February 13, 2025: Albemarle County to open waiting list for three apartment complexes
Plus: The Verve Charlottesville needs temporary air rights to install cranes for construction
There is more information available than anyone knows what to do with. For those of us who make our living through presenting facts and data, it is important to be able to show how we know what we know. For instance, how do I know that it is February 13? Are multiple calendars and clocks enough?
How do I know that on this day in 1633, Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome to answer to the Inquisition? This fact is listed on Wikipedia, and the citation is the opening editorial of a 1908 scholarly publication called The Open Court. Is this enough to know for sure, or is it more important to read the larger story of how Galileo’s work threatened those in charge?
This is Charlottesville Community Engagement, which is much shorter than the more than 800 pages of Volume 22 of the Open Court. I’m Sean Tubbs, and this is a catch-up edition.
In today’s installment:
Albemarle County will open the waiting list next week for spots for three apartment complexes subsidized by project-based vouchers
Construction of a 442-unit apartment building in Charlottesville is soon to get away, but City Council has to grant temporary air rights for cranes
Researchers at the University of Virginia are celebrating a block of the Trump administration’s efforts to impose a one–size-fits-all cap on indirect costs in federally-funded projects
The Trump administration orders the closure of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, calling it an example of bloated bureaucracy
Inflation was up slightly in January 2025 from December 2024
A quick look at procurement activities in Albemarle and Charlottesville including Albemarle’s request for help securing federal funding
First-shout: Charlottesville Jazz Society and WTJU presenting Black History concert on February 21
A coalition of various groups have worked to bring Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble to Charlottesville for a concert on February 21 called Performing Portraits of Sonic Freedom.
The Charlottesville Jazz Society, WTJU, the University of Virginia Music, and Unity of Charlottesville have partnered for the free concert that will be held at Unity of Charlottesville at 8 p.m. They’re located at 2825 Hydraulic Road.
Nicole Mitchell is an award-winning creative flutist, conceptualist and composer. Utilizing her art to build alternative worlds that “bridge the familiar with the unknown,” Mitchell emerged from Chicago’s innovative music scene in the late 90s. Black Earth Ensemble (BEE) is a musical celebration of the African American cultural legacy. Founded in 1998 by Mitchell, BEE has performed at festivals and art venues throughout Europe, Canada and the U.S. Black Earth Ensemble, named in honor of Mama Earth and Mama Afrika, embraces the ancient past and paints visions of a positive future with the purpose of inspiring the human spirit with thought-provoking beauty.
Entry to this one-of-a-kind concert is available at no cost to the public, but please register so the group has an idea how many are coming. Unity of Charlottesville is located at 2825 Hydraulic Road. For more information visit cvillejazz.org, or call 434-249-6191.
Application window to open for waiting list for Albemarle County housing
There are only a limited number of places to live in the community that are reserved for households and individuals with incomes significantly below the area median income.
On Monday morning at 10 a.m. Albemarle County’s Office of Housing (ACOH) will open the waiting list for people who want a chance at living in three residential developments that are subsidized by what are known as project-based vouchers.
“Due to high demand for vouchers, all ACOH’s waiting lists are lottery-based,” reads a recent public notice. “Once the waiting lists close, complete applications will be sorted, at random, and a fixed number of applicants will be placed into the spots that are available.”
According to a public notice in the February 1, 2025 Charlottesville Daily Progress, there are fifty spots on the waiting list for Crozet Meadows. The Piedmont Housing Alliance runs this community which is restricted to those over the age of 62 or disabled.
There’s another fifty waiting list slots open for the Scottsville School Apartments, a community restricted to people over the age of 55. This is also run by the Piedmont Housing Alliance.
There are 100 waiting list slots open for Treesdale on Rio Road East, with these divided into 50 for two bedroom apartments and three bedroom apartments. This community was built by Pinnacle Construction and the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program.
The window will be open from Monday, February 17 at 10 a.m. until Monday, February 24 at 4 p.m. Applications must be made online and applicants are encouraged to register for a Housing Portal account before the waiting list opens.
There will be one opportunity for people to get assistance in person on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 235 of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road.
When all the applications are in, they are weighted according to various local preferences. Take a look at the image below or visit Albemarle County’s website.
