Last night, Council agreed to spend $4 million to hire at least one outside group to run the emergency shelter at 2000 Holiday Drive. I still have to write up more on that portion, but here's a long summary of an afternoon work session. infocville.com/2026/08/04/c...

Charlottesville to pay outside groups up to $4 million to manage emergency shelter and help to clear encampments

Central Arizona Shelter Services will run the shelter though a full cost has not been publicized yet

infocville.com

The City of Charlottesville has launched a "Overview of the Riverfront Transition" a page on Connect Charlottesville in advance of today's work session on homeless services. connect.charlottesville.gov/Homelessness...

Charlottesville Homelessness Response and Riverfront Transition

Charlottesville is taking a coordinated and compassionate approach to support people who are experiencing homelessness.

connect.charlottesville.gov

Charlottesville City Council will be asked to spend $4 million tomorrow night on emergency shelters and direct housing costs. That's at the end of the meeting. There's a work session after 4 p.m. with a general update on homeless services. infocville.com/2026/08/02/c...

Charlottesville City Council to vote on $4 million in additional funding for emergency homeless services

The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in City Council Chambers

infocville.com

Charlottesville City Council got an update on efforts to move forward with moving people out of the Rivanna River and Free Bridge encampments. They heard both support and opposition to the idea. A summary from my newsletter. infocville.com/2026/07/24/c...

Charlottesville speakers provide multiple perspectives on how to help those without a home

Those who spoke in support of moving people to other spaces were booed

infocville.com

The Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority (and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission) has a survey open to inform an ongoing study about transportation priorities and funding. More context in my story then you'll get in the survey link: infocville.com/2026/07/23/r...

Regional Transit Authority wants feedback on future transportation funding strategy

CARTA’s Board of Directors will meet today at 5 p.m. and get an update on a study of what routes should be prioritized for additional funding for additional service

infocville.com

Sometimes I'll flesh out a story from the newsletter into a more refined version for C-Ville Weekly. That's the case with this one about the UVA Foundation applying for a demolition permit for a property on Arlington Boulevard. c-ville.com/uva-foundati...

UVA Foundation files for demolition permit for office building on Arlington Boulevard - C-VILLE Weekly

If people from 2016 Charlottesville time traveled to Ivy Road, they would probably be incredibly shocked that an entire city block has been replaced with a new generation of buildings built for the Un...

c-ville.com

Two C-Ville Weekly stories this week. In the first, a nonprofit group formed to run a grocery store at 501 Cherry Avenue has backed out claiming a study says the site isn't suitable for such a place. The site owners and the Fifeville Neighborhood Association disagree c-ville.com/affordable-h...

Affordable housing project at 501 Cherry will move forward without grocery store - C-VILLE Weekly

When the Piedmont Housing Alliance begins construction of a 71-unit apartment complex in Fifeville later this year, it will do so without anyone in place to operate the desired community space require...

c-ville.com

I'm monitoring the Commonwealth Transportation Board and the topic of Charlottesville's struggles to deliver projects on time comes up during a briefing. I go to the other computer to make sure I'm recording this so I can write it up later this week. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjLY...

July 21st, 2026 - Commonwealth Transportation Board Meeting (Workshop)

YouTube video by VDOT LIVE

youtube.com

At their meeting on June 1, 2026, Charlottesville City Council reviewed the Vibrant Community Fund which provided $2.3 million to nonprofits in the area in the current fiscal year. Wonky but key to understanding how many services are provided not by the government. infocville.com/2026/07/17/c...

Charlottesville City Council reviews process for funding nonprofit agencies

Any major changes to the Vibrant Community Fund will happen for the FY2028 process

infocville.com

Today is the day I produce audio stories for the WTJU version and the radio version. I'm a bit rusty after doing archive shows the past two weeks. This story is a good place to begin if you're interested in following transportation planning. infocville.com/2026/07/17/a...

