> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.richmonder.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # ‘And the Golden Hammer goes to…’: Richmond's best development, rehab and design projects in 2026 - URL: https://www.richmonder.org/and-the-golden-hammer-goes-to-richmonds-best-development-rehab-and-design-projects-in-2026/ - Published: 2026-10-30T09:30:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T09:30:00.000Z - Description: The cranes and job sites all over town make it obvious: Richmond is still booming when it comes to building. - Author: Sarah Vogelsong - Tags: Housing, #the-bridge The cranes and job sites all over town make it obvious: Richmond is still booming when it comes to building. But not all development is created equal. Enter the Golden Hammer Awards, which for over 25 years have honored the best rehabilitation of old structures and construction of new ones in the River City. First launched by the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods (ACORN) in 2000, the awards have been successively operated by a variety of local nonprofits and are now run by Historic Richmond. “This year, the collective work of our nominees reflects innovative solutions to address contemporary issues, marking a year of progress towards a more vibrant and equitable Richmond with more places for people to live and work, and more places to be and be active,” said Cyane Crump, executive director of Historic Richmond. Judged by a panel of nine, the Golden Hammers are awarded based on criteria such as the quality of the work done, the difference between the initial and final conditions of a site, impact on the surrounding area, particularly innovative or elegant solutions, contributions to community revitalization or incorporation of community-driven design. Here’s what won this year: ### **Best rehabilitation, renovation and adaptive reuse: Haxall Padel Plant** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-d854f74c-5d84-40be-afb3-bebd19e5c8df.jpeg) Caption: The Haxall Padel Plant, 1201 Haxall Pt. (Courtesy of Historic Richmond) Plans to transform the former Haxall Hydroelectric Plant into padel and pickleball courts [were controversial at their inception](https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2025/07/09/richmond-padel-plant-vandalism-murals), mostly because they impacted public access to a beloved set of murals painted on the plant walls. But with business now well underway, the overhaul of the site — which besides the courts offers a cafe, bar and pizza restaurant — got top marks Thursday. “The design preserves the building’s defining volume and industrial character. Transparent padel court walls allow the expansive interior to remain visually open, while locker rooms and support spaces are strategically positioned to reveal the building’s grandeur upon entry,” said Historic Richmond. Also praised: the developer’s decision to retain many of the existing building’s features and the repurposing of the formerly open courtyard into “a weather-protected gathering space.” ### **Best restoration: William Fox Elementary School** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-45adad3a-8a3c-4d83-a712-06735f49b605.jpeg) William Fox Elementary School, 2300 Hanover Ave. (Beth Weisbrod/The Richmonder) The three-alarm fire that ripped through Fox Elementary in the Fan in February 2022 devastated students, families and the broader Richmond community. It took over three years to get the circa 1911 school rebuilt — a task that also required [the building’s iconic cupola to be lifted back to its place of honor by crane](https://www.richmonder.org/as-fox-elementarys-reconstruction-draws-to-an-end-its-iconic-cupola-returns-to-the-roof/). The roughly $30 million effort was pricey, accomplished through local, state and historic tax credits, but it restored students and teachers to their classrooms in fall 2025\. “Rather than simply replacing what was lost, the project transformed recovery into an opportunity to carefully restore the historic building while adapting it for contemporary teaching and learning,” said Historic Richmond. [Fox Elementary reopens three years after devastating fire“The fact that we are here, standing in front of this beautiful, reimagined Fox, proves what is possible when a community refuses to give up.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1-48ee06cb-61c8-4d5c-a90a-690bfc5d80bb.png)The RichmonderVictoria A. Ifatusin![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/thumbnail/Armstrong-40-18c8dd88-9c4e-4d3f-acb9-3c9af78fdf53.