Charlottesville residents and University students voiced their continued concerns with the student housing development project on West Main Street at a City Council meeting Feb. 17. Students and citizens asked the Council to be more proactive in creating affordable housing solutions for marginalized communities and preventing gentrification brought on by student housing. The Council also considered minor reforms to zoning rules and heard a report on tax policy, both of which sparked discussions among councilors on issues related to student housing.
Local organizations, community members and students have long argued that University expansion and an increased student population have contributed to gentrification — the process by which low-income communities are displaced by wealthier individuals moving in and driving up costs — in largely Black neighborhoods within Charlottesville.
One controversial project that came up in the meeting is the proposed development of a multi-story apartment building on West Main Street which is primarily expected to serve University students, according to 29News. The project is proposed by LV Collective — a real-estate developing firm based in Austin, Texas. Residents of Westhaven and 10th & Page have previously argued the new building would decrease accessibility to their neighborhoods and could result in their displacement…