Stonefield (mixed use development)

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This article is about The Shops of Stonefield suburban community in Albemarle County. For other uses, see Stonefield (individually protected property)

A sign from when the development was still called Albemarle Place

The Shops at Stonefield (formerly known as Albemarle Place) is a neighborhood model project developed on 65 acres surrounding the Sperry Marine facility at the northwestern corner of the intersection of US Route 29 and Hydraulic Road. The property has been owned by O'Connor Capital Partners since late 2016. [1]

Development history overview

The original rezoning was approved by the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on October 22, 2003. [2] [3].

The site for Stonefield had been noted an "extremely challenging" design environment, with developers having to negotiate the neighborhood model's requirement of inwardly facing buildings and sequestered parking lots, while also satisfying the Architectural Review Board's design considerations for the Hydraulic Road and Route 29 entrance corridors. [4]

Ground was broken on the project on May 10, 2011.

The development finally opened for business on November 2, 2012 when Pier One opened. [5]

Project history

Early History

Originally named Albemarle Place, the second owner (Edens) renamed the project in January 2011 to Stonefield.[6]

The original developer of the project was the Landonomics Group with the Cox Company serving as project engineer. The original land use request was an application to rezone 63.7 acres from C-1 (Commercial) and LI (Light Industry) to NMD (Neighborhood Model District) to allow a 1.8 million square feet mixed-use development running from Hydraulic Road up US 29.

The rezoning of Albemarle Place to Neighborhood Model was approved on October 23, 2003.[7]

Sewer capacity

At their meeting on September 10, 2008, Albemarle County Service Authority Executive Director Gary Fern told the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors that it was his understanding that the Albemarle Place developers would be paying the costs for the sewer connection to the RWSA's Meadowcreek Interceptor. Supervisors were told that the sewer capacity would be in place and available when Edens and Avant were ready to move forward with the development.[8]

A separate upgrade of the capacity of the Meadowcreek Interceptor, necessary to support Albemarle Place, is under construction. [citation needed]

Traffic concerns

Meadows neighborhood residents voiced concern over raised traffic in their neighborhood from Stonefield shoppers trying to avoid traffic on Route 29. The neighborhood's Cedar Hill Road is immediately across from an entrance to Stonefield, but city staff said it has been made inaccessible from Stonefield.[9]

After opening, the development's internal traffic patterns were criticized for not being well-thought out. [10]

Architectural review

The Architectural Review Board provided initial feedback at a meeting on May 16, 2011 and stated the corner of U.S. 29 and Hydraulic Road is one of the most important in the county. [11] In late June 2011, they indicated they could not support the design of the Trader Joe's and Regal Cinemas because they were not similar to previously approved plans.[12]

Stonefield received a certificate of appropriateness from the ARB on October 17, 2011 for its first major portion of site plans, covering nine buildings including the Trader Joe's at the corner of Hydraulic and 29.[13] The Regal Cinemas building was also approved at that meeting.

Brick color on the Trader Joe's building was controversial, and the board required Edens' architects to return with an alternative to the white painted bricks. Board members Chuck Lebo and Paul Wright were consistently against white bricks, forcing a 2-2 tie vote against Edens' revised unpainted white brick choice. The full board later voted 3-2 on December 5, 2011 to allow the unpainted white brick.[14]

Construction plans

The first round of development at Stonefield consisted of two phases by Faulconer Construction. [citation needed]

The first was planned to be construction of a 270,000 square feet of retail space, a central plaza and 245 residential units. [citation needed]

The second phase was planned to include a hotel and more residential units. [15] Officials with Edens & Avant confirmed in January 2012 that the hotel will be a Hyatt Place. [16]

The Hyatt Place opened in September 2013. [17]

Stormwater violation

On June 1, 2012, the Department of Neighborhood Development Services served the developers with a violation notice following the developer's decision to open a 72-inch pipe that carries stormwater. The pipe was to remain closed until the developers added erosion control measures to the drainage channel.[18] The violation was appealed to City Council on July 16, 2012, but council upheld the decision unanimously.[19] In August 2012, Edens appealed the Council's decision in Charlottesville Circuit Court, arguing that they fulfilled their duties toward erosion control. The brief also claims that Great Eastern Management Company, one of the companies who owns the land through which the water drains, is using City Council's decision to try to force Edens to bear the cost of improvements on the land to benefit future development of Seminole Square Shopping Center.[20]

The city and Edens settled[citation needed], but GEMC filed suit a week later. [21]

Judge Cheryl V. Higgins issued a ruling in favor of Edens in late November 2014. [22]

Construction Timeline

  • Mass Grading / Storm Water Management: May 2011 – Oct 2011
  • Off Site Road Construction: July 2011 – April 2012
  • On Site Infrastructure: Oct 2011 - Aug 2012
  • Town Center Construction: Oct 2011 – Oct 2012 (Nov 1 Grand Opening)
  • Apartment Construction: Feb 2012 to Apr 2013
  • Townhome Construction: TBD (2013)
  • Northside Construction: TBD (2013)


Tenant history

Floor plan for Albemarle Place Stadium 14
  • In September 2010, Edens announced Regal Cinemas would open a 14-screen stadium seating movie theater as part of the development's first phase. One of the screens will feature IMAX technology. The theater was to serve as an anchor for a plaza to be built on the development's main street [citation needed]
  • In March 2011, Edens confirmed that the site will feature a Trader Joe's. [23] On August 3, 2012, developers announced that the Trader Joe's would be opening in November of that year.[24]
  • At the ground-breaking, it was announced that two restaurants will be part of the first phase. They were Osaka Sushi and Travinia Italian Kitchen
  • May 28, 2012, the Charlottesville Business Journal published more confirmed tenants for the site including Cafe Caturra, Burton's Grill, Pier 1 Imports, and a Hyatt Hotel. [25]
  • On August 27, 2012, Payne, Ross & Associates announced that Stonefield would host the second location for chef Jason Alley's tapas-style restaurant, Pasture.[26]
  • In late October 2012, Edens announced three more restaurants: Black & Orange, Cyclone Anaya's, and Parallel 38. [27][dead link]
  • November 2, 2012: The first store, Pier One, opens for business. Trader Joe's and the movie theater shortly follow suit. [5]