Albemarle and Charlottesville transportation planners identify next locations for further study

If you want to learn more about how the process works, this is a good story to start with

infocville.com

A video of a man going through the encampment at Free Bridge has gone viral, bringing a lot of angry voices into an already vitriolic cauldron. So I went to work trying to get a brief update of a story I've been covering for three years. Catch up here. infocville.com/2026/07/10/w...

Work continues to develop operations plan for low-barrier shelter and service center for unhoused

There’s no official update from the City of Charlottesville at this time

infocville.com

Today at 4 p.m. Charlottesville City Council will hold a work session on school construction that will include review of a draft timeline of how revenue from a proposed sales tax increase might be spent. A preview in C-Ville Weekly: c-ville.com/city-council...

City Council to discuss how sales tax revenue can fund next round of school modernization - C-VILLE Weekly

The final adoption of Virginia’s budget has authorized all localities to ask voters for permission to increase the sales tax by 1 percent to fund public school modernization and construction projects....

c-ville.com

On July 15, Albemarle Supervisors will hold a public hearing on an ordinance to create a program to assist county employees with rental or down-payment assistance. Here's a preview in C-Ville Weekly. c-ville.com/albemarle-to...

Albemarle to launch pilot housing program for county employees - C-VILLE Weekly

The median home price in Albemarle County this May was $554,000 and the median rent is around $2,200. Either is out of reach of many in the community—especially those on government salaries.  “Police ...

c-ville.com

Today's newsletter was late because I had fun in the early morning producing a two-minute sound story to go with the Albemarle Amateur Radio Club's Field Day this Saturday. Take a listen to the SoundCloud clip! (seriously - it seems no one ever clicks these) infocville.com/2026/06/25/a...

Albemarle Amateur Radio Club holding Field Day this weekend

Hear more about this story in a two-minute audio version with neat sounds!

infocville.com

Earlier this month the UVA Center for Community Partnerships published the latest Stepping Stone report which tracks over 30 metrics related to children and family well-being. Here's a summary of some of the highlights. infocville.com/2026/06/22/u...

UVA partnership tracks youth and family well-being in recent Stepping Stones report

The report tracks over 30 specific metrics related to children and family health

infocville.com

The Virginia General Assembly meets today to consider a finalized budget that would raise $1.2 billion over two years though a data center energy consumption fee. Here's a quick summary of what's in the conference report. infocville.com/2026/06/22/v...

Virginia General Assembly meets today to consider budget with $600M data center fee and $7 million for a Charlottesville transitional facility for the unhoused

The amendments also enable cities and counties to hold a referendum on a one-percent sales tax increase to pay for new school construction

infocville.com

An consent agenda item at Albemarle Supervisors today is a good example of how the economic development strategic plan is being implemented. Applicant seeks special exception for lab space in excess of 4,000 sq. ft. in Pantops area, a possible activity center: infocville.com/2026/06/17/a...

Information Charlottesville

The archive for Charlottesville Community Engagement and other Town Crier Productions!

infocville.com

The Virginia House of Delegates had been scheduled to meet tomorrow in special session to vote on a budget for FY2027, but there's still not agreement with the Senate. Some background in this story from today's newsletter: infocville.com/2026/06/17/v...

Virginia General Assembly chambers remain divided over FY27 budget with Senate proposal calling for data center impact fees

The Senate version includes additional funding due to the levying of a proposed impact fee on data centers

infocville.com

Catching up today on stories published in newsletter but not yet posted to website. Earlier this month, a Virginia economic development body approved funding for Venture Central's "food and beverage production accelerator" intended to help local companies grow. infocville.com/2026/06/16/s...

State economic development approves funds for Venture Central to create accelerator to boost packaged foods industry

There are over 2,600 people in the food and beverage industry in economic Region 9 but average wages are held back by low sales volumes

infocville.com

The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority did not respond to a February summons for a federal lawsuit alleging fraudulent pursuit and forgiveness of PPP loans. That means they are in default and could be on the hook for $1.5M in damages. infocville.com/2026/06/14/c...

