Nicky Demitry '26
Production Editor
We’re back at UVA Law after a restorative winter break full of family time, boxed wine, and watching the American Empire commit suicide. And setting aside—for now—the impact of the new political regime and the silver lining that is the existence of the word “broligarchy,” allow me to welcome you back to Charlottesville, Virginia: where the mountains are picturesque, the wine flows freely, and the housing market feels like a cruel social experiment.
The latest spectacle? The “redevelopment” of Cavalier Crossing—a project that feels less like a facelift and more like a cautionary tale about playing Monopoly with people’s lives.[1] Cav Crossing, once intended to be student housing for the University, has long been one of the only affordable housing options for low-income residents in Charlottesville. And in May of last year, Cav Crossing was acquired by Bonaventure Multifamily Income Trust for $20.5 million,[2] kicking off a “rolling mass displacement” of some of Charlottesville’s most vulnerable residents.[3]
The City of Charlottesville promises transformation, affordability, and modern amenities, the typical redevelopment pitch of the tone-deaf petit bourgeoisie of Charlottesville—the same folks with the Kamala and “hate has no home here” signs in their front yards and Tesla charging in the driveway. There’s always the smug deployment of urban renewal buzzwords: “sustainability,” “community engagement,” and “mixed-use development.” Translation? You might get a yoga studio on the first floor, but the rent will stretch you into poses you didn’t think were humanly possible.
For those already living at Cav Crossing, the process has been...educational. And by educational, I mean probably illegal?[4] Learning how quickly “affordable housing” can turn into “luxury apartments” is a rite of passage in this town. And let’s not forget the pièce de résistance of redevelopment—eviction notices that feel like a cheerful nudge off a financial cliff. Charlottesville loves to market itself as a progressive utopia, but the housing market tells a grimmer story. Cavalier Crossing isn’t just a redevelopment project—it’s a reminder that in Charlottesville, home isn’t where the heart is; it’s where market forces, upzoning, systemic inequality, and ROI calculations have priced it out of reach.
Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal, Charlottesville![5] I know I shouldn’t be surprised. Cville has always had a strong history of both allowing and directly perpetrating this type of development. Just take a wander around town to see the contrite plaques describing Vinegar Hill, a once-thriving black community in the 1950s that provided for its residents while Charlottesville was still segregated.[6] It’s all beginning to feel too much like eternal recurrence, although to be fair, I did get really into that weird German time travel show Dark over break. When Vinegar Hill was razed, it had 130 homes, five Black-owned businesses, and a church, all twenty acres of which were destroyed by the Charlottesville city government in 1965 under the guise of “urban renewal.” Ultimately, the City turned it into a parking lot.[7]
UVA’s role in this dynamic of disenfranchisement is also galling. UVA housing policies have continually had negative impacts on Charlottesville residents, worsening the housing crisis significantly.[8] However, in December of last year, it was reported that UVA had approved one of its many properties[9] for residential development,[10] a project that has been “in the works” for literal years.[11] A lot of UVA’s affordable housing projects are supposed to finally see some action in 2026 and 2027, which is good news. But it does seem odd that it’s taking so very long to make headway on affordable housing projects when UVA has received over $500 million in contributions for seven years in a row, and finished over $577 million worth of projects in 2024. If money isn’t the issue, then what is?[12]
These are complex issues that require equally complex analyses, including historical ones that frame both our attitudes and conceptions around housing on a national scale and at a local one. There is old money rooted here, and it is invested in maintaining the “small-town Southern charm” of this place. The issue is that small-town Southern charm, like so many similar things in America, is a mirage. We can’t look at what is before us and truly call it a charming and idyllic modern Southern utopia when that imagery and version of reality has come at such great cost to a broad swath of Americans that are not white or landowning. This bifurcated version of reality permeates every aspect of life. It’s in our Constitution, it’s in our legal systems. Case in point—the proposed revisions to zoning policies in Charlottesville that are being adjudicated in real time.[13]
Maybe one day the city will strike a balance between history, charm, and housing for people who don’t have a six-figure income. Until then, let’s all raise a glass to the cheap simulacrum we keep being told is reality—because it’s the only thing left in this town anyone can afford to raise.
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ncd8kt@virginia.edu
[1] Comrade Detective—Monopoly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF1H5kn8ayY.
[2] Albemarle County GIS system.
[3]Erin O’Hare, Residents are being kicked out of one of the area’s most affordable apartment complexes to make way for luxury units. https://shorturl.at/b61Od.
[4] Jes.cville on Reddit, Y’all know about Cav Crossing? (Now Attain on 5th) https://shorturl.at/USMlg.
Gosh I wish I was a student in a place where one learns about the application of laws and the legality or illegality of such things, forthwith. But hey, if there’s one thing I definitely know now that I’m halfway through my legal education—it’s great to know the law but even better to know the judge. What’s a little illegal eviction amongst friends!
[5] Firefly ayyyy.
[6] Emily Hays, Vinegar Hill Park process to start this summer
https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/vinegar-hill-park-process-to-start-this-summer/; It had 130 homes, five Black-owned businesses, and a church, all twenty acres of which were razed by the Charlottesville city government in 1965 under the guise of urban renewal.
[7] See UVA and the History of Race: Property and Power. “‘It just stayed like a cemetery,’” former resident Teresa Jackson Price remarked.” https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-and-history-race-property-and-power.
[8] Garrett Whitton, UVA students moving off-Grounds impacting local housing market, https://shorturl.at/quchl.
[9] This is a whole other rabbit hole we can’t go down right now, but if you’re bored: David McNair, “Three's Company: Can UVA, Charlottesville, and Albemarle County share the wealth?” - https://shorturl.at/7PV67; Jason Armesto, “Charlottesville would like UVa to pay at least some property tax. UVa isn't so sure.”https://shorturl.at/75B4f.
[10] Sean Tubbs, UVA Foundation moving forward with North Fork residential development, https://c-ville.com/uva-foundation-moving-forward-with-north-fork-residential-development/.
[11]UVA Foundation wants to add up to 1,400 homes at North Fork. https://shorturl.at/a99Vx.
[12] Sean Tubbs, Look Back Part Four: Growth at the University of Virginia and steps toward more student housing. https://shorturl.at/I8haj.
[13] Sean Tubbs, Judge Worrell is ready to rule in lawsuit against Charlottesville’s new Development Code, but allows time for more evidence to be filed, https://shorturl.at/ogZvM.