BOV talks arts, housing and parking projects
UVA’s Board of Visitors in December took action on three major construction projects—a new parking garage, student housing and a performing arts center—that together are poised to transform land north of Central Grounds.
The BOV approved plans for a North Grounds Parking Garage, estimated to open in 2026. The 1,000-space, six-level garage will sit at the intersection of Massie and Copeley roads near John Paul Jones Arena and will address parking demand for athletic events and UVA commuters.
The garage, budgeted at $50 million, also will include a transit hub to serve University Transit Service routes and include places for bike storage, charging stations and a student-run bike repair shop, University Architect Alice Raucher said.
The BOV also approved the construction of a 750- to 800-bed student housing project at the northwest end of UVA’s Emmet-Ivy redevelopment corridor. The three-building complex, projected to cost $150 million to $160 million and open in the fall of 2027, will feature four-bedroom apartments, dining areas and retail spaces. The project aims to make progress toward a key initiative in UVA’s Strategic Plan to require all second-year students to live on Grounds.
The Emmet-Ivy corridor, a stretch that once included the old Cavalier Inn and a collection of other smaller buildings, now includes the School of Data Science, which opened in the spring of 2024; a hotel and conference center, scheduled to open in late 2025 or early 2026; and the Karsh Institute of Democracy, planned to open in 2026. With the student housing, “this district will be really vibrant because you’re going to have students walking there all the time,” Raucher said.
In December, the BOV also discussed the proposed Center for the Arts, another major project planned for the corridor. The board reviewed designs for the five-story, 210,000-square-foot building. It is proposed to include a 1,200-seat auditorium and serve as a new home for musical theater and dance at UVA; the Fralin Museum of Art and Kluge-Ruhe collection; and the music department, which has long been based at Old Cabell Hall, Raucher said.
“This will be an enormous academic advantage for our students,” providing better opportunities for artistic collaborations and keeping UVA competitive with peer schools, Raucher said. The project is expected to cost $315 million. UVA leaders are seeking $205 million in state general fund support for the project this year. UVA has already committed $110 million toward the project and received a donor pledge of $50 million to support it, Raucher said. The board likely will look at updated design plans in June, said Raucher, who hopes the building can open in 2029.
