The roughly half-acre site at 1903-1905 Semmes Ave. received the most bids. (Google Maps)
A call for bids for five sites that the city declared surplus so they could be developed as low-income housing has attracted a surplus of applications for three of the sites in particular.
The Maggie Walker Community Land Trust received seven applications from six developers for three of the vacant sites, one of which – 1903-1905 Semmes Ave. – consists of two parcels.
Competing for that roughly half-acre site – side-by-side parcels just west of Semmes’ intersection with Cowardin Avenue – are Commonwealth Catholic Charities, which is proposing a mixed-use development with 20 apartments for seniors; Habitat for Humanity, which proposes two homes for the community land trust (CLT); and Project:Homes, which proposes 12 CLT homes.
Two other sites that drew multiple offers are 207 E. Ladies Mile Road, a quarter-acre parcel in Providence Park in Northside, and 5913 Fergusson Road, a triangular quarter-acre lot near St. Christopher’s School, whose charitable foundation is one of two applicants for that site.
Vying for the Ladies Mile Road site are Belle4316 LLC, a Richmond-based entity proposing four CLT homes, and Habitat for Humanity, which is proposing one CLT home.
For the Fergusson Road site, St. Christopher’s School Foundation is proposing a community garden – an alternate use also allowed for the properties – while one low-income rental home is proposed by Three Thousand West Clay LLC, an entity registered to local builder John George.
The quarter-acre lot at 5913 Fergusson Road is across the street from the campus of St. Christopher’s School, which is vying to use it for a community garden. (Google Maps)
Also in the running for all five of the sites is MWCLT, which would get those that did not garner applications and any others that do not go to one of the applicants. MWCLT manages the Richmond Land Bank, whose Citizens Advisory Panel will review the applications and make recommendations to the board of directors, which would vote on whether to act on each recommendation.
A public meeting is scheduled for April 18 for the advisory panel to review the applications and make its recommendations. Applicants and neighbors of the properties are encouraged to take part in the virtual meeting or submit comments beforehand.
The five sites are what remain of a 15-parcel group that the city agreed to sell to MWCLT for $1 per parcel, with the condition that the lots be developed as income-based housing or community gardens. The land trust later determined that eight of the parcels were not immediately buildable because of issues such as utility easements, topographical challenges or ownership disputes.
The solicitation went out in February, and final bids were due April 3. The two sites that did not receive bids are 3100 Alvis Ave. in Brookland Park, a 1.5-acre parcel that’s partially buildable due to a stream; and 3602 Delaware Ave, a 0.13-acre parcel that had been considered unbuildable because of an ownership dispute that’s reportedly being resolved by MWCLT’s legal counsel.
Once the board makes its selections, the timeline for transfers would vary based on resolutions of title and legal issues.
Any for-sale homes built on the parcels would be required to participate in the land trust’s home ownership model, in which the homes are kept affordable through a ground-lease approach. The rent-to-own program allows homes to be sold to qualified buyers while MWCLT retains ownership of the land beneath the houses.
Sale prices would be based on a variety of factors and are likely to be discounted below assessed value for nonprofit buyers. Sales to for-profit developers would be based on assessed value.
The parcels are the first batch of properties made available through MWCLT via the city’s surplus designation process. Dozens more city-owned properties are slated to go to the land trust through a similar process, as the city has earmarked 36 parcels in its real estate disposition plan for MWCLT. Twenty-four properties in the plan are slated for sale to other housing nonprofits through an RFP process.
The roughly half-acre site at 1903-1905 Semmes Ave. received the most bids. (Google Maps)
A call for bids for five sites that the city declared surplus so they could be developed as low-income housing has attracted a surplus of applications for three of the sites in particular.
The Maggie Walker Community Land Trust received seven applications from six developers for three of the vacant sites, one of which – 1903-1905 Semmes Ave. – consists of two parcels.
Competing for that roughly half-acre site – side-by-side parcels just west of Semmes’ intersection with Cowardin Avenue – are Commonwealth Catholic Charities, which is proposing a mixed-use development with 20 apartments for seniors; Habitat for Humanity, which proposes two homes for the community land trust (CLT); and Project:Homes, which proposes 12 CLT homes.
