Demolition permit pending for 1040 St. Clair Avenue

Now that Charlottesville’s Development Code is two and a half years old and free from legal scrutiny, the public can expect the built environment to change as more property owners take advantage of higher residential density.

For instance, 1040 St. Clair is a 0.213 acre parcel in the Locust Grove neighborhood zoned Residential A under the new code. That allows a property owner to build a total of six units on the same lot provided that half of them are rented or sold at a level that satisfies the city’s affordability guidelines.

Developer Nicole Scro purchased the property in June 2024 for $285,000. A “major development plan” was filed in December 2024 to build six units as I reported at the time. This application went through two rounds of review before being withdrawn after two denials.

In July 2025, a major final site plan was filed for the property, reflecting an internal change in process. This went through three rounds of comments resulting in three denials before a fourth was approved on April 26, 2026 by staff in the Department of Neighborhood Development Services.

According to the Affordable Dwelling Unit Certification, the three market rate units will go for $2,375 a month and the three affordable units will go for $2,060 a month. That’s 80 percent of the area median income. All would be 989 square foot units with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

A demolition permit was filed in late June and is still pending. A demolition fee of $145 has been paid, as has a $10 permit system maintenance fee and a state surcharge of $2.90.

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