As the student bustle on Grounds slowed in the summer months, the University made progress on construction projects including student housing in the Ivy Corridor and at the Darden School of Business, the Memorial Gymnasium renovation and the Manning Institute of Biotechnology. Here is an overview of major project developments to note as students return to Grounds.
Central Grounds
The Rotunda’s Shannon Garden is receiving a renovation to its courtyard that began construction this summer. The western courtyard is designed to have “visual similarities” to the Darden courtyard, Project Director Sarita Herman said to U.Va. Today in August. The renovated courtyard will have seating, planting beds and marble elements that match the Darden courtyard’s fountain. The fencing is set to come down early September according to Jennifer Wagner Davis, University executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Across Grounds, Memorial Gymnasium, one of four on-Grounds gyms, closed in December 2024 to replace infrastructure in the building, shortly after the building turned 100 years old.
Mark Stanis, director for capital construction and renovations for Facilities Management, shared that the renovation will replace the electrical and plumbing systems and install air conditioning and heating throughout the building. The building will also include safety features like a replaced fire system and sprinklers throughout the building, and it will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Stanis said that the construction team has used this summer to install the fire alarm system, close in ceilings and get final inspections and tests done for the system.
According to Stanis, the University’s Facilities Management renovation team has run into unexpected issues working with a century-old building, but he works with his team of design architects and engineers to ensure that the “historic fabric” of the building is not damaged by surface infrastructure renovations.
“Part of our job is to make sure we try to retain [history] as best we can,” Stanis said. “When we're doing a historic renovation, even if it is infrastructure, we're not really doing major renovations like changing spaces.”
Following the closure of the gym in late 2024, some kinesiology fitness classes moved to Slaughter Recreation Center, and many intramural and club sports groups moved to the Aquatic and Fitness Center. Some University students also noted that the AFC got busier following the Memorial Gym closure.
Stanis said that the Memorial Gym project has a $20 million budget and is set to open by spring 2027.
Aggarwal Hall, the new home of the Alumni Association, is another project on Central Grounds that is set to open in spring 2027. Over the summer, Todd Bagwell, senior vice president of Western Virginia at Hourigan Construction and Class of 1997 alumnus, confirmed with The Cavalier Daily that the project remains on track for spring 2027 completion. He said the construction team was working on closing the exterior envelope — including the exterior walls, windows and doors — and the roof had been completed. After exterior work is complete, the construction team will shift their focus to work on the interior of the building.
The 50,000-square-foot building will be home to offices, a central rotunda gallery, a library and meeting areas. Aggarwal Hall is replacing the old Alumni Hall, which was located on the same plot on Emmet Street. The building was demolished in September 2025 due to accessibility concerns and structural issues, including water damage and a failing air conditioning system, according to Virginia Magazine. The project has an estimated cost of $63 million.
The McCormick Road ramp at the west end of McCormick Road also received renovations this summer, with adjustments made to “enhance” pedestrian safety according to Davis. It was closed for construction beginning in June, and University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover said the ramp was completed in August.
Glover said that the renovation work on the ramp over the summer created a “shorter [and] safer crosswalk for pedestrians” and increased visibility for vehicular traffic. She said this was the last part of the Grounds Improvement Project, which aimed to make McCormick Road more pedestrian-oriented.
Ivy Corridor
The Ivy Corridor, located at the intersection of Ivy Road and Emmet Street, is home to one of the University’s major expansions outside of central Grounds. Among the projects in the Corridor are student housing developments, which are set to add over 750 beds for students.
Split across two six-story buildings, the Ivy Corridor student housing will be home to several dining options and will increase the total on-Grounds upperclassman housing capacity by about 800 beds. Glover said that the construction crew has continued working on the exterior and has started working on the interior over the summer. The project has a budget of $160 million and is expected to be completed by fall 2027.
In addition to student housing, the Ivy Corridor will also be home to the Karsh Institute of Democracy. The Karsh Institute is a non-partisan institute that aims to “prepare students for civil engagement” and “meet democracy’s greatest challenges,” according to its website. Glover said that since vertical construction and the exterior was completed earlier this year, the construction team worked on the interior this summer.
Currently based out of Bond House, the Institute has a budget of $82 million for construction. Glover said that the 69,000-square-foot building will be open in early 2027. The Institute will feature collaborative spaces, classrooms and a 425-seat auditorium with tiered balconies.
