Updates from the Office of Economic Development

Happy Holidays Charlottesville

As we head into a new year that is hopefully filled with better days, we want to thank everyone that played a role in supporting our local business community in 2020. Whether you bought a gift card, picked up curbside, dined outside or shopped in person, your support helped keep these businesses open. We hope you will always choose to support local when shopping, dining, or seeking services. We would also like to express our appreciation to Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Charlottesville Convention and Visitors Bureau and the County of Albemarle Office of Economic Development for their partnership in supporting buy local efforts. Click here for our latest video. Here's to 2021!

Rural Small Relief Business Grants

LISC in partnership with Lowes will be distributing the second round of rural small business relief grants beginning December 29^th, 2020 and a third round on January 26^th, 2021. Only small businesses located in rural communities (population of 50,000 or less) are eligible at this time. The goal is to support small businesses and enterprises affected by the pandemic in underserved communities including entrepreneurs of color, women, and veteran owned businesses that lack access to capital. For more information on the grant, visit the website.

Dairy Market Opens

The Dairy Market opened to the public for the first time on Tuesday, December 15^th. Due to COVID-19 restrictions there will not be an official opening event and guest capacity is limited in accordance with federal, state and local health protocols. Dairy Market, which is part of Dairy Central a complete redevelopment of the Monticello Dairy building along the reactivated Preston Avenue corridor, brings the popular food hall concept to Charlottesville and central Virginia. The Market will include a variety of local food and beverage favorites as well as new additions to our area. Initial merchants include: Angelic’s Kitchen, Chimm Street, Dino’s, Eleva Coffee, Moo Thru & Take It Away. Additional food vendors as well as retail and event space will be added in 2021. For more information, please visit Dairy Market. 

LEAP and Home to Hope Workforce Initiative

The Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) and the City’s Home to Hope Program have been collaborating to place local residents’ with lived criminal justice experience into new careers helping to weatherize local residents’ homes. In spite of the pandemic, LEAP is expanding and finds new staff through Home to Hope. LEAP provides temporary housing out of its office located on Ridge Street in addition to employment and on the job training. Visit LEAP’s website for more information.

VA Faces of Transit

The Virginia Faces of Transit campaign is a coalition effort to highlight the importance that public transportation plays in strengthening our economy, improving our environment, increasing equity, and better connecting our communities. The campaign featured Pedro Martinez, a Home to Hope participant. Watch the video.

New On-Demand Transportation Program

The Downtown Job Center will soon begin implementation of an On-Demand Transportation program for individuals currently employed or seeking work outside of the current limits of City transportation. This grant funded program will serve TANF-eligible individuals in commuting to employment locations in Albemarle, Fluvanna or Louisa Counties. To gather information on individual need and backgrounds, the Job Center has created a brief survey linked to its’ Facebook and Instagram accounts. For those that would consider seeking assistance through this program, they can follow this link to complete that survey. At this time the On-Demand Transportation Program will go live in early January 2021.

North American Sake Brewery & Restaurant Wins Two Awards

Congratulations are in order for North American Sake Brewery & Restaurant! They are the recipient of two major awards at the 2020 World Sake Challenge. Its premium junmai sake Real Magic took home a silver medal in the World Sake championship. Serenity Now, an ultra-premium junmai diaginjo sake, won a bronze medal for the second year in a row. Bravo!