During Jim Ryan’s tenure as University president, he pledged to improve the University’s relationship with Charlottesville and Albemarle County. At the end of his tenure, many of those promises remain unfulfilled, according to local leaders who have long called for the University to give back more to the Charlottesville community. Moving forward, these same leaders hope the University does more to tackle local issues such as affordable housing and gentrification.
Following President Ryan’s resignation in June under pressure from the Department of Justice, many members of the University community have expressed disappointment and spoken positively about his legacy. However, the local Charlottesville community has historically had a different relationship with the University, even under Ryan’s leadership. Local groups have long criticized the University’s acquisition of property and, in turn, its contributions to rising costs in the city and especially for housing.
Charlottesville City Council member Michael Payne expressed his concern over the University's taxes and property acquisition, noting that Ryan’s resignation has little to do with the University's relationship with Charlottesville.
“I'm not sure how much of a change there will be just because the biggest impact under multiple presidents for decades has been the fact that U.Va. doesn't pay property taxes and aggressively purchases land. That didn't stop under Jim Ryan. I expect that it will continue under a new administration,” Payne said.
In 2019, Ryan established the President’s Council on U.Va.-Community Partnerships under his 2030 Plan to create a “great and good” University, acknowledging that the University’s relationship with its neighbors needed improvement. The Council brought together University officials and local government leaders to identify shared concerns and pursue solutions. It focused on six key areas — affordable housing, community safety, early childhood education, support for the local economy, public health and expanding educational and employment pathways.
Despite the Council's creation and stated intentions, community advocates remain skeptical of the University’s commitment to meaningful collaboration. In a statement to The Cavalier Daily, Matthew Gillikin, co-founder of local housing and transportation advocacy group Livable Cville, expressed concerns about how little the University has done to improve the community.
“U.Va. has the potential to be an excellent partner with the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Unfortunately, U.Va. often misunderstands or misrepresents what a productive partnership looks like. As a result, U.Va. creates more strains on local housing transportation systems than it does solutions,” Gillikin said.
One of the University’s initiatives included a plan to develop 1,000 to 1,500 affordable housing units by the end of the decade, with U.Va. retaining ownership of the off-Grounds properties. These projects are not designed for students — although another part of the 2030 Plan aspires to build and require on-Grounds housing for all second-years — but rather to address broader housing market strain.
Four years later, these projects—located on Wertland Street, Piedmont and North Fork—remain in pre-development, with design and financing still in the planning stages.
Gillikin expressed concern over the pace of the projects.
“U.Va.’s affordable housing initiative has moved at a glacial pace. If addressing affordable housing was a true priority of the University, this initiative would already have resulted in housing being built,” Gillikin said.
Like the affordable housing initiative, other Council projects remain in the early stages as well. So far, most progress has focused on community outreach, despite reports which include more actionable goals, like decreasing local violence.
Under Ryan’s leadership, the University continued to acquire property, including the historic Oak Lawn mansion in 2023, which is planned to be used as a childcare facility for the local Fifeville community. However, the Fifeville Neighborhood Association has expressed that they would rather the property be used for affordable housing.
The Charlottesville area has seen gentrification in recent decades, which has been exacerbated by housing shortages as the University continuously struggles to provide enough housing for its students.
Fifeville in particular, where Oak Lawn is located, was historically a mixed and working class neighborhood until recently, when University expansion brought white upper-class homebuyers. Between 2019 and 2021, the median household income in Fifeville rose $46,000 to $61,600.
Most recently, local Charlottesville groups clashed with the University over the former Federal Executive Institute, which both wanted to acquire for their own use. Although the property was originally awarded to Charlottesville City Schools for free, the Department of Education later reversed its decision and awarded the property to the University, sparking objections from locals who said the University’s bid for the was not representative of its goal to be a “good neighbor.”
The affordable housing initiative is also a part of the larger Grounds Framework Plan. Updated in 2023, this plan outlines the University's building initiatives for the next few decades. This plan aligns with the goals of the 2030 plan and focuses on local cooperation. Much of the document describes housing, redevelopment and rezoning plans that rely on the University acquiring more property.
As a public institution, U.Va. is exempt from both federal and local property taxes. Although the Trump administration has recently threatened to revoke tax-exempt status for institutions such as Harvard University, no such threat towards U.Va. has materialized.
Local leaders in Charlottesville and Albemarle County have increasingly called on the University to participate in a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT). Such a program would allow the University to voluntarily contribute to local budgets in recognition of the services it uses — such as roads, infrastructure and parking. However, local governments cannot legally require such payments, and the University has made no indication that it will participate.
Gillikin affirmed that PILOT would be one pathway that the University could take to better its relation with Charlottesville.
“Payment In Lieu Of Taxes would be an excellent way for U.Va. to improve the quality of life of its employees and students living in Charlottesville. It would provide additional funds for badly needed transportation, school and affordable housing improvements,” Gillikin said.
After Ryan’s resignation, many of the community initiatives he charged have uncertain futures. With the University still searching for a president, it remains unclear whether these plans will move forward under new leadership.
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