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/fox-elementary-reopens-three-years-after-devastating-fire/) ### **Best new construction – community facilities: T.B. Smith Community Center** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-7f890269-0517-419c-b8ce-573d6919810d.jpeg) The T.B. Smith Community Center, 2009 Ruffin Rd. (Courtesy of Historic Richmond) One of the biggest investments of former Mayor Levar Stoney’s tenure was $65 million in federal COVID funds [for the construction and improvement of four community centers](https://www.richmonder.org/richmond-put-65-million-toward-new-and-improved-community-centers-theyre-almost-done/). Among them was T.B. Smith, a vibrant red, 30,000 square foot facility that replaced a small structure in the Davee Gardens neighborhood of Southside. Designed to convert into a “resilience center” with showers and sleeping quarters in times of crisis, the environmentally friendly building also boasts solar panels, a teaching kitchen, a gym and plenty of gathering space. “The site plan blurs the line between building and park,” wrote Historic Richmond. “A basketball court, multipurpose field, splash pad, and accessible playgrounds spill outward like an open invitation, while community gardens greet visitors like a shared front porch.” [Richmond put $65 million toward new and improved community centers. They’re almost done.It’s been almost 25 years since Richmond built any new community centers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1-62de2a07-927d-4c08-bab9-896097ce16d1.png)The RichmonderSarah Vogelsong![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/thumbnail/LucksField1-930b8498-d135-4d1c-aa6e-3a0bbfe9db8c.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/richmond-put-65-million-toward-new-and-improved-community-centers-theyre-almost-done/) ### **Best new construction – mixed use/commercial: Virginia Public Media Headquarters** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-883f45c8-1d31-487b-b9b5-fe62d3bdceee.jpeg) VPM Headquarters, 15 E. Broad St. (Courtesy of Historic Richmond) Once a parking lot, VPM’s brand-new 55,000 square foot, five-story headquarters is now one of the centerpieces of Richmond’s Arts District. With a gleaming expanse of windows tucked into its stone and metal facade along Broad Street, the building is both an office and an invitation to community members. The ground floor and lobby boast a mural and event space-turned-public-art-gallery that is available for rental, while a rooftop patio is also open for use. Perhaps most important: The structure is a sign not to count out Broad Street revitalization just yet. [Take a look inside VPM's new Broad Street headquartersThe building is tentatively scheduled to open in May, following an extensive and elaborate moving process.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1-2a1a8972-feeb-468f-a885-94075fdb639e.png)The RichmonderMichael Phillips![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_4338-6b679519-185c-4824-814f-89746b59132d.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/take-a-look-inside-vpms-new-broad-street-headquarters/) ### **Best new construction – residential: 2100 Bainbridge Street senior apartments** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-552f2a35-48b2-4511-a287-cd12f749398a.jpeg) 2100 Bainbridge Apartments, 2100 Bainbridge St. (Courtesy of Historic Richmond) The 2100 Bainbridge Apartments, developed by affordable housing nonprofit project:HOMES, prove that not all “good” development is luxury development. Built on the site of a former coal storage facility in Swansboro, the 83-unit building serves low-income seniors and includes a community building where residents can gather. To make the numbers work, project:HOMES looked to not only low-income housing tax credits, but also Richmond’s Affordable Housing Performance Grant Program. Design-wise, the building also diverges from the typical five-over-one development, producing what Historic Richmond described as “colorful, sloping shapes” and “a self-contained skyline” that allows the structure “to establish a distinct identity, reinforcing its value in the community.” [It might be Richmond’s biggest push to create affordable housing. But many residents don’t even know it exists.Richmond has signed off on 25 agreements that, if all come to fruition, will add 3,213 affordable units to the city’s housing stock.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1-114c8409-d236-4de6-a50b-2d7cfa904c01.png)The RichmonderSarah Vogelsong![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/thumbnail/1203-E-Brookland-Park-1-2e2ed798-cf74-47e0-9dd7-f8438656f27e.