Court Square, the frequent meeting place of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe, is undergoing a facelift.
The area surrounding Court Square and nearby streets, but not the actual courthouse, will be the focus of the "Court Square Enhancement Project." Court Square includes the area between High Street and Jefferson Street and 4th Street and Park Street, about one block north of the Downtown Mall.
"Court Square is the oldest part of the city and its original seat," Charlottesville Vice Mayor Meredith Richards said.
The project's aim is "honoring, preserving and promoting Court Square [because] it has not been maintained and certainly not enhanced as a historic area," Richards said. "We've never spent the time and energy it takes. A lot of residents don't even know about it."
Fifth Street, from Market Street to Jefferson Street, will receive new granite curbs with wider brick sidewalks. Court Square will be re-landscaped and new brick walls will be built to enclose the park.
"The landscaping will enhance the courthouse," Richards said.
Jackson Park will be reconfigured and historic period lighting will be placed along the streets surrounding the Square. All the sidewalks and intersections of the boundary streets will be replaced with brick or granite. The new work will create a more historic feel, Richards said.
To anticipate the increase in tourist traffic, 200 new parking spaces will be created in the blocks surrounding the square.
Officials hope to draw some of the half-million annual Monticello tourists into the downtown area with this project.
"We want to make it a point of arrival," Charlottesville's Director of Strategic Planning Satyendra Huja said.
Working with the Regional Tourism Council, City officials even have discussed joint promotion campaigns and packages.
Huja, along with Mark Beliles, chair of Charlottesville's Historic Resources Task Force, originally introduced the concept for the project in 1998.
"The Historic Resources Task Force is charged with making more significant use and promotion of the historic resources specific to the city," Richards said.
Following its introduction, Richards shepherded the project through City Council.
A T21 Federal Enhancement Grant, along with three other federal and state government grants, comprise $1.67 million of the total $3.1 million budget. Charlottesville provided $1.2 million dollars, and $250,000 toward construction was provided by Albemarle County.
Construction began in August and will be completed by September 2004. During the construction, there will be no anticipated impedance to pedestrians, businesses or traffic.
"Court Square will no longer be our neglected historic treasure," Richards said in a statement. "It will bring people right into the heart of our downtown area."
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