Charlottesville BAR to get preview of Violet Crown redevelopment for third time

The most recent Week Ahead newsletter was over 5,300 words long. Perhaps that’s too long for this day and age, but perhaps the next day and age will crave details of what’s happening. Either way, I did not go into detail about what’s happening at today’s meeting of the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review. 

“Charlottesville’s Board of Architectural Review (BAR) is responsible for reviewing applications for certificates of appropriateness in the City’s architectural design control districts,” reads the city’s website for the appointed body. “The BAR addresses both preservation and design issues (exterior renovations, additions, new construction and demolitions).”

There are currently eight architectural design control districts, according to a guideline on the city’s Laserfiche public storage site.

There is a request to demolish a structure at 144 Chancellor Street in the Corner ADC District. 

“Originally constructed as a schoolhouse (likely between 1905 and 1917, operated as Howison’s Schoolhouse, also Little Red Schoolhouse), it was reportedly vacant by 1920, after which it served as a residential rental,” reads the staff report. “It was acquired in 1979 by the adjacent sorority, its current owner, and most recently used for storage.”

The applicants sought a certificate of appropriateness for demolition in July 2013 but the BAR unanimously denied the request. Council denied an appeal four months later. 

Almost a dozen years later, the applicants argue the structure does not meet their needs and is not structurally sound. 

“The interior of the building shows signs of multiple roof leaks with plaster ceilings having come loose and fallen on the ground,” reads a seven-page report from Dunbar Structural, which details other issues with the building. 

Staff still recommends denial of the demolition request. 

Other items: 

• There is an addition requested at 745 Park Street which is in the North Downtown ADC District. 
• There’s a review for new rear porch exit stairs at 116 West Jefferson Street in the Downtown ADC District. 
• Grit Coffee wants new signs at 201 West Water Street which is in the downtown ADC District. 

Likely the most anticipated item on the agenda is a third pre-application conference for 200 West Main Street, the current home of the Violet Crown movie theater. Developer Jeffrey Levien’s Heirloom Development is the contract purchaser of the property. The BAR had a first look in November followed by a second look in December. 

I was able to write up the first for a C-Ville Weekly article but not the second. Did anyone else cover it? Asking for me because I didn’t see it but would love a non-government report. There is an account of what happened in December here. 

Heirloom Development sent in additional materials on January 10, 2025.

There will also be a pre-application conference for 300 Ridge Street in the Ridge Street ADC District. The owners seek an addition. 

There are several items on the consent agenda for the meeting such as alterations to 606 Lyons Court, courtyard parking and alterations at 614 Park Street, a playground fence at First Presbyterian Church of Charlottesville, a side entrance on 4th Street NE for 321-323 East Main Street, and a rooftop addition at 499 West Main Street. 

That last address is now the Doyle Hotel and the new owners seek to build an addition onto the existing rooftop bar area. 

Before you go: This article was posted first to this website, but then went out as part of the January 22, 2025 edition of the Charlottesville Community Engagement newsletter. Both are functions of Town Crier Productions. You can support the work by purchasing a paid subscription or contributing monthly through Patreon. You can also send in a check or send an email, but drop me a line first.