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/it-might-be-richmonds-biggest-push-to-create-affordable-housing-but-many-residents-dont-even-know-it-exists/) ### **Best placemaking (large-scale) — Belle Isle Nature Exploration Area** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-6df792bd-864b-4b61-a4da-df69fa316c7d.jpeg) Belle Isle Nature Exploration Area. (Courtesy of Historic Richmond) Far more than a playground, the new Nature Exploration Area on Richmond’s beloved Belle Isle reimagines an underused meadow area under the Belvidere Bridge as a hands-on play and recreational area for children. It’s also part of a broader plan to envision the island, which remains the most popular destination in the James River Park System. “Inspired by log jams in the James River, the play space at the island’s arrival area is an invitation to explore,” wrote Historic Richmond. “Built of repurposed park materials—tree trunks, boulders, driftwood, and historic granite curbstones—the Nature Exploration Area encourages parkgoers to build outdoor confidence.” [Don't call it a playground: Belle Isle's new 'Nature Exploration Area' is the future of park play"I love thinking about Belle Isle as the gateway to the whole park system."![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1-476dcfce-0cda-46d9-965a-f01d2af0604f.png)The RichmonderAndy Thompson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_0680-a0525d7d-a3d5-4425-9fb1-28ffe7702732.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/new-nature-exploration-area-on-belle-isle) ### **Best placemaking (small-scale): Cardinal Points** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-876e263c-a113-4a69-9c99-8b31e1cfd0dd.png) Cardinal Points, termination of Addison Street. (Courtesy of Historic Richmond) Once little more than a repository for trash cans, the end of Addison Street near Lamplighter now has a very special resident: a giant cardinal that represents the adjacent highway’s interruption of a vibrant street grid and serves as an exchange point for community members who can leave little objects and notes on its shelves for others to find. Designed by local artist Noah Scalin, the 7-foot-tall steel sculpture was donated to the city by the Parkline Townhomes, a set of 26 townhouses built around the corner along the edge of the Downtown Expressway. Today, Cardinal Points is “not simply an object placed within the landscape,” said Historic Richmond; “it has become a living reflection of the community that surrounds it.” [A giant cardinal sculpture is headed for a dead-end street near Lamplighter“It’s going to become a unique element that makes up the fabric of that neighborhood.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1-bce55821-1136-4bdb-b0a0-3aa814119033.png)The RichmonderSarah Vogelsong![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/thumbnail/cardinal2-06744b4a-085e-4470-b298-7c8bead9ce8a.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/a-giant-cardinal-sculpture-is-headed-for-a-dead-end-street-near-lamplighter/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/2026/10/RenderedImage.jpeg) Bolling Haxall House, 211 E Franklin St. (Courtesy of Historic Richmond) ### **People’s Choice Award: The Bolling Haxall House** Long an oasis for Richmond women, the Bolling Haxall House has been the home of the Woman’s Club of Richmond since 1900\. The past year saw a major renovation of its historic auditorium, the center of its activities. Among the changes: updated acoustics and the reopening of the previously shaded leaded glass upper windows. The renovation, said Historic Richmond, “exemplifies successful adaptive reuse by maintaining its authentic architectural character while accommodating modern assembly expectations.” [‘Still classy but very modern’: Historic Woman’s Club home gets a $2.4 million makeoverBefore the current renovation, the space hadn’t been redone since 1988.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1-0c5f2f6b-5878-4567-8105-4eeacb8af14c.png)The RichmonderSarah Vogelsong![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/thumbnail/C8992422-2F11-4427-BC47-883E58D4D57B_1_201_a-af337f19-7a8c-4775-933e-3494be537f2a.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/still-classy-but-very-modern-historic-womans-club-home-gets-a-2-4-million-makeover/) ### **Other winners** - **Best interior design:** Historic Hill House, 324 S. Cherry St. - **Best residential – single family:** The Dollar House, 1716 Monteiro St. - **Best design:** North Building at Kinsale Center, 2025 Staples Mill Rd. - **Special Golden Hammer – Downtown dynamism:** 2–4 E. Broad St. - **Special Golden Hammer – Paint the town!:** Sampson Paint, The Hues, 301 Hull St. - **Special Golden Hammer – Timeless interior design:** Taylor House Interiors, 2325 Monument Ave. - **Double your pleasure, double your fun Golden Hammer Award:** Maymont, 1700 Hampton St. - **Crowd pleaser Golden Hammer Award:** Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront, 350 Tredegar St. *Contact Reporter Sarah Vogelsong at* [*svogelsong@richmonder.org*](mailto:svogelsong@richmonder.org)