Celebrating Our Community Partnerships

Through our community development programs, the City of Charlottesville provides valuable financial and operational supports to community groups dedicated to expanding opportunities within our community for quality affordable housing, vibrant living environments, and expanding economic opportunities for low-and moderate-income persons. The Office of Budget & Grants Management is dedicated to supporting partnerships that address important community needs by offering solutions, programs and services to our community-based partners. Through our shared work, we celebrate the many groups with whom we have worked over the years to ensure that Charlottesville is a place where everyone thrives!

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Cold Storage Expansion

Program Year	2024-25
Community Partner	Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
City Investment	$215,000
Funding Source	Community Development Block Grants Program

Challenge to be Solved:

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (BRAFB) is a vital contributor to the well-being of our community, providing essential nutritional support to an ever-growing number of individuals and families in need. Aging infrastructure, notably a small, aged commercial cooler and electrical components, limited their ability to accept donations of fresh produce and was costly to maintain.

Scope of Work:

The City's investment of CDBG funding made possible the removal of old cooler and replacement with a new, much larger and yet more efficient cooler, more than tripling the Food Bank's capacity for storing and providing high quality fresh produce to their food kitchen/pantry partners. CDBG funds also supported: the replacement of aged electrical components with new, more efficient ones; the extension of an existing roofline to cover the new electrical components, thereby protecting them elements and significantly extending their useful service life; and significant reductions in the amount of electricity required for the maintenance of safe food storage temperatures.

Additional Benefits:

This project also had the added benefit of significantly strengthening the ability of the Charlottesville distribution center to support the work of the Food Bank’s entire 25-county food network.

Learn More:

Learn more at https://www.brafb.org/about-us/

BEACON Shared-Use Commercial Kitchen Infrastructure Enhancements

Program Year	2024-25
Community Partners	New Hill Development Corporation & the Charlottesville Dept. of Public Works
City Investment	$89,896
Funding Source	Community Development Block Grants Program

Scope of Work

After a successful test of their shared-use commercial kitchen concept, the New Hill Development Corporation (NHDC) engaged in an ambitious economic development project to renovate the site of a beloved historic produce store that had fallen into disrepair and turn it into the region's first large-scale shared-use commercial kitchen. After construction began, unfortunately, NHDC encountered several infrastructure challenges that put progress on the project at risk.

Community Benefits

CDBG funding designated for infrastructure improvements by City Council facilitated the installation of larger connections to the city's municipal water, sewer and electrical systems, thereby allowing construction to continue with little delay. As an added benefit, the CDBG-funded infrastructure enhancements provide the completed kitchen with greater water, sewer and electrical capacity, thereby benefitting the users of the completed facility.

Additional Benefits

The BEACON shared-use kitchen is a licensed commercial space with industry grade equipment, dry storage, refrigerator and freezer spaces, private baking rooms, as well as an area to host events, classes and tastings, all of which is now available to culinary entrepreneurs.

Learn More

Learn more about the BEACON Commercial Kitchen at https://beaconkitchen.info/ and about the work of the New Hill Development Corportation at https://www.newhilldev.org/news/

Accessibility Enhancements at Washington Park

Program Year	2023-24
Community Partners	Department of Parks & Recreation Department of Public Works
City Investment	$25,000
Funding Source	Community Development Block Grants Program

Scope of Work

Working closely together with the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Department of Public Works, the Office of Community Solutions spearheaded several accessibility-focused enhancements at Washington Park, the site of many of the city’s cultural celebrations.

Community Benefits

CDBG funding made possible the replacement of a narrow, uneven gravel pathway into the park that became waterlogged whenever it rained with a new gracefully curved accessible pathway that significantly eases entry into to the park for mobility-impaired visitors, among other accessibility enhancements within the park.

Accessibility enhancements also included replacing the existing uneven gravel pathway in front of and around the building housing the city’s Adaptive Recreation program, thereby easing access for mobility impaired participants, as well as access to a covered patio with accessible picnic tables and the park’s public restroom facilities.

Additional Benefits

At the same time, the city’s Department of Public Works replaced multiple sections of cracked and broken sidewalk, further removing barriers to entry and enhancing access for all. CDBG funds were also made available to the staff of the city’s Adaptive Recreation program to purchase materials to support their work providing engaging recreation programs and services to the city’s special needs population.