Fontaine Research Park
Fontaine Research Park is located off Fontaine Avenue and Interstate 64. Within the park is the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology and the Fontaine Central Energy and Utility Plant, among other University-related research units, departments and clinics. Glover said that over this summer, construction crews have been working on the Institute’s interior and exterior, and the building is set to be open in late 2027.
The Manning Institute is a 350,000-square-foot, five-story building that will include research laboratory space, a cafe, a conference center and a viral vector facility used to create viruses that can be used in gene therapy. Glover said that groundbreaking occurred in December 2023, and vertical construction was completed in October 2025.
The Fontaine Central Energy and Utility Plant was completed in March and will provide heating and cooling to both the Manning Institute and the Fontaine Research Park data center when they open. The data center — a University initiative to increase artificial intelligence and computing power with a budget recently expanded by $30 million — is set to begin construction in 2027 and finish in 2029.
Chris Pouncey, senior project manager for capital construction and renovations for Facilities Management, said that the energy and utility plant has almost 100 geothermal wells, which reach 800 feet underground. Pouncey said the wells are able to store heat underground during the hot weather and can release heat for buildings in the fall and winter. During extremely cold weather, the plant can operate electric resistance boilers, which are also fossil-fuel free, to generate additional heat.
Darden School of Business
Located in North Grounds within the Goodwin Family Grounds, the Darden School of Business is building a 250,000-square-foot residential community for students in its Full-Time MBA program. In a statement to The Cavalier Daily, Doug Thomas, senior associate dean for the Full-Time MBA Program, said the complex will have 216 apartment-style units and 338 beds. Over this summer, Thomas said construction crews have focused on enclosing the buildings, installing systems and completing interiors.
According to Thomas, Darden has over 1,000 Full-Time MBA students, and the housing will serve roughly one-third of those students. The units will be split into two buildings, and within the complex will be five garden spaces, study and collaboration spaces, recreational areas and dining facilities. Thomas said that the project began in October 2025 and has a budget of $169 million.
Thomas said that Darden’s Full-Time MBA is “built around close collaboration,” and proximity through shared student housing can make the experience of learning and working together “easier and richer.” The construction project comes at a time when several other prestigious business schools, including Stanford Graduate School of Business and Harvard Business School, offer on-campus housing for Full-Time MBA students. He said that students reported they were interested in an on-Grounds housing option to ease the transition of moving to Charlottesville.
Thomas said that the student housing is planned to open for the 2027-28 academic year.
Off Grounds
In addition to the housing built on Grounds, three off-Grounds apartment complexes are under construction. The apartments will collectively add 2,385 beds to the Charlottesville market and are targeted primarily at University students, according to the numbers publicized on the complexes’ websites. Currently, the University has enough beds for 2,797 upperclassmen, plus the first-year class. Alongside the construction of off-Grounds apartment complexes, some residents are pushing back against the continued expansion of luxury student apartments.
In an interview in July, Charlottesville City Councilor Michael Payne said that luxury student housing gentrifies the City and raises rent for residents. However, he also said developments can have pros and cons depending on their location. He said that luxury student housing located in areas that are “working-class neighborhoods or historically black neighborhoods” can create displacement pressures, specifically citing the Mark and LV Collective as carrying a major displacement risk.
To start, the Adelaide is an apartment building located on 2005 Jefferson Park Avenue that has been in progress this summer. It boasts a seven-story, 247,877-square-foot building that will add 386 beds. Makaely Tereskerz, new development lease-up manager for University Partners — the property management group for the Adelaide — said that among Adelaide’s amenities are a hot tub, golf simulator, clubhouse, game area and courtyard patio. Tereskerz said that the Adelaide will open in fall 2027.
VERVE Charlottesville, located at the intersection of Stadium Road and Jefferson Park, will add 1,332 beds to the Charlottesville housing market. The 12-story, 729,000 apartment complex has amenities including a cafe, library, study spaces, a two-story wellness center and a multi-sport game simulator. VERVE will also open in fall 2027 according to its website.
Also a luxury student apartment development, Blume on Ivy is located in the Ivy Corridor. The 20,000-square-foot, 10-story building offers 640 beds across 231 units. Amenities offered include a fitness hub, sauna, golf simulator, pilates studio, yoga studio, heated rooftop pool, rooftop terrace and cafe. Blume will open its doors to residents in fall 2027 according to its website.
Edward Christopher is a staff writer on the News desk as well as an advertising representative of The Cavalier Daily. He is a second-year student in the McIntire School of Commerce and is from Northern Virginia. Edward enjoys covering state politics and University developments.
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