The Rev. Alvin Edwards’ Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Ridge Street is being sold to developer Gabe Silverman. The church plans to build on a 30x larger site on South First Street, and will break ground in April. Silverman isn’t sure of what he’ll do with the 8,000 sq. ft. church. The sale of the building is estimated to be completed in by mid-2003. Jake Mooney has the story in today’s Progress.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Slightly off-topic, but any potential grocery store site piques my interest. My question for folks is this. Do you think that the downtown area is capable of supporting a real grocery store (no offense to Reids or IY- I just mean a larger, less specialized store)? There have been so many failures in that area (Vinegar Hill), and I know that Reids has a loyal customer base, but is this situation really because the area can’t support it, or is there simply no real need for one? Personally, I’d love to see one. What do other folks think?
-Trish Smith
I think Downtown could definitely support an up-scale, large grocery store. I wish Ukrops would buy the old store on Vinegar Hill, fix it up, and open a new store. Reids isn’t bad though, and has some pretty low prices and an excellent meat department.
Excellent meat department?!? While they do keep a better supply of parts for making stock (which most grocery stores don’t really carry for some reason), I have had one to many experiences with veins and other inappropriate bits in my ground beef to ever buy meat there again. It kind of scares me.
Charlottesville might be a little liberal for Ukrop’s taste. They were responsible for removing Howard Stern from the Richmond airwaves. Shame, too, cause they’re a pretty good grocery store.
SLIGHTLY off topic??
I said a potential grocery store site was interesting. That has to do with development and real estate downtown, including the site in question. Discussion is welcomed and encouraged on this site. That’s why it’s meta-news, right?
-Trish
I don’t imagine you can expect to see anything other than the existing truly historical structure on that property. It would shock me if it were to be leveled.
And I agree with you that a genuine large grocery store downtown would be welcome, but I’m not sure the business exists to support one – if so, I’d think one would already be present. I’ve seen the Foodking and Safeway disappear over the past ten years or so, and nothing has replaced either. I’m wondering if urban land/space is just too expensive to make it economically feasible, as a lack of urban grocery options is a problem not unique to Charlottesville (I believe the same problem exists in D.C., where the customer base is considerably larger).
FYI – there is a new Giant going in at Pantops. Not downtown, but they’re getting closer!
As the Progress story notes, they can’t even take the stained-glass windows with them when they leave, since it’s on the National Register as a historic structure. Given that designation, it seems very unlikely that it would even be legal for them to level the building. And it’s on a .16-acre lot with almost no parking, which makes for a pretty small grocery store.
It was the first place I went when looking for chicken necks . . . to bait snapping-turtle traps.
It will be a long time before Ukrops comes this far out west. I believe that they had an option to put a Ukrops up on Pantops (maybe near the site of the new Giant’s) but they didn’t pursue it. At that time there were too many grocery store chains (Farmer Jack or Harris Teeter, Giant, Kroger, Food Lion, etc.). I believe that they are as far north as Ashland (not sure about Fredricksburg) plus, they are non-union.
As for the Howard Stern off the radio in Richmond, I remember that it was the two brothers who run Ukrop who pushed for the station to drop the show in their roles of either the Richmond Chamber of Commerce or some other civic organization in Richmond.
Will he hold up the city yet again, see train station, until he gets a deal that covers any potential loss. This smiling figure has the heart of a wolf. That not to say evil but he not doing it for the good of the communtiy either. Watch for the city council hearing where plans are revealed and the city is asked to open it’s pocketbook.
sorry this post is on topic!
wow, you come across as a real jack ass.
wolf? give me a break. Let’s here your shining accomplishments, the fabulous things you’ve done for the city mr. anon.
sorry Gabe the truth does tend to chafe.
I thought wolves were good creatures, just as long as you were part of their pack! Maybe that’s the point?
I’m not Gabe, btw.
I’ve known Gabe well for a long time. I know few people that are more set on doing what’s best for the community, and that have more consistently done so time and time again.
Am I the only one who remembers the two (maybe three, I forget) attempts at operating a grocery store right next to the Omni? It was a full-sized supermarket, but for some reason each went out of business. What was the reson?