Construction recently kicked off on five luxury townhomes in the Museum District. (Mike Platania photo)
As Richmond’s residential housing market remains red-hot, a local development firm is looking to add nearly 70 for-sale units to the mix with a pair of townhome projects.
Miller & Associates recently began work on a five-unit townhome project at 3131 Kensington Ave. in the Museum District and is looking to break ground soon on a 64-unit project at 924 Porter St. in Manchester.
The Museum District project is rising on a roughly 0.25-acre plot adjacent to the Lee School Lofts, an apartment project the firm completed in 2002. Until recently, the land was a grassy area and a common gathering place for locals and their dogs.
Robin Miller, principal at Miller & Associates, described the forthcoming three-story townhomes as luxury units.
Robin Miller
“They will average more than 3,200 square feet of heated space, plus a two-car drive-under garage of about 450 square feet,” Miller said in an email. “The exteriors will be a combination of brick, siding, and stucco. All homes will have a large outdoor deck on the second floor above the entrance to the double garage.”
Miller has owned the land since the early 2000s and received city approval for the project earlier this year. Johannas Design Group is the project’s designer, and Miller & Associates’ in-house general contracting firm Horizon Construction Management is the builder.
Miller estimates that the townhomes will each sell for well into seven figures.
“Based on recent comparable sales in the area, I expect that the average sale price will be approximately $1.2 million each, for a total sell out of approximately $6 million,” he said.
The townhomes won’t be listed for sale until they’re nearly completed, Miller said, adding that Monroe Properties will handle the marketing.
On the Porter Street site south of the river, Miller is planning to build 32 duplexes, which equate to 64 for-sale units.
Drawings of the planned duplexes that are set to rise on Porter Street in Manchester.
It’s a change of direction for Miller, as he was initially planning to build a 75-unit apartment project on the nearly 1-acre site, which butts up to a community garden. However, Miller said the success of Manchester Green, a similar project a few blocks further down Porter Street, prompted them to change gears.
“This shift allows for more home ownership,” Miller said. “The duplexes are an excellent way for a first-time buyer to have a home and a rental unit. The buyer lives on one floor and the tenant lives in the other unit.”
Miller said the new duplexes will look similar to Manchester Green’s, with the 12 buildings approaching the street and parking in the back and a green-space common area in the middle of the project.
The price tags on the duplexes haven’t yet been determined, but Miller said similar units have been recently selling in the neighborhood for around $660,000 to $675,000.
The Porter Street project’s plan of development already has city approval and Miller said he hopes to break ground soon.
Construction recently kicked off on five luxury townhomes in the Museum District. (Mike Platania photo)
As Richmond’s residential housing market remains red-hot, a local development firm is looking to add nearly 70 for-sale units to the mix with a pair of townhome projects.
Miller & Associates recently began work on a five-unit townhome project at 3131 Kensington Ave. in the Museum District and is looking to break ground soon on a 64-unit project at 924 Porter St. in Manchester.
The Museum District project is rising on a roughly 0.25-acre plot adjacent to the Lee School Lofts, an apartment project the firm completed in 2002. Until recently, the land was a grassy area and a common gathering place for locals and their dogs.
Robin Miller, principal at Miller & Associates, described the forthcoming three-story townhomes as luxury units.
Robin Miller
“They will average more than 3,200 square feet of heated space, plus a two-car drive-under garage of about 450 square feet,” Miller said in an email. “The exteriors will be a combination of brick, siding, and stucco. All homes will have a large outdoor deck on the second floor above the entrance to the double garage.”
Miller has owned the land since the early 2000s and received city approval for the project earlier this year. Johannas Design Group is the project’s designer, and Miller & Associates’ in-house general contracting firm Horizon Construction Management is the builder.
Miller estimates that the townhomes will each sell for well into seven figures.
“Based on recent comparable sales in the area, I expect that the average sale price will be approximately $1.2 million each, for a total sell out of approximately $6 million,” he said.
The townhomes won’t be listed for sale until they’re nearly completed, Miller said, adding that Monroe Properties will handle the marketing.
On the Porter Street site south of the river, Miller is planning to build 32 duplexes, which equate to 64 for-sale units.
Drawings of the planned duplexes that are set to rise on Porter Street in Manchester.
It’s a change of direction for Miller, as he was initially planning to build a 75-unit apartment project on the nearly 1-acre site, which butts up to a community garden. However, Miller said the success of Manchester Green, a similar project a few blocks further down Porter Street, prompted them to change gears.
