In just under two weeks, the city of Charlottesville will hold another Grand Illumination at the Charlottesville Pavilion to say hello to a new holiday tree. This will take place in a space that is now the eastern anchor of a former city street, and thousands will be there.
Perhaps some of the attendees will be doing research into the future of the Downtown Mall, an initiative that dates back to the late 1950’s. The first section opened in 1976 and there’s a lot of history from before and after. But what about the future?
“The City Manager is forming a Downtown Mall Committee for the purpose of discussing and vetting ideas for the future management and operations of the mall,” reads a press release. “The intent of this committee is to be a representative public forum for the discussion of the challenges and potential solutions for the Downtown Mall.”
The goal will be to create an action plan within a year. Here’s one of the questions in the application:
“From your perspective, why is the downtown mall important and what is the most important consideration for its future? (2 paragraphs max)”
I’d also love to hear your answers! Leave a comment below. Two paragraphs, max!
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 November 21, 2022 edition of the program. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.
