<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1QKxDP_1H5RCnGv00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1QKxDP_1H5RCnGv00" width="300" height="300" ></figure>The terms of the 1986 Three Party Agreement between the University of Virginia, Albemarle County, and the City of Charlottesville state that the two localities will “include a representative of the University as a non-voting member of their planning commissions.” The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors has recently gone one step further by appointing a top official from the Office of the UVA Architect as the at-large voting member of the seven-member Planning Commission. Luis Carrazana is an Associate Architect and is currently chair of a body that provides recommendations on major issues. The non-voting position is vacant. One of Carrazana’s colleagues is fellow Associate Architect Michael Joy and he serves as UVA’s non-voting representative on the Charlottesville Planning Commission. He provided recent updates to his colleagues at the November 10 meeting beginning with information about a future building for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. This would be located on what used to be known as Whitehead Road but is now Carl Smith Way. “It’s the current site of the Albert Small Building north of Scott Stadium and just west of Rice Hall along Engineers Way,” Joy said. “The idea is this building would ease a space shortage that has grown since Rice Hall opened in 2011. It’s gonna add research labs that are focusing on energy, health, AI, and sustainability alongside new classrooms and makerspaces.” The project is still in the design phase and $5 million has been allocated to the project in the UVA Major Capital Plan. I’ve written about it twice previously: <ul><li>Capital One makes $2 million gift to UVA Engineering for AI center at new building, November 6, 2025</li><li>Future UVA Engineering Building gets boost from use of strategic funds, December 15, 2025</li></ul>Joy also said the new parking garage at North Grounds will be opening at the end of this week. The 1,030 space six-level garage is intended to be used for commuters and for events. “It will include dual vehicular entrances, both on Copeley and Massey Roads,” Joy said. “It’s going to have up to 22 EV charging stations. It’s going to have the first of its kind on Grounds, the Wahoo Wheels bike garage. So it’s going to help support bike commuters. And it’s going to have a 4-bus UTS transit hub.” The Major Capital Plan lists the cost for the garage at $50 million. Another project in the plan is $100,000 to pay for the design to extend Copeley Road north to Millmont Street across Arlington Boulevard. The Board of Visitors approved that funding in June and I wrote a preview story. Joy also told the Planning Commission about UVA Health’s purchase of a 55-acre parcel on Pantops. The single-story building used to be an operations center for State Farm. “It’s a roughly 365,000-square-foot facility,” Joy said. “It’s to expand outpatient care and keep up with the rising patient demand. The UVA Health CEO, Dr. Rosner, is currently projecting 1.2 million outpatient visits a year in the Charlottesville area by 2035.” Another term for outpatient services is “ambulatory care” and the idea is to move clinics to the Pantops area. The autocentric nature of the site is the attraction with one of the selling points being the proximity to Interstate 64. “Over time, the ambulatory clinics will move from their current downtown focus to Pantops, where the proximity to US 250 and Interstate 64 makes the site convenient to reach for patients across Central Virginia,” Joy said. “The shift will ultimately expand outpatient and inpatient care services, and it’s expected to ease traffic and parking demand on and near West Main Street.” Joy said that will be a long-term transition and won’t happen immediately. There are still many open questions. Rather than repeat them here I’ll link to my two previous stories: <ul><li>UVA Health to purchase State Farm property on Pantops for $37.7 million to expand outpatient services, October 30, 2026</li><li>UVA Health to open outpatient center on Pantops at former State Farm site, C-Ville Weekly, November 4, 2026</li></ul>Before you go: The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things. Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the November 12, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution. </div></body>

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The terms of the 1986 Three Party Agreement between the University of Virginia, Albemarle County, and the City of Charlottesville state that the two localities will “include a representative of the University as a non-voting member of their planning commissions.”. The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors has recently gone...

UVA representative on Charlottesville Planning Commission provides update

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The terms of the 1986 Three Party Agreement between the University of Virginia, Albemarle County, and the City of Charlottesville state that the two locali

UVA representative on Charlottesville Planning Commission provides update

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