Stonehaus has taken over and is looking to lease out the Jefferson School as “Jefferson School City Center.” $13/sq. ft. The leasing packet has details (1.3MB PDF). Somehow this isn’t what I expected. #
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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I can’t really picture how this is going to work. I am glad that they’re keeping Carver Rec center, and renovating it, and I’m glad that they’re creating an African American Heritage Center — If it’s well done, that could be a positive thing for our community. I am curious to see who the tenants will be and how it will all fit together. Local companies in the education field would be a natural fit as tenants, if any of them are looking for new digs. But I haven’t checked out the space in detail to see if that’s even feasible. I’m curious to hear what you think about it, Waldo. You said “Somehow, this isn’t what I expected.” What were you expecting?
That last sentence has sparked my interest, too. The complex was also supposed to sold to a for-profit corporation that could take advantage of the tax credits, since only for profits pay the feds taxes. That corporation would then renovate the property and lease out spaces to a variety of tenants.
I meant back when all of this was a hot issue, back around…oh, I guess it was 2002. All sorts of ideas were envisioned, and I expected that, at the end of the process, we’d emerge with something like half of the building as a sort of a museum to something pertaining to black history, and the other half a home to non-profits or community groups. Nobody had any idea of how to bring such a thing about but, still, that’s been fixed in my head as the likely outcome of all of this. So for it to emerge as basically an office building is too bad, at least from the perspective of 2002. OTOH, that’s a dead zone in downtown (extending to Staples and the sea of parking in front of it) that I’d love to see filled in with warm bodies, and I hope this helps.
Waldo, I found this link which includes Carver Recreational Center and an Afriecan American Heritage Center http://www.jeffersoncitycenter.com/tenant_information/potential_uses.php Look in the navigation column on the left.
Oh, it’s under “Tenant”
Was that info helpful? I read in one place they’re hoping to get it up and running by 2011 and somewhere else as 2012. I hope that this discrepancy is not a symptom of something.
I’ve noticed that Frank Stoner is involved in this project. I remember the city sold him old wastewater treatment property for residential development maybe 10 years ago, but I don’t think anything has been built. Does anybody know what’s the status on that property?