The University of Virginia Board of Visitors met Tuesday to discuss the potential acquisition of the Federal Executive Institute property.
Both UVA and Charlottesville City Schools are interested in the facilities of the now-defunct leadership training center, which President Donald Trump dissolved via executive order in February.
The Federal Executive Institute consists of five primary buildings and other facilities spread across 13 wooded acres near the intersection of Emmet Street and Barracks Road.
Last week, CCS announced that it submitted a federal application for the property. The division’s plans include housing a centralized preschool and division administration offices on the campus. The move would make the Walker Upper Elementary School site available for the expansion of alternative education, special needs and other instructional programming. In 2026, sixth-grade students at Walker will relocate to an expanded and renovated Charlottesville Middle School (formerly Buford Middle School).
CCS could acquire the property through the Federal Real Property Assistance Program, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education. Because it would be used for educational purposes, CCS could get it at a reduced cost, or no cost at all.
UVA spokesperson Brian Coy told VPM News in an email statement that when the school was approached by the General Services Administration about acquiring the property, they inquired about the “possibility of submitting a joint application with the City of Charlottesville.”
The GSA indicated it would not accept such a proposal, Coy said, so UVA submitted an application in part motivated by the “recognition that, if we didn’t submit, the property may go to a third party (neither city nor the University).”
Coy said that if UVA takes over the site, the university plans to expand its School of Continuing and Professional Studies — which offers adult education programs to the local community — as well as its ROTC programs.
UVA estimates that it’ll cost $1.85 million in one-time funds and $1.9 million in ongoing costs to renovate and maintain the facility.
Zyahna Bryant, candidate for the Charlottesville School Board, said that she is “hopeful that the University wants to be a good neighbor that is in full support of public education, and thus, will make the decision to support the proposal from CCS.”
Coy said the university has also sent a letter in support of the school division’s application.
“We recognize the benefits their proposal would provide to the City and we are eager to work alongside them if either proposal is accepted. We remain optimistic that it will serve the needs of the region either through adult education programs and ROTC and/or local K-12,” said Coy.
In a letter to the UVA BOV, Matthew Gillikin and Steven L. Johnson, co-chairs of Livable Cville, urged UVA to vote against the acquisition of the FEI, withdraw its formal expression of interest in the property and endorse the CCS bid.
“This is actually UVA opposing the best interests of its own employees in the community by trying to take over the property,” Gillikin said to VPM News.
Gillikin and Johnson argued that UVA faculty and staff will see significant benefit by opting to not purchase the property, since their children could attend the CCS school.
