Growth & Development: Charlottesville

Virginia Business
December 2006

Cooke Industrial Park being developed
The Cooke Industrial Rail Park is developing more than 800 acres along Route 208 between Louisa and Mineral. Sites in the industrial park range from 10 to 250 acres. It is served by the Buckingham Branch Railroad with service to both the CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads. Cooke Realty is developing the project.

Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center planned at U.Va.
The University of Virginia plans to build the 153,000-square-foot Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center in honor of the late state senator who worked to raise money and awareness for cancer treatment. She died of pancreatic cancer in 2001. Construction of the center will not begin for a couple of years. The university will demolish a garage on the site, but that won't be done until a new garage is built. The total estimated cost for the cancer center is $98 million. To finance the project, U.Va. has begun a $100 million fund-raising campaign. CBS news anchor Katie Couric, Emily Couric's sister and a 1979 U.Va. graduate, is honorary chairwoman of the campaign.

Work begins on Spring Creek mixed-use development at Zion Crossroads
Construction is under way on the Spring Creek development at Zion Crossroads. The mixed-use community of 1,200 homes will feature a golf course designed by the late Sam Snead. The project includes the Spring Creek Commercial Park, a 150-acre development. It will include an 87-room Best Western hotel and conference center, which will open in March. Louisa, Orange and Fluvanna counties also will open the Piedmont Crossroads Visitors Center at Zion Crossroads in March. In nearby Ferncliff, the 240-home Reedy Creek development is under construction.

Expansion of Industrial Air Park under way
Louisa County plans to expand its Industrial Air Park campus. The expansion will include the development of 50 acres, with individual sites ranging from five to 25 acres. Water, sewer and natural gas services will be available.

Piedmont Virginia Community College receives awards for viticulture program
Piedmont Virginia Community College's certificate program for viticulture and enology (the study of grape horticulture and winemaking) has received awards for excellence in career and technical education from the Virginia Department of Education. The community college started the program in recognition of the growing significance of the wine industry to the Charlottesville region. The college held an awards ceremony and reception recognizing the first 15 students to complete the program last spring.