Major City Construction Plans

Published by Waldo Jaquith on February 18, 2003 in General News. Closed

There are a lot of changes afoot in Our Fair City, with many long-planned municipal constructions projects going forward and a few new plans. At last week’s Planning Commission meeting, a variety of projects were discussed, including Court Square improvements in April, the renovation of the Trailways bus station, the demolition of New Cabell Hall, a pedestrian bridge over Emmet St., the completion of the (public bathroom-less Recreation Center overhaul, and many other things. Ray Smith, who recently provided a write up a recent hearing regarding planned zoning changes, has provided a run-down of the planned projects; keep reading to read it.

I unknowingly arrived late to this month’s Planning Commission meeting (a person working that night in City Hall had told me the meeting started at 7:30, but it had begun much earlier) to ask the Commission for a few things about the Adult Use section. I had missed the “Matters presented by the public” section, so I just sat in on Jim Tolbert’s Construction Report. (Tolbert is the Director of Neighborhood Development Services.)

I was glad I was late, because there are some major construction happenings planned:

  • Starting March 3, Locust Ave will be closed for improvements.

  • Starting late April, Court Square improvements will begin.

  • The Downtown Recreation Center is complete and fabulous.

  • Charlottesville has received a federal grant to renovate Trailways. The City will take over ticketing services, and CTS offices will be put in the building.

  • The Levy Opera House will get some minor renovations.

  • The Belmont Park Spray Pool (which had been on hold due to the drought) will be done by summer.

  • Jackson-Via will be undergoing a million-dollar asbestos abatement project.

  • The JPA/Fontaine bridge currently has a 2 out of 100 sufficiency rating, so it will be improved. (VDOT is shuffling its feet on this one.)

  • Johnson Elementary will be re-roofed.

  • The CHS boiler will be replaced.

  • UVa wants to tear down New Cabell Hall and replace it with a new academic building that will include either a bridge or a plaza over Jefferson Park Avenue. JPA would be lowered under this bridge/plaza. There will be a JPA neighborhood meeting February 19 at 7pm at Fontaine Research Park to discuss this with City and UVA officials. For the building and office, you should call 970-3182.

  • Construction of a pedestrian bridge over Emmet St near Lambeth will begin this month.

    The Planning Commission also decided that their next meeting would be March 11 at 6:30. They wanted a separate date for a public hearing for the zoning ordinance, and chose March 26 at 6:30.

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