UVA Approves New Building Projects and Coal Plant Conversion Plan

The University of Virginia is progressing with two significant projects aimed at transforming its campus landscape. A state architectural review is set for July, to be followed by groundbreaking activities within a year, according to Raucher.

The upcoming Entrepreneurship Building, designed to be five stories tall, will stand slightly higher than the adjacent Data Science building but will share a similar design aesthetic. The ground floor will feature glass walls, offering a transparent view into the building’s interior.

This design choice is part of a broader architectural theme observed in the Emmet-Ivy Corridor, where red brick is used on upper floors to complement the glass at street level. Raucher explained that this approach is intended to create a vibrant atmosphere, akin to the University’s Lawn, where students and faculty engage in an open, collaborative environment.

Upon completion, the Entrepreneurship Building will support both the Data Science School and the University’s entrepreneurship initiatives, featuring classrooms, offices, conference areas, and an “entrepreneurship hub.”

The construction is backed by a $20 million donation from the Quantitative Foundation, founded by Jaffray Woodriff, a University alumnus and prominent supporter of the institution’s Honor the Future campaign.

Main Heating Plant

On the opposite end of U.S. 250 Business, the University has approved a three-phase plan to dismantle the coal silos at the Main Heating Plant. These silos currently store coal as a backup fuel source, although the plant predominantly relies on natural gas supplied by Charlottesville.

A $38 million project will replace the coal infrastructure with a 110,000-gallon fuel oil storage tank, hidden from public view, as an alternative backup fuel. Raucher emphasized the significant visual improvements this project will bring.

Paul Zmick, UVA’s director of energy and utilities, highlighted the project’s phased approach, ensuring the new storage tank remains discreet. “The creative phasing of the project will allow the new, above-ground oil storage tank to be located behind the plant and out of sight,” he stated.

Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis, the University’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, praised the initiative, saying, “This is long overdue for the hospital and our overall sustainability plan. Plus it saves money, too.”

In another development, the board has sanctioned the demolition of the obsolete UVA police station on Ivy Road. The police division has already relocated to a new facility at Zehmer Hall. Post-demolition, the site will be landscaped, though no further plans for its use have been announced.

Editor’s note: This article initially reported the coal silos as dating to 1952, but archival evidence suggests they were constructed later. The article has been revised accordingly.