I always say that I’d rather be lucky than good. And I’m never exactly sure if I’m kidding or not. Last week was definitely a “lucky” moment for me. As a board member at Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC), Rob Archer invited the rest of the board to tour the new CODE Building that is rising in downtown Charlottesville. With the opportunity for safe work trips quite limited during the pandemic, I jumped at the chance. But in truth I would have been delighted to attend even if this weren’t my first work-related jaunt in months.
CODE stands for Center of Developing Entrepreneurs, and Rob and his team at CSH Development are helping bring about a fantastic new gathering place for entrepreneurial spirit in Charlottesville. I’ve blogged previously about the history and potential for Charlottesville to speed ahead in the tech startup space, and the CODE Building may be rocket fuel for the engines. Every part of our tour reinforced the expectation that the building will become “the nexus of entrepreneurial activity in central Virginia,” as described on the website. The building is expected to open in June 2021 and will eventually support 600 people through retail space, long-term space for established businesses, and coworking space for startups and entrepreneurs. The building is the brain-child of Jaffray Woodriff, co-founder and CEO of Quantitative Investment Management. As a University of Virginia alum and local resident, Woodriff has promoted the growth of Charlottesville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by helping fund UVa’s new School for Data Science, investing in a number of local businesses through his family office, and now bringing the CODE Building to fruition.
Many thanks to Rob Archer for letting me have a look around, and make sure to reach out to him and his new Codebase Coworking team to explore space at the CODE Building. Enjoy some pictures below. And maybe I’ll see you late next year for a post-pandemic coffee in the CODE Building!