Charlottesville City Council to hold public hearing Tuesday on towers for Verve Construction
Wrecking crews have demolished the former Woodrow Apartments, a key step required for the construction of one of the biggest student housing projects ever built in Charlottesville.
Charlottesville City Council approved a rezoning for the Verve Charlottesville in December 2023 which will see 442 apartment units in a 12-story building near the junction of Emmet Street and Jefferson Park Avenue. Staff in the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development Service approved a final site plan in December, allowing construction to proceed.
However, to get a crane in place, City Council has to hold a public hearing to take public comment on a request to use public right of way that’s directly above nearby roads.
“The proposed aerial easements will facilitate construction of one or more buildings known as the Verve Charlottesville, 409 Stadium Road, and construction is expected to be completed within five years,” reads the public notice in the Charlottesville Daily Progress.
In the fall of 2022, Charlottesville granted permanent air rights for the University of Virginia’s new pedestrian bridge across Emmet Street.
Resources:
Real estate firm cites life sciences sector as big economic driver in 2024 year in review
The firm Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer is one of Virginia’s largest commercial real estate firms and today released a report that takes a look back at the previous calendar year in several markets in the Commonwealth including Charlottesville.
“Virginia’s commitment to launch a $90 million biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturing network together with the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Virginia Commonwealth University has expanded the lifesciences buzz in Charlottesville,” reads a summary in the report.
However, the Trump administration’s decision to put strings on federal funding could place more obstacles in the way of many of the ideas becoming reality.
Ground broke last year on the Manning Institute of Biotechnology at the Fontaine Research Park, a project that needed no rezoning or local permission because it is on property owned by the University of Virginia.
“The Institute will be a highly efficient, state-of-the-art facility that will provide modern, flexible laboratory space to accommodate a wide range of disciplines,” reads UVA’s page on the Institute. “The five-story, 350,000-gross-square-foot facility will include research laboratory space, core facilities, and a cGMP/viral vector facility for researchers and partnering biotechnology companies.”
The site offers no definition for the latter, but we’re sure to learn more as more stories are written.
The CRE Impact Report also highlights the investments Afton Scientific is making at its operations on Avon Street Extended. Governor Glenn Youngkin was on hand last October at a ceremony to announce their plans to invest $200 million into an expansion. At the time, Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce and Trade gave a sense of how large the sector is becoming. (read a story to learn more)
“We are doubling down on what the life sciences community is doing here in Charlottesville,” said Caren Merrick said. “In fact, in Charlottesville, just in the last year, we had more than $400 million of federal research grants. We’ve also had more than $90 million in equity investments in our startups.”
This week, the University of Virginia posted a website to provide an update on how the second administration of President Trump may affect some of the federal grants that cover costs for research into the life sciences at UVA.
“On February 7, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued supplemental guidance to the NIH Grants Policy Statement stating that facilities and administrative (F&A) costs (also known as indirect costs) will now be set at a standard rate of 15 percent for all NIH grantee institutions,” reads the UVA page.
Many grant recipients have expected higher amounts and a coalition of groups filed suit in federal court to stop the rule from going into place.
“Cutting-edge work to cure disease and lengthen lifespans will suffer, and our country will lose its status as the destination for solving the world’s biggest health problem,” reads the complaint. “At stake is not only Americans’ quality of life, but also our Nation’s enviable status as a global leader in scientific research and innovation.”
The complaint argues that the executive action is a violation of the separation of powers embedded in the Constitution. Paragraph six reminds the court that the first Trump administration attempted to make an across-the-board cut to ten percent in 2017 and was overruled by Congress.
On Tuesday, Judge Angel Kelley blocked implementation of the new rule which was to have gone into effect on February 10. The next step is a hearing on February 21 according to a page on the American Council of Education’s website.
“This ruling is important news for our research community, ensuring that ongoing projects will not be disrupted by these proposed funding reductions at this time,” reads the UVA website.
This is an ongoing story. Anything you would like to share will not be published without permission.
Second-shout out: Design Develop
In today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out, architectural firm Design Develop is offering a new service aimed at the development community that the rest of us might want to know about , too — 3D point cloud scanning! This technique uses specialized equipment, such as 3D scanner systems, to gather a large amount of data points that represent the surface of the scanned object or scene. This really comes in handy when working with historic structures, as the firm knows from its experience in Baltimore and Charlottesville. Read their blog post for more information!
