Monthly Archives: October 2022

Ground-breaking held for new University of Virginia hotel

The University of Virginia’s transformation of Ivy Road into a high-profile corridor off of Charlottesville’s tax rolls continues as work has begun on the construction of a new hotel and conference center. UVA Today reports that shovels overturned dirt on October 6 for the project which has a $130.5 million budget

“This will be a crossroads for the University – and the University’s front door,” UVA President Jim Ryan is quoted in the story. “The hotel and conference center will play an important role as a place where people can gather and stay – prospective students and their parents; data scientists, faculty from the Law School can meet there with members of the Medical School faculty. This will be a bridge that makes the community stronger, bring worlds together in ways that are predictable and unpredictable.”

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City leasing part of York Place for public bathroom

The Downtown Mall is 46 years old and remains a destination for locals and out-of-towners alike. One thing has been constant for most of that time.

“There [has] not been in the history of the Mall any truly accessible public restrooms that are proximate to where people are when they’re on the Mall,” said Chris Engel, the city’s economic development director. “Prior to COVID the transit center which is at the east end of the mall and it had some public facilities on the lower level.”

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Director of Charlottesville Police Oversight Board leaving city

Another high-profile vacancy has opened in Charlottesville City Government. Hansel Aguilar has resigned as executive director of the Police Civilian Oversight Board effective October 21. He was appointed to the position last September. 

During his tenure, City Council adopted an updated ordinance that gave a new name to what had been the Police Civilian Review Board, a name that reflected additional powers for the body. 

“The ordinance granted the board more supervision of the Police Department by providing the ability to receive, investigate and issue findings on complaints made by civilians toward the Police Department,” reads a press release

Hansel Aguilar is soon to be the former director of the Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board (Credit: City of Charlottesville)

Brielle Entzminger has a report in today’s C-Ville Weekly about the first evaluation of a case, conducted by Aguilar after the oversight board’s first hearing was canceled. 

The office for the Police Civilian Oversight Board has a budget of $362,677 in the current fiscal year. 

Aguilar will become the Director of Police Accountability in Berkeley, California. He had worked for the Office of Police Complaints but was terminated by Washington D.C. in 2019. He appealed his firing and was initially awarded a reversal but the case was appealed to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The case is still pending according to a status report filed on September 21 in the United States Court of the District of Columbia. 

A search will begin for a new executive director.


Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment comes from the October 12 2022 edition of the program. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.

Virginia Film Festival’s 35th annual program is announced

The falling of the leaves is the sign of many things, but the onslaught of autumn also marks the coming of the next Virginia Film Festival.

“I think of the Virginia Film Festival as a film festival for audiences,” said Steven J. Kung, writer/director and VAFF Advisory Board Member, in a promotional video that ran before the program for the 35th Virginia Film Festival was launched. “There are plenty of acquisition film festivals where you just hobnob and it’s sort of like [Los Angeles] goes to camp.” 

From the podcast of the October 12, 2022 edition
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