Public deliberations of Charlottesville’s next budget begin at the Charlottesville Planning Commission’s work session at 5 p.m. They’ll convene at CitySpace. (meeting info)
“What is being presented to the Planning Commission reflects what we know currently regarding the City’s total revenue and expenditure needs for FY 2025,” writes Krisy Hammill, the director of budget and performance management.
The current draft anticipates spending $35,350,763 in FY25 with a total five-year capital improvement program of $136,057,995. This reflects a trend toward the city spending more money on various projects. For reference, the amount for FY15 was $16,966,241 with a five-year total of $76,220,197. (view that year’s budget document)
Some notable items:
- There’s $4.217 million anticipated for a project to build a sidewalk on Stribling Avenue. That infrastructure was a condition for approval of a rezoning in the 200 block. The project was in the design phase when I last reported on it this past May. The revenue side shows $2.9 million in funds from Southern Development.
- There’s an additional $750,000 for the Fontaine Avenue Streetscape, a project that Council approved the design for in July 2021. The project will be a key piece of infrastructure for a corridor that will not only have its building potential increased by the new Development Code, but will also support the planned Manning Institute of Biotechnology at Fontaine Research Park.
- $270,000 is slated for the Forest Hills splash park
- $600,000 is slated for the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial
- $5000,00 is slated for the Lower Meadowcreek Trail from Homes to Locust Avenue
- $400,000 is slated for the YMCA Trail
- $3 million is slated for “public housing redevelopment” for both FY25 and FY26
- A total of $15 million over three is slated for redevelopment of Westhaven per the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s request from September. Read my story for more details. CRHA has received solicitations for an architect to work on the project and a selection may be announced in January, according to a report from CRHA’s Monday meeting.
- Piedmont Housing Alliance will receive millions for various projects in the CIP, but in FY25 they would receive $500,000 for infrastructure improvements at Kindlewood, $1.885 million for their project at the MACAA site on Park Street, and $1.125 million for the Park Street Apartments.
- Piedmont Housing Alliance would receive a total of $3.2 million in FY26 and FY27 for their portion of 501 Cherry Avenue.
- Another $100,000 is in the plan to repurpose the existing fire station on the U.S. 250 bypass.
There are many items not yet included, such as investments to address homelessness, as well as a pre-K center at Walker Upper Elementary School. That has a cost estimate of between $25 million and $30 million. Another project looming on the horizon is the renovation of the Central Library on Market Street.
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