Charlotteville, Virginia (WVIR) – Part of the former JC Penny Building in Albemarle County’s Fashion Square Mall has been given new life. On Tuesday night, the Albemarle Planning Commission heard proposals to utilize the empty space.
“Albemarle County has known for 15 or 20 years that it needs serious space in its police department, and it’s growing,” said Lance Stewart, director of facilities and environmental services. explained.
Albemarle wants to use this space for warehouses and offices for the county police and fire departments.
“One of the driving forces behind this is the kind of new function that the Fire and Rescue Service has taken on in recent years. We are responsible for their maintenance,” Stewart said.
The new space will allow ACFRD to perform repairs in a more central location, increasing efficiency. It also adds a garage that can accommodate a full-size fire truck.
“Their facility just isn’t right for it. Sometimes you have to work outside, sometimes you work in the winter. And if you need a part, even if it’s just a small thing, you can turn around and go to headquarters. For a while, they really needed this,” Stewart said.
The center only occupies part of the former JC Penney space. The rest can be rented out to private companies.
“Our intention is to identify permanent spaces and permanent homes to provide these functions over the long term. But doing so requires an investment of millions of dollars. , there was a serious need that we felt needed to be addressed sooner or later,” says Stewart.
The commission voted unanimously in favor, saying the proposal is in line with the county’s comprehensive plan.
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