The applications of 3D point cloud scanning are extensive and cover various fields, including architecture, construction, cultural heritage preservation, virtual reality, industrial design, manufacturing, and more. These applications require accurate 3D spatial information, and Design Develop’s workflow provides precise and comprehensive results, all while being more cost-effective than traditional methods.
Design Develop has expertise in this workflow for their own needs and now has a dedicated team offering this service in the Charlottesville and Albemarle Area. If you're involved in the real estate, design, or construction industry, contact them for more information or a free quote.
Visit their website for an introductory video that captures the 3D point cloud scanning of the Downtown Transit Center and a booklet that will explain more!
Trump Administration orders elimination of Charlottesville-based federal training center
In another executive order designed to dismantle the federal government, President Donald Trump issued a directive Monday seeking to eliminate an organization founded in 1968 to train its managers.
“Built upon foundational public service values and competencies, our programs support federal leaders in understanding their role within the government’s constitutional framework,” reads the agency’s website on the federal Office of Personnel and Management. “By encouraging introspection through small group work, participants build learning communities, where everyone is both a teacher and learner.”
The Trump administration said the agency is to be eliminated in order to reduce the role that the federal bureaucracy plays in American government.
“Bureaucratic leadership over the past half-century has enlarged and entrenched Washington, D.C.’s managerial class, a bloated system far removed from the needs of American families,” reads the fact sheet for the order.
The United States of America purchased the 14 acre tract at 1301 Emmet Street in 1982 for just under $2 million. The property is now assessed at just over $19.5 million.
The FEI’s website is still up and gets added to a list I am tracking.
The order is an example of an executive branch that has determined that it and it alone will decide what happens and that the legislative and judicial branches are advisory. All manner of lawsuits are being filed to challenge this interpretation.
The order specifically mentions Trump’s pause on foreign aid “to ensure every dollar of U.S. foreign assistance supports American values.”
Last week, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols blocked an order placing thousands of employees with the United States Agency for International Development leave on immediate administrative leave. Here’s a link to the suit filed Friday by the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees.
“This reckless decision has thrown USAID’s Foreign Service professionals—and their families—into chaos,” AFSA President Tom Yazdgerdi said in a statement on February 7. “These non-partisan men and women have dedicated their careers to advancing America’s interests abroad, only to have their futures suddenly placed in jeopardy.”
There have been several media reports related to the Federal Executive Institute I’ll link here.
White House moves to eliminate Federal Executive Institute, Anastasia Obis, Federal News Network, February 11, 2025
Trump signs executive order to close Federal Executive Institute, Sarah Allen, CBS19 News, February 11, 2025
Trump abolishes Federal Executive Institute, imperils dozens of Charlottesville jobs, Dmitry Martirosov, February 12, 2025
Federal metric for inflation increases in January 2025
Every month, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistic releases a snapshot of prices for goods and services across the country as a way of measuring inflation.
On Wednesday, figures for January 2025 were released and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.5 percent over the previous month.
An important comparison looks back one year to provide a longer trend.
“Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment,” reads a press release sent out on February 12.
The year-to-increase from December 2023 to December 2024 was 2.8 percent.
The CPI is broken down by category and the index for shelter increase 0.4 percent in January. The energy index went up 1.1 percent and the gasoline index rose 1.8 percent. Food increased 0.4 percent.
Items that decreased included household furnishing and operations, personal care, and apparel.
The index for eggs increased 53 percent from January 2024 to January 2025. The increase has largely been attributed to avian influenza, but the index of chicken itself only went up 0.9 percent over the year. You can drill down to that information here.
The next numbers will come out on March 12, 2025.
Procurement update: Albemarle County seeks firm to help secure federal funding
Virginia law requires public entities to be transparent with how they secure goods and services. One regular feature of Charlottesville Community Engagement is to go through many of the solicitations. The intent is to give little snapshots into projects underway.
For instance, Albemarle County has been working to develop the Biscuit Run Park for many years. On Monday, the county issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a design-build contract for a 3,000 square foot maintenance building for the park and a way to get there.
“The proposed Maintenance Building will serve two (2) County work teams with each having their own personnel entrance, Work Bay with overhead door, Office, Break Room, and Toilet,” reads the RFP.
