Three finalists share how they'd turn a Shockoe parking lot into affordable housing
Richmond is working to turn some of the lots it owns but isn't using into affordable housing, an initiative that was on display Saturday at Main Street Station.
Michelle Brown Peters, the city's deputy director of Housing and Community Development, introduced three finalist groups that have proposed plans for the site. City Council President Cynthia Newbille (7th District) was among the representatives in attendance as the public got a first look at the plans.
The parcel in question is on N. 18th Street, right next to the train station.
The Richman Group
The first presenters, the Richman Group, touted their experience in developing rental units.
"We're one of the largest investors in multi-family development (nationally)," said Andre Blakley, president of TRG Community Development. "On the development side, we're vertically integrated. We have in-house architecture, property and asset management."
He said his group is also working on the Mosby South project.
The group's plan for the Shockoe site included 75 parking spots, although they noted that with the Main Street Station parking lot adjacent, there is the potential to replace that with green space if the city wishes.
"We did not see a need for a heavy use of commercial, just given everything that's around the area and the access to a lot of commercial retail and various amenities," a representative said, while adding that they are planning for a daycare space and an art gallery within the site.
Their proposal is for of 42 one-bedroom units at approximately 620 square feet, 32 two-bedroom units at 850 square feet, and eight three-bedroom units at about 1,161 square feet.
Shockoe Shines
David White touted his group's experience with development in the Shockoe Bottom area, noting that employees "swam out of out offices when (Hurricane) Gaston came to visit," as well as its vertically-integrated structure.
"We're local and we build to hold," he said. "We maintain ownership of the properties over the long haul."
His group has the Bakery apartment building which will be right across the street from the new development. He said more development will help bring more foot traffic to the area, which will hopefully improve the safety as well.
He said his group's focus is on density, with no surface parking lots. The plan calls for 181 one-bedroom units and 29 two-bedroom units, as well as a rooftop outdoor space and a pool.
White finished by touting that his project is ready to proceed immediately, and said it is not dependent on any competitive tax credit processes.
Jair Lynch
The final group to present was Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners, which said it is currently a top 10 affordable housing developer in Virginia, and members of the group worked on the 17th Street Market project.
"Our proposal here aligns with the mayor's main two goals for housing," Greg Ward said on behalf of the group. "First, we're directly increasing the affordable housing supply, and we're doing so in an area that is a high opportunity area."
The group's proposal is for 135 affordable homes, with flexible ground-floow space that could be used as a community space. It would have an internal parking area that is screened, so it's not dominating the view from the street, along with a commitment to public art.
Representatives from the group touted their track record in the community, as well as their commitment to minority hiring throughout the process.
Next steps
Merrick Malone, the city's director of housing and community development, said in closing remarks that picking between the three groups is going to be "a hell of a decision."
"I thought we got three high, high-quality presentations," he added, noting that the city wants to continue work to create more of these opportunities with land it currently owns.
Sarah Vogelsong
