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Council endorses potential park sites for memorial project to transform former Lee statue
Summary
Charlottesville council endorsed a list of parks — including Market Street Park and Court Square — as potential locations for community‑designed memorial work to be created from the former Robert E. Lee statue; staff said the endorsement is nonbinding and design teams will continue community engagement.
After a multi‑year community process that transferred ownership of the former Robert E. Lee statue to the Jefferson School African‑American Heritage Center, Charlottesville City Council on May 20 endorsed a set of potential park locations for the project's memorial elements.
Deputy City Manager James F. and Dr. Andrea Douglas briefed council on a narrowing design competition among three finalist teams and asked for guidance on locations where components of the new memorial could be placed. The staff recommendation initially listed Market Street Park and Court Square Park; council amended the motion to explicitly include Booker T. Washington Park, Tonsler Park, Forest Hills and Belmont and approved the endorsement 5–0.
The endorsement is nonbinding: staff said the Jefferson School will present the final design for council acceptance later in the process, and the approved list is intended to guide design teams during continued community engagement. Design teams will also work with staff on technical reviews to ensure scale and siting align with park use and infrastructure needs.
Public input and timeline: Project leaders said the public exhibition and voting/feedback period runs through May 30 and that the exhibition materials and a website provide background on the process and design rationales. Project staff said funding is being sought through foundations and private donations; the city is not being asked for capital in the current phase.
Council members expressed broad support for a commemorative project that reimagines the former statue while flagging concerns about small dispersed elements losing impact in some parks; staff and designers said subsequent technical and park‑specific review would address scale and context.
Next steps: Designers will continue community outreach, finalize a recommended design team and return to staff and council with detailed siting, scale and budget information for formal acceptance.
