Don’t ignore West Main

By The Daily Progress

Published: July 24, 2008

On the day Charlottesville City Council finalized its renovation plan for the Downtown Mall, it also discussed plans to revitalize West Main Street.

How appropriate. West Main deserves city attention, and it is, ironically, the success of the Downtown Mall that may well have served as an impediment to growth on West Main.

Redevelopment of West Main has been discussed for years. It’s time to walk the talk.

Unless we’re confronted with a business address saying “East Main Street,” we seldom remember that the mall once was a street.

Charlottesville’s old-fashioned downtown Main Street ran in uninterrupted fashion from the University of Virginia through the heart of the city. Then the pedestrian mall was created, interrupting that flow and producing a stand-alone, self-enclosed destination.

Make no mistake: That oasis of history, commerce and entertainment, with its trees, flowers and fountains, is a proven success. No one is second-guessing that decision anymore.

But what of West Main?

That area was supposed to develop in part because of its proximity to the Mall.

It is also flanked by another thriving commercial center on the University Corner. Growth was supposed to spill onto West Main from these two centers.

The city operates a free trolley between the Corner and the Downtown Mall. Riders can stop off on West Main — but their destination is often one end of the route or the other.

Some redevelopment has occurred on West Main, but it has been intermittent and piecemeal. The resulting interest from potential customers has also been intermittent and piecemeal.

So Charlottesville says it will invest in improvements to the area, as it did in the 1970s for the mall and, much more recently, for the Corner. Eventu-ally, city officials envision a streetscape with wide sidewalks, shade trees, cafes, shops and parking structures. This will create a pedestrian-friendly feel, which is one of the elements that have made the mall so successful.

Redevelopment will, however, be piecemeal, as the city intends to devote public money to projects only as private money also becomes available. Upgrades might be partially funded, for example, if a proposed nine-story condo is approved for 301 W. Main, a proposal that comes with $200,000 proffered for landscaping and streetscaping.

Already, the city has partnered with the university to redevelop a portion of Main Street near Jefferson Park Avenue.

Over five years, the city plans to commit $1.75 million to West Main.

West Main has been ignored long enough, as was the Corner before it, except for a series of studies that gather dust.

It’s time to push this neglected neighborhood to fulfill its potential.