The Charlottesville City Council has proposed an ordinance that would triple the annual rent for vendors who set up stalls on the Downtown Mall. The increase from $400 to $1,200 per year for 10 square feet of vendor space is intended to take advantage of the valuable real estate on the Downtown Mall.
According to Council member Blake Caravati, the proposed increase resulted from a standard review by the Council of its properties and the rent the City charges its tenants.
The rent raise is an attempt by the City to correct the discrepancy between what would normally be charged commercially and what the vendors have been paying and is in no way an attempt to earn money, Caravati said.
"We discovered we are significantly under-priced for market," Caravati said. "However, we would not charge what the market would charge."
The ordinance has received support from business owners on the Mall including the Downtown Business Association.
"I think it is fair," said Joan Fenton, owner of Quilts Unlimited and co-chair of the Downtown Business Association. "They are paying way below market value for vendor space and much less than what they would pay at places like Fashion Square."
The ordinance also would assign spaces, eliminating the vendors' need to come early in the day in order to keep their regular space on the Mall, Fenton said.
Despite resistance from some vendors, Fenton said she felt the ordinance was the result of general cooperation between the vendors and business owners.
"I think a lot of the vendors are on board with this," Fenton said. "There have been meetings, and the vendors have been involved in the process and are on board."
Additionally, the ordinance addresses the issue of outdoor seating at restaurants on the Mall. Currently, restaurants are required to close their outdoor dining areas from Dec. 15 until Mar. 1. For an additional third of their rent, however, they will be allowed to keep their outdoor seating open all year. According to Caravati, the extra rent would provide the City with the funds necessary for maintenance, such as clearing snow, in the dining areas during the winter.
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