Learn More

Learn more about Washington Park and about the many great programs offered by Parks & Rec at https://www.charlottesville.gov/165/Programs

Jordan Park Accessibility Enhancements & Pedestrian Trail Bridge Project

Program Year(s)	2023-24 & 2024-25
Community Partner	Dept. of Parks & Recreation
City Investment	$179,000
Funding Source	Community Development Block Grants Program

Scope of Work

Based on community feedback re eived upon the completion of the CDBG-funded pedestrian bridge connecting the city's Jordan Park to the expanding trails network along the Moores Creek tributary of the Rivanna River, Parks & Rec staff proposed to remove an old, narrow and cracked pathway within the park and to replace it with a new accessible pathway that would connect the park’s Sixth Street entrance with several park amenities, including two playgrounds, and a basketball court.

Community Benefits

In the Fall of 2024, the city’s Department of Parks & Recreation facilitated the replacement of the deteriorated pathways with a little over 3,400 square feet of new accessible pathway, with new drainage features to mitigate muddy conditions when it rains. In addition, Parks staff facilitated the installation of approximately 3,780 square feet of new stone dust pathway in an ecologically sensitive section of the Moores Creek trail in which paving would be too disruptive.

This new paved pathway creates an important first link between the existing amenities of Jordan Park and the Belmont and Ridge Street neighborhoods and the developing Moores Creek trail network along the tributaries of the Rivanna River, a trail network that is currently largely undeveloped but that will at scale provide new pedestrian access as far away as Fifth Street Station, an important commercial center.

Learn More

Learn more about the works of Parks & Rec at https://www.charlottesville.gov/1742/Parks-Recreation and about the Rivanna Trails Foundation at https://www.rivannatrails.org/

AHIP Critical Homeowner Rehabs

Program Year(s)	2025-26
Community Partners	Albemarle Home Improvement Partnership
City Investment	$125,000
Funding Source	Community Development Block Grants Program

Scope of Work

AHIP, a Charlottesville-based nonprofit, works to preserve homeownership for income-eligible residents by providing comprehensive rehab, repair, and energy upgrade services and delivers comprehensive housing rehabilitation projects for these families. AHIP projects often incorporate a range of repair, rehab, and energy-efficiency retrofit activities. For one city homeowner with windows so old that rust was flaking off every time she used them (top), AHIP volunteers (middle) replaced every window in the home with new models (bottom) designed to stand the test of time, while also substantially improving the home’s energy efficiency.

Community Impacts

Housing is a critical component of any community’s overall health, and Charlottesville is no different. Per UVA’s 2024 Orange Dot Report, more than 20% of Charlottesville households are unable to consistently afford basic necessities. When we preserve these homes, we preserve local businesses’ dependable customers, the workers who serve as the city’s backbone, and future Charlottesville natives who will inherit these key sources of intergenerational wealth.

Learn More

Founded in 1976, AHIP grew out of the community effort to rebuild after Hurricane Camille stormed through Charlottesville in 1969. AHIP conducted 180 repairs for 82 local low-income households, keeping 170 community members safe while reinvesting over $700,000 back into the community in the process.

Everyone should be safe in their home, and no one should worry about losing their home to disrepair because they have nowhere to turn for help. Learn more about AHIP and their mission to ensure safe, affordable homes for our neighbors in need at https://ahipva.org/

Celebrating Our Community Partnerships

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Cold Storage Expansion

Challenge to be Solved:

Scope of Work:

Additional Benefits:

Learn More:

Click image for a printable PDF

BEACON Shared-Use Commercial Kitchen Infrastructure Enhancements

Scope of Work

Community Benefits

Additional Benefits

Learn More

Click image for a printable PDF

Accessibility Enhancements at Washington Park

Scope of Work

Community Benefits

Additional Benefits

Learn More

Click image for a printable PDF

Jordan Park Accessibility Enhancements & Pedestrian Trail Bridge Project

Scope of Work

Community Benefits

Learn More

Click image for a printable PDF

AHIP Critical Homeowner Rehabs

Scope of Work

Community Impacts

Learn More

Click image for a printable PDF

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