Albemarle Place realizes the key to successful urban development relies on the collaboration of both community and private interests. This relationship is challenging, from improving municipal amenities and quality of life, to attracting new businesses that will positively impact the local economy. Retail and mixed-use development are significant components to a community's economic and social health through job creation and tax base enhancement. Yet development projects of this nature encounter a number of challenges, from addressing underperforming areas and inadequate parking/transportation infrastructure, to solving high development costs and environmental issues. When local officials and business owners come together to understand each aspect of a project, it becomes easier to define our common interests and be aware of our respective needs.

Employing traditional "Main Street" retail market analysis techniques, Charlottesville's primary market area was evaluated to determine economic conditions and retail marketplace opportunities. The principal tasks included in this effort were calculating the amount of retail sales that each of the localities in the region of influence capture at present and projecting the future levels of retail sales. This study allows the market analyst to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the local retail economy, as well as make projections about regional shopping dynamics. The analysis performed for this market study was sensitive to variations in retail demand patterns within the regional marketplace, recognizing the primary, secondary and tertiary trade areas for different retail commodities and services. Based on discrete demographic influences including population, households, age, income, and employment, the relative buying power and trends in the local marketplace were determined.

Central to the County's vision for urban development is the goal of protecting and efficiently utilizing resources by employing infill development within designated development areas. The size, physical characteristics, and location of the Albemarle Place property classify it as one of the few remaining prime urban-area properties in Albemarle County where infill development of this scale and density can successfully occur. Albemarle Place has endeavored to unite private and public interests and will mark one step towards changing the trend of the late 1990s that demonstrated unhealthy sprawl development patterns in the region.

Informative links:

Smart Growth: www.caar.com/news/smrtgrowth.asp
Demographics: www.albemarle.org/planning/demographics.htm
Neighborhood Model: www.albemarle.org/planning/Neighborhood_Model_Intro.htm
Trends in Land Use and Population:
www.albemarle.org/planning/ruralareatrendslanduse&pop.htm
Piedmont Environmental Council: www.pecva.org/counties/albemarle/albemarlelanduse.asp
New Urbanism: www.cnu.org