CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The City of Charlottesville has paused enforcement action against developer John Dewberry as the potential sale of his property at 201 E. Water St. progresses.

On Aug. 19, the city sent Dewberry a letter giving him 60 days to provide a written plan stating whether he intends to complete construction, sell the property or tear down the incomplete structure. On Sept. 25, the city confirmed that property was under contract.

“The news that the property is under contract is encouraging. Enforcement action against the current owner is on hold to give the sale an opportunity to proceed,” Maddux said in a statement the city sent to Cville Right Now on Tuesday. “The prospective buyer has also commissioned a structural assessment addressing concerns raised in the letter. Although the final written report is still pending, the buyer has informed the City that the engineer found the building structurally sound and expects the existing structure can be used without major remediation.”

Cville Right Now’s repeated attempts to reach John Dewberry and Dewberry Capital, which owns the property under its real estate subsidiary Deerfield Square Associates II, LLC, have been unsuccessful.

Dewberry purchased the vacant 11-story, concrete and steel building in 2012 at a public auction for $6.25 million, according to the city.

“The City’s goal is to see this project completed and this longstanding blight on Charlottesville’s skyline resolved,” Maddux’s statement said. “As explained in the letter to Mr. Dewberry, a sale to an owner with the resources and commitment to finish the work offers the best path forward.”