Information Charlottesville

The federal agency that tracks many metrics in order to provide markers of economic activity released two new numbers for October yesterday morning. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that nonfarm employment increased by 261,000 and the national unemployment rate also increased to 3.7 percent. 

“Monthly job growth has averaged 407,000 thus far in 2022, compared with 562,000 per month in 2021,” reads the release. “In October, notable job gains occurred in health care, professional and technical services, and manufacturing.” 

Tonight the Board of Commissioners of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission will see the final version of a plan intended to show the way for a more frequent and more reliable public transportation system. 

“The Regional Transit Vision plan is a 28-month $350,000 project supported by the [Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation], the city of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the [Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission],” said Lucinda Shannon, a transportation planner with TJPDC. “We used data and community engagement to establish a unified long-term vision for transit services in the Charlottesville area.” 

The University of Virginia plans to build a new pedestrian bridge across Emmet Street just north of an existing one that crosses from the Curry School of Education to Brown College at Monroe Hill. The new structure would span from the new Contemplative Commons building to Newcomb Hall Plaza. 

“So this new bridge is both in a better location for pedestrian circulation and would be fully [Americans with Disabilities Act] accessible,” said James Freas, the city’s director of Neighborhood Development Services. 

Today, September 15, is the International Day of Democracy according to the United Nations. 

“Now more than ever Democracy is backsliding, civic space is shrinking, distrust, mis- and disinformation are growing while threats to the freedom of journalists and media workers are expanding by the day,” reads the website for the day. 

An entrepreneur who seeks to promote the Charlottesville area as a destination and who operates several tourist lodging spaces and has announced the opening of a new storefront on the Downtown Mall to help visitors find out what to do. M. Travis Wilburn spoke Friday at the opening of Charlottesville Insider, a kiosk in the 100 block of East Main Street. 

“In 2017 we all know what happened here shortly over five years ago and I watched tourism completely fall apart,” Wilburn said to a crowd of several dozen people. 

Governor Glenn Youngkin has now been in office for seven months, and coming up soon is his full General Assembly session that he doesn’t have to share with his predecessor. Yesterday the Governor appeared before the joint House and Senate Money Committees to signal what he wants to achieve. 

“Our shared priorities [are] lowering the cost of living, giving our children the education that they deserve, keeping our communities safe, creating jobs and growing our economy, and transforming the government to serve the people,” Youngkin said. 

The Albemarle County Planning Commission had a long public hearing on June 14 on Greystar Development’s rezoning request for up to 525 units on about 35 acres on Old Ivy Road. 

The five parcels of property are nearby University Village, Huntington Village, Ivy Gardens, and several office spaces mostly owned by the UVA Foundation. 

“And then to the north of course is the Darden Business School at UVA, North Grounds including the law school and other nearby UVA destinations,” said Rebecca Ragsdale, a planning manager with the county.