Canopy collapse

On March 7, 2014, an ornamental canopy attached to an unoccupied building collapsed. Edens attributed the structural failure to winter weather. [28]

Additional development

  • Stonefield Block D1 is intended to be a 234-unit apartment complex constructed in the southwest corner of the property. The architect for the project is Mitchell & Matthews. [29]

References

  1. Web. New York Company Buys Shops at Stonefield, Staff reports, News Article, WVIR NBC29, December 16, 2016, retrieved May 2, 2019.
  2. Web. County of Albemarle, Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Minutes, Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, Albemarle County, October 22, 2019, retrieved May 2, 2019.
  3. Web. Albemarle Place: More than traffic under review, Brian Wheeler, Charlottesville Tomorrow, Charlottesville, VA, February 7, 2006, retrieved August 27, 2012.
  4. Web. Amid challenges, Stonefield garners some positive feedback, Kurt Walters, Charlottesville Tomorrow, Charlottesville, VA, October 5, 2011, retrieved November 17, 2019.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Web. Stonefield opens for business today, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, November 2, 2012, retrieved November 29, 2012.
  6. Web. Good-bye, Albemarle Place. Hello, Trader Joe’s?, Dave McNair, The Hook, Better Publications LLC, January 6, 2011, retrieved January 25, 2011.
  7. Cilimberg, V. Wayne. "RE: ZMA-2001-007-Albemarle Place." Letter to Frank D. Cox, Jr. 13 Nov. 2003. Charlottesville Tomorrow's Document Archive. Web. 25 June 2010. <http://www.cvilletomorrow.org/docs/20031118-Albemarle-Place-Approval-Letter.pdf>.
  8. Web. Supervisors updated on sewer capacity for Albemarle Place and North Pointe, Brian Wheeler, Charlottesville Tomorrow, October 7, 2008, retrieved November 15, 2021.
  9. Web. Meadows residents seek protection from Stonefield traffic, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, December 11, 2011, retrieved December 14, 2011.
  10. Web. Shops at Stonefield Customers Run into Parking Problems, Ed Sykes, NBC 29, November 19, 2012, retrieved November 29, 2012.
  11. Web. ARB ACTION MEMO, May 16, 2011, retrieved May 24, 2011.
  12. Web. ARB challenges design for Stonefield’s theater and grocery store, Tracie Cabler and Brian Wheeler, Charlottesville Tomorrow, June 26, 2011, retrieved June 27, 2011.
  13. Web. Stonefield hits approval milestone, Kurt Walters, Charlottesville Tomorrow, October 18, 2011, retrieved December 14, 2011.
  14. Web. Architectural Review Board finally approves Trader Joe’s brick color, Kurt Walters, Charlottesville Tomorrow, December 6, 2011, retrieved December 14, 2011.
  15. Web. Former Albemarle Place awaits start, Chiara Canzi, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, March 15, 2011, retrieved November 17, 2019. Print. March 15, 2011 .
  16. Web. Stonefield still slated for 137-room hotel, says developer, C-Ville Writers, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, January 25, 2012, retrieved November 17, 2019. Print. January 25, 2012 .
  17. Web. CBJ: Top local business stories of 2013, Nate Deseline III, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, December 29, 2013, retrieved November 17, 2019, 2013.
  18. Web. Stonefield's grading and stormwater reviewed by Albemarle, Sean Tubbs, article, Charlottesville Tomorrow, July 11, 2012, retrieved July 18, 2012.
  19. Web. Council upholds Stonefield stormwater violation; Edens uncertain of next steps, Sean Tubbs, article, Charlottesville Tomorrow, July 18, 2012, retrieved July 18, 2012.
  20. Web. Stonefield developer files appeal in circuit court, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, August 26, 2012, retrieved August 27, 2012.
  21. Web. Businesses near Stonefield file suit against Albemarle and Charlottesville, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, March 25, 2013, retrieved March 27, 2013.
  22. Web. Albemarle judge rules in favor of Stonefield in stormwater case, Sean Tubbs, Charlottesville Tomorrow, December 3, 2014, retrieved December 8, 2014.
  23. Web. Stonefield Development: Trader Joe's coming to town, Dave McNair, The Hook, Better Publications LLC, March 9, 2011, retrieved November 17, 2019. Print. March 10, 2011 , 1011, .
  24. [dead link]Web. Trader Joe's slated to open in November, Daily Progress Staff, Daily Progress, 3 August 2012, retrieved 6 August 2012.
  25. Web. Stonefield project building interest, tenant list, Nate Delesline III, Daily Progress Business Journal, Media General, 28 May 2012, retrieved 28 May 2012.
  26. Payne, Ross & Associates. JASON ALLEY’S PASTURE RESTAURANT TO OPEN AT THE SHOPS AT STONEFIELD. N.p., 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 27 Aug. 2012.
  27. Web. New Restaurants Announced for Shops at Stonefield, Charlottesville Newsplex, October 23, 2012, retrieved October 23, 2012.
  28. Web. Stonefield Developers Take Steps after Canopy Falls, NBC29, March 19, 2014, retrieved March 31, 2014.
  29. Web. More apartments proposed for Stonefield, Allison Wrabel, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, November 19, 2019, retrieved November 20, 2019. Print. November 19, 2019 page A1.

External links