A rendering of the apartment building planned at the corner of Leigh and Second streets. (Images courtesy of the City of Richmond)
Developer David Gammino’s plans for a new five-story apartment building in Jackson Ward are coming into fuller view.
The owner of Richmond-based construction firm City & Guilds has filed development plans and renderings with the city that provide a clearer picture of the 63-unit structure he plans to build at 208-212 E. Leigh St.
David Gammino
The nearly 66,000-square-foot building would replace a parking lot on the property at the corner of Leigh and Second streets. The roughly 1-acre property, which Gammino purchased last year for $3 million, includes two existing century-old buildings that would remain in place.
Those mixed-use buildings house 22 apartments and offices for City & Guilds and Gammino’s Urban Dwell Property Management firm. Gammino was the general contractor on those buildings when they were adapted a decade ago.
Forming an L-shape at the corner of Leigh and Second, the new building would consist of four floors of apartments above structured parking on the ground floor with 39 spaces, contributing to a total of 52 spaces on the property. The ground level also would include 2,600 square feet of commercial space, with storefronts oriented toward the corner.
The market-rate apartments would consist of 44 one-bedroom units and 19 two-bedrooms, ranging in size from 670 to 1,270 square feet. Units would include washers and dryers and feature open floor plans with bathrooms and walk-in closets off the bedrooms.
The top floor would include a clubroom and rooftop deck overlooking the intersection. Other amenities would include covered bike racks and a mail room.
Gammino has estimated the cost at $13 million and said the project would be developed using Opportunity Zone tax benefits. He could not be reached Wednesday afternoon.
An aerial image shows the project site outlined in green.
The building was designed by Todd Dykshorn’s Architecture Design Office, and Mark Baker of Baker Development Resources is handling Gammino’s application for a special-use permit to allow the building height. The property’s existing zoning limits building heights to about three stories.
The SUP is set to go before the Planning Commission at its Jan. 3 meeting. A final decision on the request would come from the City Council.
The property is adjacent to Third Street Bethel AME Church and across Second Street from the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site. Across Leigh, the mixed-use Eggleston Plaza was built in recent years, and just to the north is the mixed-use development that includes The Rosa and Van de Vyver apartments.
A couple blocks south, a similar-shaped but taller infill apartment project is in the works at 200 E. Marshall St., where Parkway Corp. and SNP Properties plan to build a 12-story mixed-use building with over 250 apartments.
A rendering of the apartment building planned at the corner of Leigh and Second streets. (Images courtesy of the City of Richmond)
Developer David Gammino’s plans for a new five-story apartment building in Jackson Ward are coming into fuller view.
The owner of Richmond-based construction firm City & Guilds has filed development plans and renderings with the city that provide a clearer picture of the 63-unit structure he plans to build at 208-212 E. Leigh St.
David Gammino
The nearly 66,000-square-foot building would replace a parking lot on the property at the corner of Leigh and Second streets. The roughly 1-acre property, which Gammino purchased last year for $3 million, includes two existing century-old buildings that would remain in place.
Those mixed-use buildings house 22 apartments and offices for City & Guilds and Gammino’s Urban Dwell Property Management firm. Gammino was the general contractor on those buildings when they were adapted a decade ago.
Forming an L-shape at the corner of Leigh and Second, the new building would consist of four floors of apartments above structured parking on the ground floor with 39 spaces, contributing to a total of 52 spaces on the property. The ground level also would include 2,600 square feet of commercial space, with storefronts oriented toward the corner.
The market-rate apartments would consist of 44 one-bedroom units and 19 two-bedrooms, ranging in size from 670 to 1,270 square feet. Units would include washers and dryers and feature open floor plans with bathrooms and walk-in closets off the bedrooms.
The top floor would include a clubroom and rooftop deck overlooking the intersection. Other amenities would include covered bike racks and a mail room.
Gammino has estimated the cost at $13 million and said the project would be developed using Opportunity Zone tax benefits. He could not be reached Wednesday afternoon.
An aerial image shows the project site outlined in green.
The building was designed by Todd Dykshorn’s Architecture Design Office, and Mark Baker of Baker Development Resources is handling Gammino’s application for a special-use permit to allow the building height. The property’s existing zoning limits building heights to about three stories.
The SUP is set to go before the Planning Commission at its Jan. 3 meeting. A final decision on the request would come from the City Council.
The property is adjacent to Third Street Bethel AME Church and across Second Street from the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site. Across Leigh, the mixed-use Eggleston Plaza was built in recent years, and just to the north is the mixed-use development that includes The Rosa and Van de Vyver apartments.
A couple blocks south, a similar-shaped but taller infill apartment project is in the works at 200 E. Marshall St., where Parkway Corp. and SNP Properties plan to build a 12-story mixed-use building with over 250 apartments.
More infill is good, but it would be nice if the historic façade was incorporated. The Maggie Walker house is a block away and this development shares the same block as the Shrine and Church, basically it doesn’t really fit into the historic community of Jackson Ward. There are plenty of examples of new traditional architecture out there.
Agreed and I have no issue with the height as even traditionally once you crossed 2nd Street buildings do transition higher but it would be nice like you said to see the exterior material blend in more with the historic fabric of this important street and corner of the city.
It may not present in the image, but the building is masonry and precast. So, that’s pretty traditional..
This looks like a neat project, and I have a lot of respect for their preservation of existing historical structures. What is puzzling is how they will receive tax incentives to contribute to gentrify an area that is bringing in plenty of money for landlords. Our tax money is being used to make our cost of living more expensive. Surely this would be a profitable venture without tax incentives.
more info on opportunity zones here – https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/opportunity-zones-oz
The design looks very good to me, and very appropriate to the area. It is also wonderful that both of the older structures will remain. (Contrary to some of the comments, the article states this quite clearly.)
I know that they will remain, I was infuring that it would be cool if the developer would look at duplicating features of the Neo-revival facade which is featured on the building fronting East Leigh Street into his building’s new facade style. The classical building’s style features simple examples of Byzantine Revival Architecture, apart from the ground level which was modified at a later time when Colonial Queen Anne Styles became fashionable. Key features of this Old Richmond Structure which could be duplicated are the axed brick arches paired with a solid granite belt course, which separates the second and… Read more »
It looks like a great addition to the neighborhood.
Regarding incorporating architectural elements of the historic buildings into this, it has been my experience that the department of historic resources prefers that you keep the old old and the new new, so that the historical context is clear. I don’t know that I always agree with that philosophy, but I get it.
I happen to think his modern design is striking, and will complement the architectural mix well.