Two New Murals in Charlottesville

One of the benefits of being a real estate agent is my daily routines are less ingrained than if my career allowed for “regular” routines.

On Barracks Road, replacing the (was it fish?) mural that had been there for years.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BauMEuLl48E/?taken-by=jimduncan

A bit more about the Barracks Road mural (archived: 2022)

We are pleased to announce the artist has been chosen to paint the Barracks Road retaining wall. Chicho Lorenzo was selected by a panel of local residents and arts advocates after reviewing proposals submitted by a wide selection of local and regional artists. A recent Collaborative Resident at The Bridge, Chicho has been sharing colors all over Charlottesville for years. The self-taught artist and native of Madrid, Spain is widely influenced by the vibrancy and color of the Spanish culture, which is evident in his work.

The Charlottesville Mural Project (a program of The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative) sought submissions from regional muralists in the design and creation of a mural in the heart of Charlottesville. The mural will be located along Barracks Road near the 250 Bypass. This project is a partnership between The Charlottesville Mural Project, The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative (archived: 2024), The County of Albemarle, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and local residents.

The next one is seen upon entering the Wegmans-anchored shopping center from 5th Street.

(I really hope it’s a mural!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BazCfXbFcoA/?taken-by=jimduncan

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbJ3G8JF3Te/?taken-by=jimduncan

Public art makes our spaces better. Better to look at a big mural than at a massive brick wall, right?

As part of that rezoning, original developer Frank Coxagreed to build what is now known as the 5th Street Station Parkway between Fifth Street Extended and Avon Street Extended. That resulted in construction of a large retaining wall to meet VDOT standards.

Cox sold the property and Riverbend Development handled subsequent rezoning amendments that provided more flexibility for the developer. Fifth Street Station Ventures is the current owner.

“We absolutely believe in the pedestrian connections, and walkability is very important to 5th Street Station,” said Jeff Garrison, a partner with S.J. Collins Enterprises. “But it will also be an asset to the southern part of the community.”

Mahon said the original idea was for that Class A trail to be built on the south bank of Moores Creek to the north of the shopping center, but that ran into an obstacle due to the retaining wall.

“There’s not enough room and [the developer] did a lot of good stream bank restoration work,” Mahon said. “They put a lot of money into that.”

Garrison said the company instead put up $250,000 that the county and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission opted to use as a match for the VDOT planning grant.

More stores planned to join Wegmans at Fifth Street Station

The board also reviewed plans for a vegetated retaining wall on the south side of the site. The wall will be landscaped with a variety of trees and bushes to screen a portion of the building from the I-64 viewshed.

Daniel Hines, a civil engineer working on the project, assured the board that the retaining wall would be hidden from view. “It is very difficult to see the retaining wall from the highway … it will be vegetated and you won’t even notice it’s there.”

The color palette of the buildings closest to the highway also was discussed. The Wegmans color palette, which includes a red or brick color, was used to inspire colors on the nearby buildings. The board emphasized that darker-toned, natural colors should be used to be less visible for cars passing on the highway.

Board member Bruce Wardell noted the large size of the development.

“We are building a building on the side of this corridor that is a fifth of a mile long,” Wardell said. “It’s multiple times larger than things like the Coliseum and the Pyramids. If this was built 2,000 years ago, people would come from all over the world to see it.”

Environmental efforts shine at 5th Street Station (no longer available)

When workers pulled an old refrigerator out of Moore’s Creek, the effects of 60 years of pollution became crystal clear.

It took months to remove all the debris, stabilize the creek banks and plant a “living” wall to prevent further erosion near the creek.

The creek restoration was part of a multi-pronged effort to improve the environment around 5th Street Station, a new Charlottesville development bringing Wegmans, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Field and Stream and dozens of other retailers to the area.