AGENDA DATE: 6/17/2026
TITLE:
Proposed Amendment to the 1997 UVA / County / Charlottesville ground lease agreement for the Emergency Communications Center.
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Proposed Amendment to the October 3, 1997, ground lease agreement between the University of Virginia, County of Albemarle, and the City of Charlottesville for the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) to include the use of a Modular Unit installed at 2304 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA, 22903.
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Wall, Herrick, Bohdan, Dumars, Strother, Mowry
PRESENTER (S): Cai Mowry
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: The Emergency Communications Center (ECC), serves three member organizations that include Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville, and UVA. The ECC is responsible for providing Emergency Communication services for its member organizations. The ECC was originally established in 1986 and has answered over 235,000 administrative calls and over 180,000 calls for service during the past calendar year. The ECC has been accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) since 2006. The ECC currently has 65 staff members, including communications professionals, Information Technology staff, and support staff.
The ECC operates on property leased from the University of Virginia (UVA) under a fifty-year ground lease executed on October 3, 1997 (Attachment A), between the County of Albemarle and the City of Charlottesville for one dollar ($1) per year.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Infrastructure Investment- Prioritize, plan, and invest in critical infrastructure that responds to past and future changes and improves the capacity to serve community needs
DISCUSSION: In 2019, UVA installed a modular unit located at 2304 Ivy Road (Attachments B and C), adjacent to the existing ECC facility, for use by the UVA Department of Safety and Security. The department has since relocated to a new headquarters at Zehmer Hall on Midmont Lane, vacating the modular unit.
UVA proposes a minor amendment (Attachment D) to the 1997 ground lease to formally incorporate this modular unit into the leased premises at no cost to the Tenant. The title of the unit would remain with UVA, and all lease terms that apply to existing improvements would also apply to the modular unit. The additional space gained by adding the existing modular unit will primarily be used for meeting and training space. The additional space will improve the function and efficiency of the ECC and allow it to consolidate office space into the modular unit, bringing its primary operations to a single location.
Because the 1997 lease structure lists the County and City, and not the ECC, as co-tenants, both jurisdictions must formally approve the amendment. County staff confirm that the amendment aligns with the original lease’s intent and does not alter the financial obligations or expand the lease footprint beyond the addition of the modular unit. The amendment supports the ECC’s operational objectives and improves the utilization of existing facilities without incurring additional lease costs.
Coordination with the City Attorney’s Office and City Manager is ongoing to ensure both jurisdictions adopt consistent versions of the amendment. The City Council approved a similar resolution at its May 4 City Council meeting.
BUDGET IMPACT: Approval of this agreement would have no additional impact on the County budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Board adopt the attached resolution (Attachment E) authorizing the County Executive to execute the agreement on behalf of the County once it has been approved as to substance and form by the County Attorney.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - ECC - UVA Grounds Lease October 3, 1997
B - ECC Lease Area 2026
C - UPD Modular Unit 2019
D - ECC Lease Amendment Letter March 20, 2026
E - Resolution