Bids are due on March 12. The desired work also includes a gravel entry road and a 27,000 square foot maintenance yard. (learn more)
The first phase of Biscuit Run opened to the public in December. Learn more in a story from just before.
Albemarle County is also seeking a consultant to help navigate federal funding streams.
“The scope of the Consultant will be to work with and understand the County’s priorities, identify grant and appropriation opportunities, develop applications for funding as appropriate, coordinate engagement with the Congressional Delegation and work with the Executive Branch as required,” reads the purpose of this RFP which was issued February 10.
The RFP states that specific areas of interest include funding to help the Rivanna Futures project which seeks to build a defense and intelligence campus to support Rivanna Station. The U.S. Army base is home to several agencies including the National Ground Intelligence Center.
Albemarle County has also issued an RFP on behalf of the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau for a firm to help provide data on short-term rental units in the area.
“Analytics at a minimum should include daily occupancy rates, average daily rates and revenue per available room,” reads this RFP. “They should also include total number of rooms on the market daily and locations of all rental properties.”
Here are some updates from the City of Charlottesville:
The City of Charlottesville has selected Hollow Tooth Virginia LLC of Copper Hill, Virginia, to operate the deer management program. The program uses archery to cull deer in city parks at posted times. The firm Xceptional Inc (doing business as Blue Ridge Wildlife & Pest Management) has had the contract since 2018. For more information, take a look at a story from last November.
The City of Charlottesville is seeking firms to manage the 3.6 acre grounds at Maplewood Cemetery that is operated by the Parks and Recreation Department. Bids are due on February 24 at 2 p.m. (learn more)
The City of Charlottesville is also seeking quotes from a fencing contractor to install a four foot tall chain link fence for 21 garden plots at the communal site at Michie Drive. These bids are due February 21 at 2 p.m. (learn more)
The city government is also looking for a firm to provide cabling services on an as-needed basis. Bids are due on February 18 at 2 p.m. (learn more)
On February 5, the city put out bids for additional contractors to help with snow removal services on an as-needed basis. Bids are due February 19 at 2 p.m. (learn more)
There are many components to city’s public works facilities on Avon Street Extended. The City of Charlottesville is seeking a firm to restore and improve the inside and outside of the salt barn. This will include a new roof, installation of a roll-up door, and improving access to the space. Bids are due on March 4. (learn more).
Reading material for 812:
Defense Department halts construction project labor agreements, Zachary Phillips, Facilities Dive, February 12, 2025
$5B in National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program funding frozen, SJ Munoz, Land Line, February 12, 2025
Overnight house fire under investigation, CBS19, February 12, 2025
Supervisors approve incentive plan for volunteer first responders, Heather Michon, Fluvanna Review, February 13, 2025
Watch: Navigating the Federal Funding Freeze for Transportation Projects, SupplyChainBrain, February 13, 2025
#812 points the way to #1624
Could I keep doing this work for as long as I want to do so? And if so, what would this look like in the 1,624th edition?
While that may seem like a thought exercise, I can say there was no planning when I decided to begin this newsletter. I just jumped into the work and here I am continuing to experiment with presenting information. Every single edition is different, but this one returns to the system where everything goes out through the newsletter first.
The opening sequence today mentions Galileo because that story is one of the most compelling in how I think about the world. A scientist makes observations that threaten the orthodoxy, and is condemned. A thread throughout human history is a tendency by some who hold power to declare what is truth. There are other threads that stitch together a more realistic picture.
What does a realistic picture of 2030 look like? I’m not in the business of making predictions, but I’d like to imagine I’m still doing this work, and that others in the profession are doing what they can to get information out there. I’ve taken an approach that seeks to explain above all. The only persuasion I want to do is to tell people to study what they can and increase their knowledge.
But, there’s something else that is required - listening. I would like to do more, and one day I hope to be able to make time for interviews.
And that includes listening to readers and listeners. What would you like to see? What is going unreported? Do you have any interest at all in doing some of the research?
In any case, today’s edition has been powered by listening to a lot of early Styx and a lot of early King Crimson. I won’t post a link to any of that, but I’m grateful to be able to experience music while I work. I hope each and everyone you has something that fills you with joy.
The below is my first attempt at a banner ad for Town Crier Productions. Soon you’ll be able to buy these!