“This shift allows for more home ownership,” Miller said. “The duplexes are an excellent way for a first-time buyer to have a home and a rental unit. The buyer lives on one floor and the tenant lives in the other unit.”
Miller said the new duplexes will look similar to Manchester Green’s, with the 12 buildings approaching the street and parking in the back and a green-space common area in the middle of the project.
The price tags on the duplexes haven’t yet been determined, but Miller said similar units have been recently selling in the neighborhood for around $660,000 to $675,000.
The Porter Street project’s plan of development already has city approval and Miller said he hopes to break ground soon.
As much as I rely on the booming rental market for my own income, I admit that it’s home ownership that stabilizes a community. When someone owns a piece of the rock, they’ve invested in the community’s schools and parks and the very sidewalks they use to meet with other neighbors. I applaud Robin for his new investment in the Museum District that’s been my home for 26 years and the Manchester District where I spend a lot of my professional life.
Well said.
The affordability crisis is real. When the anger and frustration from it finally boils over, it will make the recent political protests and the Covid lockdowns look like a walk in the park.
The affordability crisis is real but there is no way to cure it. Land is expensive, site work is 300% higher than 10 years ago, all building materials are up 100% in the last 18 months and regulation makes the process to build anything take longer than ever. Labor cost in trades are up 30% in the last few years. People have this irrational fear of any large scale project destroying their local area due to traffic, school overcrowding, overstressing public safety resources. For every one person on board with high density solutions there are five that are opposed. Just… Read more »
I’ve been a fan of RM ever since the Lee School days. My favorite project of his is his Western States in Staunton — so much there, and so much potential too. One thing that I may have missed, but I don’t think people have been commenting on how many project plans in the metro are seemingly released every week these days —- often it seems that you don’t get a sense for the scale of development until someone publishes a retrospective “Biggest Projects of 2017” type thing — but things really seem to be accelerating recently. Someday, the music… Read more »
In addition to all of these housing start announcements, we see many announcements of corporate relocations and expansions in the region. In the just released list of the fastest growing localities in the state, Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield are in the top 10 or 15. That’s what is driving housing construction in the region.
Thanks! Where can I find that list?
The initial Lee Loft development was an incredible move, because it added desirable residential units without violating the character of the neighborhood. What does this new development add to the community, other than a few more dollars in Robin Miller’s pocket and one less green space for our pets and children to enjoy? Great. I can’t wait for someone to start building a row of cheap, soulless townhouses across from Albert Hill. Eventually in the Monument Avenue median, too, at this rate.
If my memory serves me when we (former City employee in RES office) sold the site Robin’s proposal indicated the desire to eventually put some row homes on the side lot.
Robbie, people LIKE soulless — I think it is called “Modern” or the fetishization of Absence. Pretty funny, re the Monument median… Anyway, these townhouses will be Historic, someday. But, to put on my Howard Roarke hat — what is most important is how they are experienced INSIDE…. and I bet they will be pretty nice. I don’t remember the character of that particular area, but I can say for certain that a lot of blocks west of Arthur Ashe are gonna change big time soon enough. Consider Cary Towne — it is a textbook example of doing a lot… Read more »
Soulless cheap $1.2 million dollar 3500 sf townhouses with double garages and rooftop terraces. Hmmm.
Anyone else having trouble with the math regarding 32 duplexes on 1 acre? That seems incredibly dense for that type of product. Most townhouse projects are 10-12 units per acre max. I could see it for apartments, but not duplex townhomes. I’m wondering what other property it involves.
I’ve been to Tokyo Japan and 32 units on one acre is nothing compared to a lot of other cities. I juest hope that the city of Richmond lets them go up a extra story or two stories to avoid the units being super tiny.
As for population density it’s not about human population but car population.
It is not so much the unit density I am questioning. 64 units/acre is fine for me. It is the density combined with the style. You can’t go up with more units on duplexes because then it would not be a duplex. 64 units where each one touches the ground simply does not add up on a 1-acre parcel.
When I look up “duplex” it mentions two residences wth one on each level, with separate entrances. Must they yall be on one level?
They can also be side by side like the ones actually shown above. Even 32 units touching the ground on one acre would be extremely difficult. Especially ones they plan to sell for almost $700k in Manchester….
It’s not as dense as you’ve calculated. It’s 16 structures.
Take a look at the rendered elevations, it’s 4 units per duplex.4 front doors.
Nice work Robin. You continue to be one of my role models in this industry. RIC and Staunton are lucky to have you engaged in their betterment.