CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — Charlottesville City Council met in a special monthly work session yesterday to discuss three different schemes for the Early Learning Center (ELC) set to be constructed at Walker Upper Elementary school. 

Of the three schemes, Deputy Director of Public Works for the City Mike Goddard, who presented to the counselors, recommended Scheme C. Scheme A is the least expensive at $42.5 million, B the most expensive at $60.8 million and C in between at $51.4 million.

Several councilors expressed their approval for Scheme C as well, although Mayor Juandiego Wade was absent from the meeting. 

Scheme C, drawn up three weeks ago, would require demolishing the existing gym and replacing it with a new facility, with no net loss of parking and a reconfigured bus loop. 

The new ELC on the Walker Upper complex would replace the current Charlottesville Early Learning Center (CELC), making it a “centralized home” for Pre-K students ages 3 and 4, CCS Supervisor of Community Relations Amanda Korman Simalchik told Cville Right Now.

The move comes after the federal government awarded and then rescinded the Federal Enterprise Institute from Charlottesville City Schools in May 2025, instead giving it to the University of Virginia. As a goodwill gesture, UVA leased the historic Oaklawn property in Fifeville for $1 per year to the city in September 2025, which Charlottesville made available to the school system.

Superintendent Dr. Royal Gurley and staff decided the property was unsuitable for an ELC function earlier this year, bringing the prospect of an ELC back to the Walker Upper site. 

“Though it was ultimately unsuccessful, a lot of things were brought to light to that process,” Goddard said. “It quickly became pretty apparent that the idea of removing (Walker Upper) from use would potentially limit our capability to make moves in the future.”

Goddard addressed questions on the project and City Councilors discussed the project’s cost as the Virginia state budget nears its June 30 deadline, at which point it will need to be finalized before the 2027 fiscal year begins.

Goddard and city councilors pointed to the one-cent sales tax referendum as a source of funding for the project, which is expected to be included in the budget and would be voted on in November by each municipality. 

If the Council moves forward with Scheme C, $17 million will have to be added to the budget to allot for the project. If the project is able to advance without delay, Goddard outlined that ground could be broken for the ELC in September 2027, with opening possible by July 2029.

Deputy City Manager James Freas cited “tension and tradeoffs” as the Council raised questions such as parking, potential for “swing space” and future expansion. The swing space would be intended to house different elementary school students over the next 16 years as the six elementary schools are renovated, rather than spending on trailers or other temporary sites for students. 

“The temporary situations are very costly… why not just use this school that we already have sitting empty?” Goddard said. “It’s still going to be old Walker, but I think old Walker is better than trailers from my perspective.”

Council Member Michael Payne questioned the possibility of private investment in the project, which Goddard noted they are open to but have not received interest in.

Council Member Jen Fleisher asked if the recent LaCrosse family grant to the University of Virginia for an early childhood learning center would have any impact on the project, with Goddard confirming there is no correlation. 

Vice Mayor Natalie Oschrin proposed inquiring if future housing could be built on the site, particularly when the swing space is vacated after future school renovations conclude.

Goddard cited potential parking issues but said the concept of the swing spaces will continue to be defined as the project progresses and that adding housing to the site would be difficult, but not an impossibility. 

“I do think we’re looking at a site that has a lot of future potential,” Goddard said. “I think we would probably be trying to push too much into too small of a space, but I do think that down the road there would be some when we get to that decision point of what’s next for the site.”