The nationally-acclaimed and pedestrian-friendly commercial/residential/ entertainment district was designed by Lawrence Halprin and Associates in 1974. Maintained by the Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Department, it is home to a vibrant collection of more than 120 shops and 30 restaurants located in the historic buildings on and around old Main Street Charlottesville. Today the Mall draws visitors and residents alike to the City’s inner core to eat at its unique outdoor cafés, listen to diverse music, do one-of-a-kind boutique shopping and gather with friends.
Through the commitment to a very aggressive adaptive reuse and revitalization of the Mall, the public/private partnerships transformed Charlottesville’s fading downtown into a centerpiece of community life and a major tourist destination. The recent rebirth of the Paramount Theatre, the competed extension to the Mall and addition of the Charlottesville Pavilion, Transit Center and Freedom of Expression Wall has added a renewed energy and vitality to this growing cultural and creative capital of Central Virginia.
In 2001, the City commissioned Wallace, Roberts and Todd to develop a Master Plan of the linear park infrastructure and conceptual design. That plan concluded that the basic concepts are still viable, including the bricked walkways, tree canopy and fountains. Further, the plan recommends incremental upgrades of the Mall to correct safety and drainage concerns, replace dying trees, update key features, and correct connectivity concerns.
Historical Pictures
Recent Pictures