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In brief: 29’s new bridge, Lee’s new paint job and more

Berkmar’s parallel path

Governor Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne, along with about 70 other prominent guests, stood before the finally open (but not finished) Berkmar Drive extension on July 6. This is one of VDOT’s eight ventures included in its $230 million Route 29 Solutions design-build project package.

When the governor first began campaigning in Charlottesville and Albemarle four years ago, he said people were angry about their roads, and Bill Crutchfield, a local entrepreneur, likely made the most noise. “Tell Bill the road is here,” McAuliffe said, drawing laughter. And later he added, “You can bike, you can run, you can walk, you can do whatever you want.”

One of Berkmar Drive’s two new roundabouts. Skyclad Aerial

The deets:

  • 2.3 miles long
  • 2 roundabouts (one on each end)
  • 35mph speed limit
  • $55 million
  • Bike lane, sidewalk and 10’ multi-use path
  • Extends Berkmar Drive from Hilton Heights Road to Towncenter Drive
  • Includes a bridge from the South Fork Rivanna River

Lee attacked

Photo Eze Amos

As if there weren’t enough going on July 8, on the morning of the KKK rally, the statue of General Robert E. Lee was discovered vandalized with red paint and tagged with “Native land.” Crews had the statue cleaned up in short order, and police have surveillance video from two recently installed cameras in Emancipation Park.


 

“The Charlottesville Police Department, the Virginia State Police and the City of Charlottesville owe our citizens an accurate account both of what happened on July 8 and why.”—Mayor Mike Signer


Plugging the new meters

City Council voted July 6 to charge $1.80 an hour for the parking meters that will be installed on the Downtown Mall perimeter. To take the sting out of paid street parking, the first hour is free at Market Street Garage, and then the rate goes to $1.50 an hour. And low-wage earners can get $6.50 a day vouchers from their employers to park in the Market Street Garage.

Kroger abandons Seminole Square plans

A year ago the grocer announced a 100,000-square-foot, $28 million store in the space Giant previously occupied. On July 6, Kroger announced it had decided to stay put in its Emmet Street location. No word from Hobby Lobby, which reportedly was set to move into the vacated space, but Kroger holds a lease in Seminole Square that the store might want to look at.

Not amused

Kings Dominion closed the Tornado, one of the amusement park’s water slides, July 5 when UVA medical assistant Christina Orebaugh hit her head on the ride and “almost drowned,” according to a Facebook post by her husband, Steve, who says she is concussed, broke her collarbone and toe and fractured her shoulder. The ride is closed until further notice.


In the Vault

James Barton in front of a Clay Witt painting in the boardroom. Staff photo

Fifty offices carrying the name Vault Virginia are under construction in the historic Bradbury and former Bank of America building on the Downtown Mall, where a luxury steakhouse will fill the first floor. James Barton, who also created Studio IX, says the local creative class will use his new communal workspace as another place to put their brains together.

About half of Vault Virginia’s spaces are still for rent, with prices ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 per month. A desk space costs $450 per month and for $100 less, you can sit in any community area. Workers passing through town can purchase a day pass for $50.

Barton dubs the aesthetic as a place where commercial meets residential. We’re talking pendant lighting and glass walls, folks. The building also has three event spaces, room for
three art galleries, a cafe, a library
and a kitchen, and Barton plans to eventually make showers and bicycle parking available.

Similar to Jaffray Woodriff’s concept at the Charlottesville Technology Center, Barton says he’s seeing a trend of communal workspaces. “This is a small part of a bigger vision.”

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In brief: Berkmar Bridge, underage drinking, stinky festival and more

Getting busy

Construction on the Berkmar Drive extension and the Berkmar Bridge is well underway, with VDOT’s goal of substantially finishing both by the end of the year and officially completing them next summer, months before the
October 2017 deadline. A team of VDOT employees and representatives from a project delivery advisory panel suited up September 22 to check out the progress. Here’s what they learned:

  •  60,000 cubic tons of dirt excavated
    from the Rio Road interchange on
    Route 29 were used as fill for the
    2.2-mile road extension, which will
    have a mixed-use path and sidewalk
    on either side.
  • The next and final steps for the road
    will be installing drain pipes, piling
    seven inches of stone, compacting and
    paving three layers of asphalt that
    will add another seven inches.
  • A 35mph speed limit will be imposed.
  • VDOT workers were placing the
    bridge’s final girders last week. Next,
    the forms that will support the
    concrete deck while the concrete
    cures will be installed on top of
    the girders.
  • The overall Berkmar project cost is
    $38.2 million.
  • Hard hats and reflective vests are
    quite warm.

Follow us on Twitter @cvillenews_desk for more photos and videos of the tour.

Guv goes shopping

mcauliffe stripes

Terry McAuliffe had a tough choice to make September 22 at Mincer’s—which striped polo shirt to buy. He was in town to talk at the Center for Politics, do lunch with Larry Sabato and Teresa Sullivan and rally the troops at Dem headquarters on the Downtown Mall.

Male contraceptive researcher dies

UVA reproductive biologist John Herr, 68, died September 17 of a heart attack shortly after running a 10K. He was a prolific inventor, filing scores of patents. Among them were SpermCheck, a home male fertility test, and a reversible male implant that blocks sperm. 

Habeas hearing

Convicted murderer George Huguely’s attorney, Jon Sheldon, was in court September 26, and said an improper jury instruction resulted in Huguely being unlawfully imprisoned. The judge will rule on motions in the former UVA lacrosse player’s writ of habeas corpus.