Two other sites that drew multiple offers are 207 E. Ladies Mile Road, a quarter-acre parcel in Providence Park in Northside, and 5913 Fergusson Road, a triangular quarter-acre lot near St. Christopher’s School, whose charitable foundation is one of two applicants for that site.
Vying for the Ladies Mile Road site are Belle4316 LLC, a Richmond-based entity proposing four CLT homes, and Habitat for Humanity, which is proposing one CLT home.
For the Fergusson Road site, St. Christopher’s School Foundation is proposing a community garden – an alternate use also allowed for the properties – while one low-income rental home is proposed by Three Thousand West Clay LLC, an entity registered to local builder John George.
The quarter-acre lot at 5913 Fergusson Road is across the street from the campus of St. Christopher’s School, which is vying to use it for a community garden. (Google Maps)
Also in the running for all five of the sites is MWCLT, which would get those that did not garner applications and any others that do not go to one of the applicants. MWCLT manages the Richmond Land Bank, whose Citizens Advisory Panel will review the applications and make recommendations to the board of directors, which would vote on whether to act on each recommendation.
A public meeting is scheduled for April 18 for the advisory panel to review the applications and make its recommendations. Applicants and neighbors of the properties are encouraged to take part in the virtual meeting or submit comments beforehand.
The five sites are what remain of a 15-parcel group that the city agreed to sell to MWCLT for $1 per parcel, with the condition that the lots be developed as income-based housing or community gardens. The land trust later determined that eight of the parcels were not immediately buildable because of issues such as utility easements, topographical challenges or ownership disputes.
The solicitation went out in February, and final bids were due April 3. The two sites that did not receive bids are 3100 Alvis Ave. in Brookland Park, a 1.5-acre parcel that’s partially buildable due to a stream; and 3602 Delaware Ave, a 0.13-acre parcel that had been considered unbuildable because of an ownership dispute that’s reportedly being resolved by MWCLT’s legal counsel.
Once the board makes its selections, the timeline for transfers would vary based on resolutions of title and legal issues.
Any for-sale homes built on the parcels would be required to participate in the land trust’s home ownership model, in which the homes are kept affordable through a ground-lease approach. The rent-to-own program allows homes to be sold to qualified buyers while MWCLT retains ownership of the land beneath the houses.
Sale prices would be based on a variety of factors and are likely to be discounted below assessed value for nonprofit buyers. Sales to for-profit developers would be based on assessed value.
The parcels are the first batch of properties made available through MWCLT via the city’s surplus designation process. Dozens more city-owned properties are slated to go to the land trust through a similar process, as the city has earmarked 36 parcels in its real estate disposition plan for MWCLT. Twenty-four properties in the plan are slated for sale to other housing nonprofits through an RFP process.
I believe that the best option for the Manchester area would be the mixed use building for seniors. That side of Cowardin really needs to see some more mixed use development and general walkable locations.
Hoping the developers across the street (Harper) see beyond their Suburban tendencies and consider a true mixed use for that corner of Semmes and Cowardin. All proposals to date have been strip mall-esque. They cant get out of their own way.
I made a comment on this of sorts in another post on here that I can’t recall at the moment but I had suggested retail (like a TRUE grocery store) with 4-5 stories of apartments or condos above. I really hope something like that comes in but my guess is that it will be yet another Sheetz, unfortunately.
Mixed use Manchester is so funny (especially that corner of Semmes); The build out has been apartments, apartments, apartments with some SF duplex and row homes thrown in. New developers throw in a corner 1000 or 2000 sq ft of space and some how it is mixed use. Jamestown Flats has zero commercial and 1200 Commerce has a Subway and SunTrust. The Link and Terraces also have ZERO commercial space. I agree I hope we see more true mixed use but I bet it will be all apartments.
I hope the bidders understand that not all of the properties will be able to be developed, like the article states, and don’t come back complaining like the last group…..
The bidders submitted bids for the individual properties that are able to be developed…