’s point-in-time count recorded 191 people experiencing homelessness in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. About a quarter of them (53) met the criteria to be counted as chronically homeless.
On its website, Virginia Supportive Housing says Premier Circle aims to functionally end chronic homelessness in the community. That means there would be enough housing units available for all of those who need one.
Numerically, while that goal seems within reach, things can be more complicated, and the need is often more than predicted. However, Virginia Supportive Housing does have a model to demonstrate the kind of impact this project can have. The organization also manages The Crossings on Preston Avenue. That 60-unit facility opened in 2012 and for the next four years there was a downward trend in the number of people experiencing homelessness in the area. The region’s PIT count reached a low point in 2016, with many pointing to The Crossings as a key factor.
Premier Circle hopes to repeat that success. The 80 units of permanent supportive housing will be studio apartments supported by a voucher system. People with vouchers pay 30 percent of their income in rent, allowing a sliding scale based on what individuals can afford.
“Our preference would be to lease to chronically homeless individuals first, those most likely to die on the streets,” says Julie Anderson, director of real estate development with Virginia Supportive Housing. “But also, we can lease to individuals who are experiencing sporadic homelessness as well as low-income individuals.”
Low-income apartments, both in the 80-unit development and the subsequent project, are separated into income brackets based on the area median income. There will be apartments reserved for incomes that are 30 percent of AMI and below, some for 50 percent, and some for 60 percent, with the aim that each of those brackets would pay no more than 30 percent of their income in rent. In Albemarle County, the median income for households is $97,708, according to data collected by the U.S. census.
The model also includes wraparound services for accessing other supports that residents may need, whether it’s acquiring disability benefits, medical support, substance abuse counseling, or reconnecting with family and friends. The building will have two case managers that residents can go to for help navigating the supportive services available.
“One thing that’s important is that our average length of stay is four to six years for everybody, although we don’t have a timeline, [and] residents can stay as long as they need to.” Anderson says. “Ninety-five percent of our residents don’t return to homelessness.”
Permanent supportive housing projects demonstrate a real and lasting impact, not just for those experiencing homelessness, but also for those at risk of entering homelessness. It’s a long-term safety net.
“This might seem obvious,” Mathon says, “but I think it’s important to state it. The solution to homelessness is homes. And sometimes we struggle, in our society and in our communities, to really make that direct line of association.”
