An out-of-town developer focused on income-based housing is looking to add to its local workload through a partnership with YWCA Richmond.
Surber Development and Consulting is planning a 50-unit apartment building for lower-income renters at 2510 Lynhaven Ave., a city-owned lot in South Richmond’s Windsor area southeast of Richmond Highway and Bellemeade Road.
The Bristol-based firm is working with the YWCA, which is a minority partner in the project and would have a dedicated space to provide on-site services to residents. The social services nonprofit also would have first right of refusal to acquire the building after 30 years – the amount of time needed for the project to comply with requirements for low-income housing tax credits.
The group has an agreement with the City of Richmond to donate the 4-acre site to the YWCA, which Surber principal Jen Surber said holds a 10 percent interest in the project’s managing member entity, Lynhaven Ridge VA LLC.
Surber, whose area developments include the 80-unit Iron Bridge Road Apartments in Chester and the 78-unit Bellevue Gardens planned beside the Legacy at Imperial Village complex in Northside, said the Lynhaven project would fulfill the nonprofit’s shared need for housing options in Richmond.
“We were looking for an opportunity to develop some additional affordable units within the city, and the YWCA was looking for affordable housing options for the folks that they serve,” Surber said.
The undeveloped site was designated by the city as surplus property and identified for potential use for housing. The land is just south of The Heights at Brady Square, a 264-unit low-income housing redevelopment by Massachusetts-based Dakota Partners.
A preliminary rendering of the three-story building that would house the apartments. (City documents)
Called Lynhaven Ridge, the Surber development would consist of 28 two-bedroom apartments and 22 three-bedrooms targeted to households earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income. Rental estimates for the apartments are not yet available, according to a city planning report.
Five of the units would be marketed to renters with disabilities, and another five could be set aside for the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, which Surber said has been invited to participate in the development.
The apartments would fill a three-story building similar in appearance to those planned for Bellevue Gardens. The building would be constructed to silver certification under the National Green Building Standard and is planned to meet low-income home energy assistance requirements under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The building would include a community room, elevator, and washer and dryer hookups in each unit. The development also would include a park or recreational area, up to 71 off-street parking spaces, and 13 long-term and two short-term bicycle spaces.
The 4-acre project site is north of Broad Rock Creek.
Local engineering firm Koontz Bryant Johnson Williams drafted the plans for the project, which is designed by South Carolina-based Donald C. Harwood Architect.
The project would involve financing from Virginia Housing. A cost estimate for the development was not provided.
A special-use permit for the project was approved Monday by Richmond City Council, which also authorized the land donation to the YWCA. The land was most recently assessed by the city at $235,000.
City Council also designated the site as a revitalization area to help secure the Virginia Housing financing.
Local attorney Mark Kronenthal with Bailiwick Strategies represented the group in its applications to the city. A call to YWCA CEO Rupa Murthy was not returned Monday afternoon.
An out-of-town developer focused on income-based housing is looking to add to its local workload through a partnership with YWCA Richmond.
Surber Development and Consulting is planning a 50-unit apartment building for lower-income renters at 2510 Lynhaven Ave., a city-owned lot in South Richmond’s Windsor area southeast of Richmond Highway and Bellemeade Road.
The Bristol-based firm is working with the YWCA, which is a minority partner in the project and would have a dedicated space to provide on-site services to residents. The social services nonprofit also would have first right of refusal to acquire the building after 30 years – the amount of time needed for the project to comply with requirements for low-income housing tax credits.
The group has an agreement with the City of Richmond to donate the 4-acre site to the YWCA, which Surber principal Jen Surber said holds a 10 percent interest in the project’s managing member entity, Lynhaven Ridge VA LLC.
Surber, whose area developments include the 80-unit Iron Bridge Road Apartments in Chester and the 78-unit Bellevue Gardens planned beside the Legacy at Imperial Village complex in Northside, said the Lynhaven project would fulfill the nonprofit’s shared need for housing options in Richmond.
“We were looking for an opportunity to develop some additional affordable units within the city, and the YWCA was looking for affordable housing options for the folks that they serve,” Surber said.
The undeveloped site was designated by the city as surplus property and identified for potential use for housing. The land is just south of The Heights at Brady Square, a 264-unit low-income housing redevelopment by Massachusetts-based Dakota Partners.
A preliminary rendering of the three-story building that would house the apartments. (City documents)
Called Lynhaven Ridge, the Surber development would consist of 28 two-bedroom apartments and 22 three-bedrooms targeted to households earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income. Rental estimates for the apartments are not yet available, according to a city planning report.
Five of the units would be marketed to renters with disabilities, and another five could be set aside for the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, which Surber said has been invited to participate in the development.
The apartments would fill a three-story building similar in appearance to those planned for Bellevue Gardens. The building would be constructed to silver certification under the National Green Building Standard and is planned to meet low-income home energy assistance requirements under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The building would include a community room, elevator, and washer and dryer hookups in each unit. The development also would include a park or recreational area, up to 71 off-street parking spaces, and 13 long-term and two short-term bicycle spaces.
The 4-acre project site is north of Broad Rock Creek.
Local engineering firm Koontz Bryant Johnson Williams drafted the plans for the project, which is designed by South Carolina-based Donald C. Harwood Architect.
The project would involve financing from Virginia Housing. A cost estimate for the development was not provided.
A special-use permit for the project was approved Monday by Richmond City Council, which also authorized the land donation to the YWCA. The land was most recently assessed by the city at $235,000.
City Council also designated the site as a revitalization area to help secure the Virginia Housing financing.
Local attorney Mark Kronenthal with Bailiwick Strategies represented the group in its applications to the city. A call to YWCA CEO Rupa Murthy was not returned Monday afternoon.
I hope they are planning a stormwater pond and some good drainage somewhere. The City tore all those 1980s apartments (Madison Arms) on Lynhaven down in the mid-1990s as the site was constantly flooding out both on the stream across it and from Broad Rock meetings Goodes Creek behind it. Has the City even started the Lynhaven Ave bridge replacement or it still closed to vehicles?