The Board of Visitors Buildings and Grounds Committee approved the schematic design plan for the new Center for the Arts, which is planned to be completed in fall 2029. The Committee also heard a construction report from Donald Sundgren, vice president of facilities management and chief facilities officer, in which he discussed updates on projects such as the Karsh Institute of Democracy, student housing in the Emmet Ivy Corridor and the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee oversees the care, maintenance and use of buildings and land at the University. They are responsible for the selection of architects and engineers, the naming of buildings and the furnishing and equipment of them.
University Architect Alice Raucher presented the schematic design plan of the Center for the Arts to the Committee, which will be home to the Tessa and Richard Ader Performing Arts Center, the Fralin Museum of Art, the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection and the University’s music department.
The Center for the Arts will share the Emmet Ivy Corridor with the currently in-progress Karsh Institute of Democracy, student housing and the Virginia Guesthouse — a hotel and conference center — among other buildings. The first Emmet Ivy Corridor construction project was the School of Data Science building, which officially opened in April 2024.
“While an important site for an important program, [the Center for the Arts] will also be part of an ensemble of buildings that are intended to create a collective sense of community, offering shared resources and … a harmonious relationship with the landscape,” Raucher said.
If state funding comes through according to plan, construction of the Center for the Arts is planned to begin in spring 2026. Its expected completion date is fall 2029.
While the state funding is pending until the General Assembly’s January session, Raucher requested that the University continue to fund the project's design to ensure a quick transition into construction. The Committee approved Raucher’s request, giving additional authorization of up to $5 million for the project.
Sundgren then provided the Committee with updates on eight ongoing construction projects, amounting to $1.2 billion in total project value.
One of these projects is the Karsh Institute of Democracy, which Sundgren said will be complete at the end of 2026. The Karsh Institute is a University organization that explores challenges to democracy through interdisciplinary scholarship and programming and hopes to use their new space for research and larger-scale events.
Sundgren also gave updates on projects in Fontaine Research Park, home to several University-related research units, departments and clinics.
The Fontaine Parking Garage opened Wednesday, which Sundgren said was completed two months before schedule. The Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, also located in Fontaine Research Park, will be completed fall 2027. The Fontaine Central Energy Plant building is another project that’s underway in the area.
Before Sundgren’s construction report, Jennifer Wagner Davis, executive vice president and chief operating officer, introduced the Committee to Lois Stanley, senior vice president for operations.
Stanley entered this position Aug. 18 following Colette Sheehy’s, former senior vice president for operations, retirement in June. Stanley previously served as vice president for campus planning and operations at Brandeis University.
Stanley thanked Davis for the opportunity and expressed excitement to work with the University and tackle many projects in the future. She also extended gratitude to Sheehy, although she was not present, for the work she did for the University during her tenure.
“This is a really great opportunity for me … I've received quite a few warm welcomes, both here on Grounds as well as across Charlottesville,” Stanley said. “The staffing and the product that comes out of this team, I'm just privileged to be joined by such an A-plus team.”
The Buildings and Grounds Committee will reconvene during the Dec. 4-5 meetings of the Board.
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