UVA Board of Visitors panel endorses new roadway and garage at Fontaine

There are many areas of this community competing to be the next big center, and one of them is the Fontaine Research Park owned by the University of Virginia. 

On December 7, the Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Board of Visitors granted approval of a schematic design for a new parking garage and a new roadway configuration for the research park. That’s all in service of the new Manning Institute of Biotechnology that will be constructed at the Fontaine Research Park.

“It’s just across Fontaine Avenue from West Grounds, adjacent to the U.S. 29 bypass with direct access to I-64 and proximate to UVA Engineering and the health system,” said Alice Raucher, the Architect of the University of Virginia. 

UVA conducted a master plan for Fontaine Research Park in 2018 to prepare it for the future. Raucher said the main idea was to create a series of “research neighborhoods” and to convert an underused central green into a new roadway. (review the master plan)

“We also knew that we had to make the park accessible to public transit which currently is is not and create amenities for food and gathering to help Fontaine feel like a place where one and would want to come and stay for the day,” Raucher said.

In all, UVA is aiming for a total build-out of 1.4 million square feet. One potential piece of infrastructure is a pedestrian bridge across Fontaine Avenue to allow people to walk or bike from Fontaine to other parts of UVA Grounds. UVA will extend improvements on Fontaine Avenue that are being made as part of a Smart Scale project Charlottesville is overseeing. 

The garage to be built is seen as part of UVA’s overall transportation infrastructure. 

“The garage will provide parking for the future and near-term development of Fontaine as shown in this master plan and in the immediate future will provide intercept parking for health system commuters necessitated by the decanting of the Emmet/Ivy garage once the hotel and conference center opens in 2025,” Raucher said. 

The Buildings and Grounds Committee last saw the designs in September and some members requested design changes. Raucher said several were made. 

(See also: Buildings and Grounds Committee reviews designs for biotech institute, energy plant, and garage at Fontaine Research Park, September 23, 2023)

“While the plan, access, and number of spaces in the garage have not changed, the team was able to redesign the garage to be much more in keeping with the materials and details of the existing adjacent buildings,” Raucher said. 

This involved adding brick. 

Buildings and Grounds Committee Chair John Nau expressed gratitude to staff in the Architect’s office for making revisions after the previous review in September.

“To your credit, you have listened to the suggestions and I want to personally thank you for the adjustments you have made that the Board is going to see here,” Nau said. 

The parking garage will be built concurrently with the Manning Institute of Biotechnology which was also before the Buildings and Grounds Committee in September. Some members had notes on the proposed size and massing, as well as the usage of glass. Adjustments have been made. 

“So the design again took your comments to hear and was able to lower the height of the the mechanical penthouse and increase the height of the parapet well, lessening the visual impact of the roof without impacting the building’s function or importantly the overall budget,” Raucher said. 

More brick was added as well. 

The Buildings and Grounds Committee approved the schematic design.

The member of the Board of Visitors who donated $100 million toward the Institute had some words to mark the occasion. 

“Our family is very excited about this and all the support that everybody has given,” said Paul Manning. “We can’t think everyone enough and we’re really looking forward to it.”

A proposal to rename Alderman Library for former UVA President Edgar Shannon was deferred until March. 

“I will say that there is still work to address and to complete on this issue,” Nau said. 

Shannon served as UVA’s fourth president from 1959 to 1974. Edwin Alderman was the first UVA president and a portion of the building will still retain his name under the proposal. 

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 December 14, 2023.

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