The Board of Architectural Review has approved an application to demolish large portions of the Wachovia block on the Downtown Mall. The buildings were originally approved for partial demolition in September of 2000, but building owners Lee Danielson and Colin Rolph failed to do so within in the one-year time limit. The building is for sale, and not all interested purchasers desire to go through with the demolition. 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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not every brick should be saved. I mean look at the building that is next to it.It’s next to a tall coporate add on to the former Jefferson bank. Let’s build something that will pay much higher property tax and bring jobs to downtown.
We can make sure it’s attractive.
Embrace the future, don’t get shackled by the past.
There are plenty of places in town where developers can “embrace the future” and tear down historic buildings. Take a look at Route 29. The Downtown Mall is one of the few remaining districts in town, unaffiliated with UVA, where we have a comprehensive historical architectural scheme.
Charlottesville’s historic resources are limited and must be protected. These historic buildings don’t have to “shackle” anyone; they’re amenable to adaptive use.
Tearing down these buildings would set a dangerous precedent on the mall. Large scale urban renewal schemes are a thing of the past–our history now is destroyed slowly but steadily, one building at a time (often following the same logic the previous writer employed, i.e, look at the building next to it, it’s not historic). I’m glad the BAR took a stand, foresaw the long term benefit, and wasn’t seduced by short term property tax gains.
Have you looked at Footlocker or the Milgirn building or any of the other assorted lousy buildings on the mall? Have you looked at what can be done with an open mind? If the BAR is only there ot preserve then why will they have a say in what will be built? If they are there to protect then let them have input on what will be built and create something that is functional and beautiful. Committees only build three hump camels.
What exactly is historical about those particular buildings, or are they just old? The one that had Gitchell’s studio in it has got to be one of the ugliest buildings on the Mall.
our history now is destroyed slowly but steadily, one building at a time
Very true. I think that the BAR’s ruling that keeping the facades is necessary (but not the rest of the building) is a fine middle ground. Charlottesville is a tourism town. We generate a lot of revenue from tourists, and the amount that we make from visitors to downtown increases every year. If we replace the historic buildings, we become a less attractive destination for tourists seeking the whole Jefferson/UVa/Civil War experience. I think that we can continue to find balanced solutions — in the style of the BAR’s decision in this case — and keep everybody happy.
Your post is wrong in so many ways
1.”Take a look at Route 29″ Ok let’s do that.Having been here for over twenty years I can remember no historic building being torn down to build the 29 corridor.
2.”Tearing down these buildings would set a dangerous precedent on the mall”. Actually these are not historic buildings- they are just old. to be truly historic you must have been named a historic site. Where was the hue and cry when buildings next to Jeff National were torn down. This is legal and the only thing harder then tearing down a building is getting a new one built.
3.”I’m glad the BAR took a stand, foresaw the long term benefit, and wasn’t seduced by short term property tax gains” What is the long term benefit if the site is underused. Property tax gain is LONG term, as in forever, gain. How do you for one moment think the gain is short-term. The increase taxes are long term as are the jobs and improvements to the site. The only short I see is the short sightedness to the notion that magically keeping the facades will be better than the alternative.
…seeking the whole Jefferson/UVa/Civil War experience…
…by shopping at Foot Locker and getting a coffee at Mudhouse? In the grand shadow of… the Omni?
If you want history in Downtown, walk around Court Square. There has been waaaaaay too much modernization of the mall to suddenly say “oh, yeah, we want to randomly keep some old crap that really doesn’t match the modern facades of the Ice Park and the SNL building.”
It’s old and insignificant, and most of all it doesn’t work with the other modern buildings on the mall. Tear them down.
…by shopping at Foot Locker and getting a coffee at Mudhouse? In the grand shadow of… the Omni?
If you want history in Downtown, walk around Court Square. There has been waaaaaay too much modernization of the mall to suddenly say “oh, yeah, we want to randomly keep some old crap that really doesn’t match the modern facades of the Ice Park and the SNL building.”
I entirely agree regarding Court Square. But I’ve given dozens of tours of the Downtown Mall to hundreds (~500, by my count) of people in the past couple of years, and I’ve gotten a pretty good sense of what people are interested in. They know that Mudhouse isn’t historic, and that Miller’s is only 20 years old. But they look up and admire the architecture, the faded paint on the bricks promoting toys, candy and soda, the tin ceilings visible through the huge windows, and every last one of them is just tickled by it all. They don’t labor under the impression that The Nook was constructed by Jefferson, but they do love the art deco look of it.
Can you guess at what point of the tour people get bored? The east end of the Mall. On the left, the parking garage. On the right, a boring, newish big-box office building. There’s nothing to admire, not a lick of history and so I steer them north to Court Square, where they’re excited anew by the old jail, the court house, and the row of aged homes and businesses.
Attractive? No offense, but you realize what Charlottesville has too many of, right? “Artsy-types” like the designer of the parking garage renovations. That is far from attractive.
The BAR supposedly operates from guidelines. These buildings do not meet their guidelines so why leave the facades?
The BAR clearly does not follow its own guidelines. Why is no one having a fit about the approval of the partial demolition of Priority Press on West Main St. That is truly an historical building even though it doesn’t look like much. Why didn’t this site administrator cite the Progress article about that?
Back to the downtown mall, it is not all about appearance, it is about historical significance which these buildings lack and the city could have a lot of control over the appearance of anything new that might be constructed where these buildings now stand.
In these last 2 decisions, the BAR has basically proven itself to be indecisive, ineffective, poor stewards of our city’s history, swayed by political pressure (First Baptist demolition approval) and I think they should all be replaced (except the one member who had the guts to vote against the First Baptist/Maurice Cox request).
I like the Milgraum Center and its cylindrical elevator. It is really cool and I like to look at it while I walk by and remember when it opened and I went with my Dad to buy hardware in what is now the tourist trap next door.