The Square Improvements are Moving Forward

From the CCAC meeting last week (thanks to Crozet Gazette for the video below!)

If you have an hour, please watch the video. If you don’t, please read or skim the information below.

My notes from watching the video

• The Square project and Barnes Lumber are two separate and distinct projects, despite efforts to coordinate and execute together
• 11 month project
• Christmas tree going away; chance a tree will be in the Plaza
• No left turn into the Mudhouse – finally.
• Replacing sidewalks at the end of the project… Five phases
• No improvements to Tabor and Jarman
• $2 million project
• Seven years since the project was first funded
• Will there be a webcam for the public to watch? Great question.
• I’ve written about The Square many times over the years, from the railroad fence to the sinkhole to the sign in the Square. And a lot more.
• I saw no mention of bike parking, despite evidence that bike infrastructure is profitable.
  • In the minds of many business owners, though, there’s still a direct correlation between cars and customers. Too often, the opposition to bicycle infrastructure is led by retailers who believe ample car parking space is critical to their customer base. But that belief could be depriving businesses of their best potential patrons: cyclists. … 2009 study of Bloor Street in Toronto, ON, found that customers who arrive by foot and bicycle visit the most often and spend the most money per month.” (bolding mine)
• More members are needed to join the Crozet Community Advisory Committee. They need fresh faces and new blood. 🙂

The PDF of the presentation is here.

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From Charlottesville Community Engagement on 20 February 2024

Albemarle report provides details into Crozet’s Square project

In June 2012, Albemarle County acquired a 0.36 acre parcel in downtown Crozet from CSX Transportation in a transaction in which no money changed hands. The strip of land is known as The Square and spans between Crozet Avenue and Oak Street on the western edge of the Barnes Lumberyard. 

Nearly 14 years later, the county’s Facilities and Environmental Services Department (FES) reports that a project to improve the space is close to a development milestone. 

“This Revenue Sharing project with VDOT will improve [Americans with Disabilities Act] accessibility to local businesses by adding additional ADA parking and 8 additional ramps,” reads the top story in the latest report from FES. “The County will also be widening and smoothing uneven sidewalks to make this a safer place for all.”

The project has a total cost estimate of $1.5 million according to a dashboard that is part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s six-year improvement program. The cost is evenly split between Albemarle County and VDOT as this is a revenue-sharing program. 

The work will also prohibit left turns from the Square onto Crozet Avenue and an entrance to property that is now owned by the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority will be relocated. VPRA purchased the property from CSX as part of former Governor Ralph Northam’s passenger rail initiative.

According to the FES report, this work was to have happened concurrently with the redevelopment of the Barnes Lumberyard but the latter has not yet progressed to the design phase. 

“The financial benefits associated with combining the projects have been negated, so the project is scheduled to be ready for bid advertisement in April 2024 with construction anticipated to begin in late summer,” the report continues. 

Construction is expected to take roughly a year. 

An overview of The Square improvements in the Winter 2024 Facilities and Environmental Services report (view the report)

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