Korte hospitalized

Former UVA film studies professor Walter Korte, who is charged with two counts of possessing child pornography, did not appear in court September 26. NBC 29 reports that Korte was granted bond September 9 and attempted suicide two days later. On September 15, he was listed as being in serious condition at UVA Medical Center. His next court appearance is October 24.       

Rob Bell’s seat in play

With Bell running for attorney general in 2017, candidates are already lining up for his 58th District seat. Greene resident Mike Allers, a fourth-grade teacher, announced September 21 he’ll seek the Republican nomination.

The downside of winning Saturday’s game

Ten 18- and 19-year-olds were arrested around UVA for underage possession of alcohol, along with one fake ID charge, according to Charlottesville police reports.

DIP triple play

Kevin Anthony Glover, 26, was arrested for being drunk in public September 23 on Sixth Street SE, September 24 on 14th Street NW and September 25 on Wertland Street, according to city police reports.

$25,000 victory

From left to right, Sepehr Zomorodi, Zachery Davis, Payam Pourtaheri, Ameer Shakeel, Joseph Frank and Dr. Mark Kester are current members of the AgroSpheres team. Courtesy of Payam Pourtaheri
From left to right, Sepehr Zomorodi, Zachery Davis, Payam Pourtaheri, Ameer Shakeel, Joseph Frank and Dr. Mark Kester are current members of the AgroSpheres team. Courtesy of Payam Pourtaheri

AgroSpheres, a local bioremediation startup reported on in C-VILLE’s September 21 issue, was the winner of Virginia Velocity Tour’s business pitch competition in Charlottesville September 23 and gets $25k in grant money.

Best press release goes to…

An e-mail titled “26th Annual Garlic Festival Promises a Stinkin’ Good Time” graced C-VILLE inboxes this week to advertise an event that must truly reek. The two-day October 8-9 festival at Rebec Vineyards in Amherst attracts winos and garlic fanatics from far and wide.

Quote of the Week: “We need people who can get things done. I’m tired of partisanship. We need someone who can work with the new president—Hillary.”—Governor Terry McAuliffe weighs in on the 5th District congressional race.

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News

In brief: New bridge, 10-story luxury hotel, funky smoothies and more…

Good news for smoothie fans

Charlottesville has no reports of hepatitis A cases like the outbreak that struck 28 Tropical Smoothie Cafe patrons throughout Virginia that was thought to be caused by contaminated Egyptian strawberries, according to the local Virginia Department of Health office.

Understudy steps in

walter korte

While UVA drama professor Walter Francis Korte Jr., charged with two counts of possessing child pornography earlier this month, is still being held at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail, two of his classes—Cinema as an Art Form and Film Aesthetics—are now being taught by Matthew Marshall, another professor in the department, according to the Cavalier Daily. History of Film, which Korte was also scheduled to teach this semester, is no longer listed for students.

A little more time

Governor Bob McDonnell's conviction on 11 counts of corruption highlighted Virginia's lax policies on the acceptance of gifts by public officials. Photo: Scott Elmquist.
Photo: Scott Elmquist

U.S. Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled to reverse former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell’s 11 corruption convictions in June, sending his case back to Richmond’s 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to decide whether there is enough evidence for a retrial. His council and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are now asking the appeals court to give the U.S. Justice Department three more weeks to further prepare and consider its next steps before taking any action.

Hotel hot spot

unnamed
Rendering courtesy of CARR City Centers

Developers announced August 29 that they have secured a $25.8 million loan for a 10-story luxury hotel on West Main Street. As part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection Hotels, the space will feature 150 guest rooms and suites, a restaurant and 3,000 square feet of meeting space. It will be located next to Uncommon, West Main’s newest digs. Construction is slated to begin this fall, and the hotel is expected to open in 2017.

Sexual assault details

The victim of the August 19 sexual assault occurring on Emmet Street, possibly between Thomson Road and Jefferson Park Avenue, recently told Charlottesville Police that “a couple of people” on the street took her home after the assault. Police ask for anyone who aided the victim or noticed anything suspicious in the area between 11:30pm and 1am to contact Detective Regine Wright-Settle at 970-3274.

Bridging the gap

Upon completion of the Berkmar Bridge, one can drive from the former Shoppers World, now called 29th Place, up to CHO without setting wheels on 29. Courtesy of VDOT

While the U.S. 29 and Rio Road grade-separated intersection got all the attention this summer, the Berkmar Drive Extended project, parallel to Seminole Trail, has been chugging along. Upon completion, one can drive from the former Shoppers World, now called 29th Place, up to CHO without setting wheels on 29. And VDOT has documented the bridge construction over the Rivanna with pretty nifty time-lapse photography. The connecting road beams are supposed to go in this week.

  • 2.3 miles long
  • Costs $54.5 million
  • Two lanes with four-lane right of way for future expansion
  • Includes bike lane, sidewalk and multi-use path

By the Numbers: Power struggle

Dominion Virginia Power was officially given the go-ahead August 23 to begin

a $140 million power line burial project across the state.

  • 400 miles of power lines buried
  • $350,000 per mile
  • $6 extra per year that each customer will pay
  • 50 cents added to average customer bill starting next month

Quote of the Week:

“Every year he has new evidence about why he shouldn’t be in jail in Virginia.” —Delegate Rob Bell about Jens Soering’s petition for absolute pardon.