Land moves between UVA and Charlottesville

In real estate maneuvers this spring and summer, UVA transferred Oak Lawn, a historic 5-acre property in Charlottesville’s Fifeville neighborhood, to the city’s school division. The move came after the university acquired a separate site that the division had initially been awarded—the 14-acre former Federal Executive Institute on Route 29.

Per news reports, both the school division and UVA had applied to acquire the former federal site, which was available at no cost after President Trump signed an executive order eliminating the institute in February. The U.S. Department of Education first awarded it to the school division, which intended to use it to house its preschool programs and administrative offices.

The following week it reversed course and gave the site to UVA, which plans to house its School of Continuing and Professional Studies and ROTC program there. UVA has since renamed it Sycamore Hill.

Charlottesville City Schools Superintendent Royal Gurley Jr. told The Washington Post he was “shocked” at the reversal, having also called it an “enormous setback.” UVA was also surprised, according to a statement from spokesperson Brian Coy. The university later approached the school division about the Oak Lawn site, which was acquired by UVA Health in 2023 for possible use as a child care facility.

UVA plans to lease the property to the school division for $1 annually, with the option to later hand over ownership.