CRHA defaults in lawsuit seeking $1.5 million over ineligible PPP loans, judgment still pending

Other organizations are also included in the suit and all but CRHA responded to a summons

infocville.com

On Wednesday, Albemarle Supervisors will endorse Smart Scale applications with one of them being a reworking of Exit 120 / Fifth Street interchange. That's the top vehicular priority project on a recently endorsed list. Exclusive coverage here: infocville.com/2026/06/12/a...

Albemarle Supervisors presented with first transportation priority list in a few years

There are 169 projects arranged in two priority lists with one addressing vehicular projects and the other bike/pedestrian

infocville.com

Tonight's meeting of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners has been canceled. No reason has been given but only four members were going to be there. There are two vacancies on the seven member board.

Two high-profile properties changed hands in Charlottesville late last May. Details in one of my two stories for C-Ville Weekly this week. c-ville.com/woodard-prop...

Woodard Properties buys Water Street lot for $15 million from Charlottesville Parking Center - C-VILLE Weekly

One of Charlottesville’s most prolific developers has added another high-profile property to its portfolio by purchasing a parking lot where the City Market operates on Saturdays for seven months of t...

c-ville.com

The new Albemarle Comprehensive Plan has 22 Activity Centers. Staff has enough resources to do one plan a year to encourage dense development. Tonight the Albemarle Planning Commission reviews three areas staff recommends first: Rio / 29, Hollymead Area, South Pantops infocville.com/2026/06/07/a...

Albemarle PC to review three possibilities for first Activity Center plan

AC44 reduced the number of the county’s activity centers from around 50 to 22

infocville.com

In October 2022, the Commonwealth Transportation Board was briefed on a sudden spike in cost estimates for projects. I'm glad I wrote this article so I can easily refer to it in tomorrow's newsletter. infocville.com/2022/10/27/c...

Commonwealth Transportation Board briefed on why construction estimates are increasing

Charlottesville Community Engagement is a newsletter and podcast that tries to keep up with how much it costs to build things, a major factor in the provision of infrastructure. The Virginia Depart…

infocville.com

At 1 p.m. the Albemarle ARB will consider two above-ground storage tanks in Hollymead. Significance? * Project is being accelerated due to commercial boom in northern Albemarle * A residential complex will be build adjacent * So will Berkmar Drive extension infocville.com/2026/06/07/a...

Albemarle design panel to review above ground water storage units in Hollymead area

The site is also close to the future extension of Berkmar Drive to Airport Road

infocville.com

There's a press release out today about how the Ivy Solid Waste and Recycling Center can safely take discarded lithium batteries. I had a story about that a week or so ago! infocville.com/2026/05/28/i...

Ivy Solid Waste and Recycling Center can now safely take lithium batteries

There was also a sharp increase in volume at the transfer station in April

infocville.com

Charlottesville is in the top 1,000 cities and towns in the United States according to the Census Bureau's estimates for July 1, 2025 in between Lombard, Illinois, and El Centro, California. infocville.com/2026/06/05/c...

Charlottesville is the 937th largest incorporated place in the United States of America

The estimates are tied to July 1, 205 and include cities and towns across the country

infocville.com

I am glad the place I used to work still has all of the stories I wrote for them, even if they're all "uncategorized." Because what I wrote 12 years ago turned out to be important for me understanding a future story. www.cvilletomorrow.org/four-market-...

A study for the new Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority intends to identify routes that would be the most effective in realizing a 2022 transit vision. The top route in a preliminary ranking is an expanded service between Dilwyn and Charlottesville infocville.com/2026/06/03/b...

Buckingham commuter bus operated by Jaunt tops initial prioritization list

The idea is to identify route expansion options that would be more beneficial to invest in to expand regional transit

infocville.com