A rendering of one of the proposed buildings. (City documents)
One of the highest-density lower-income housing proposals in the city’s pipeline is up for a deciding vote.
Tennessee-based developer Elmington will have its proposal for Rady Flats, a 352-unit apartment project at 2811 Rady St. in Northside, heard by Richmond City Council at its meeting tonight.
The four-building complex would rise on a 23-acre wooded parcel near the Six Points neighborhood. Elmington filed plans for the development last spring, but at the time details were scant. More particulars were revealed at this week’s Planning Commission meeting.
Rady Flats’ buildings would reach up to four stories, with planned amenities such as a pool and clubhouse, and 528 parking spaces and 105 bike parking spaces.
Units at Rady Flats would be available to households earning up to 60% of the area median income.
Rady Flats’ site plan.
City Council has already approved another ordinance related to the development.
In January council approved a grant that will allow Elmington to pay real estate taxes based only on the assessed value of Rady Flats’ land, not the total assessed value of the improved real estate once the project is built. It’s part of the city’s new Affordable Housing Performance Grant, a relatively new program that’s been popular among developers looking to build less expensive housing in the city. The abatement would be active for up to 30 years.
Elmington officials weren’t available for comment by press time.
The company is asking council to approve a special-use permit for the project. The land on which Elmington is looking to build is zoned for industrial use and is owned by Payne Trucking, a firm out of Fredericksburg.
Earlier this week the city Planning Commission voted to recommend approving Elmington’s SUP request. Williams Mullen’s Preston Lloyd is representing Elmington in the process.
Also on the agenda for tonight’s meeting is a proposal to redevelop the Westhampton Pastry Shop building at Libbie and Patterson avenues.
Rady Flats is one of two projects that Elmington is working on in the Richmond region. Last fall it had an SUP approved for a 266-unit affordable housing development off Semmes Avenue in Swansboro. Work on that development has yet to begin.
A rendering of one of the proposed buildings. (City documents)
One of the highest-density lower-income housing proposals in the city’s pipeline is up for a deciding vote.
Tennessee-based developer Elmington will have its proposal for Rady Flats, a 352-unit apartment project at 2811 Rady St. in Northside, heard by Richmond City Council at its meeting tonight.
The four-building complex would rise on a 23-acre wooded parcel near the Six Points neighborhood. Elmington filed plans for the development last spring, but at the time details were scant. More particulars were revealed at this week’s Planning Commission meeting.
Rady Flats’ buildings would reach up to four stories, with planned amenities such as a pool and clubhouse, and 528 parking spaces and 105 bike parking spaces.
Units at Rady Flats would be available to households earning up to 60% of the area median income.
Rady Flats’ site plan.
City Council has already approved another ordinance related to the development.
In January council approved a grant that will allow Elmington to pay real estate taxes based only on the assessed value of Rady Flats’ land, not the total assessed value of the improved real estate once the project is built. It’s part of the city’s new Affordable Housing Performance Grant, a relatively new program that’s been popular among developers looking to build less expensive housing in the city. The abatement would be active for up to 30 years.
Elmington officials weren’t available for comment by press time.
The company is asking council to approve a special-use permit for the project. The land on which Elmington is looking to build is zoned for industrial use and is owned by Payne Trucking, a firm out of Fredericksburg.
Earlier this week the city Planning Commission voted to recommend approving Elmington’s SUP request. Williams Mullen’s Preston Lloyd is representing Elmington in the process.
Also on the agenda for tonight’s meeting is a proposal to redevelop the Westhampton Pastry Shop building at Libbie and Patterson avenues.
Rady Flats is one of two projects that Elmington is working on in the Richmond region. Last fall it had an SUP approved for a 266-unit affordable housing development off Semmes Avenue in Swansboro. Work on that development has yet to begin.
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When “one of the highest-density affordable housing proposals” in the city is four stories and has a larger area of surface parking than building footprints, you know you’re in trouble…
In my experience, tenants like parking, especially when the public transportation in the area is poor.
There is a high frequency transit route within a 10-minute walk of this location.
Too far.
Not at all. The parking garage space cost 3x what the surface space costs. If the land is cheaper than the construction, you provide surface lots.
Looks to me like very little thought was put into the configuration of that site. Only open space is parking lot and no playgrounds, only something at the farthest end of the complex marked “activity space”. Common – you can do better than that!
The 30 year tax abatement for a 4% LIHTC deal is a new one to me. This will be very attractive around the city development community. Where else are we seeing this utilized?
What a deal for the company; no taxes on the building for 30 years. PS Read their yelp and Reddit reviews. 1 out of every 20 is above a 1 star review. ApartmentRatings.com gives them a D+ score. Most of the reviews are lengthy and it several call this firm “snake oil” with moldy units, broken systems, none existence maintenance, and a lack of response to tenants. Glad the city is given them such a sweet deal to help improve affordability in RVA. Does the tax incentive not include a vetting process for whomever applies for it.
Many of us in our neighborhood were horrified when the city approved Ellmington’s Swansboro complex. It will be totally out of scale compared to the surrounding blocks of homes, which are mostly single family attached and detached. It’s to be built at the bottom of a drainage bowl that has flooded repeatedly in the past (remember the water rescues of the previous residents of the site?). And furthermore, access into and out of the development is very restricted due to its landlocked location at the bottom of a hole, which will create traffic problems on the narrow streets nearby.
people were horrified yes, but it’s some classic NIMBYism. That’s a perfectly fine site, and the neighborhood can easily handle the density
Can’t help but wonder if there are any financial ties between Elmington and Stoney? As in campaign contributions or…?? And what happens if the projects deteriorate into “the projects,” and Elmington abandons them before their 30 year abatement period is up? Would they be liable for payments? Could another owner/management firm come in and assume the remainder of the deal? Is there any mechanism in place to assure compliance to basic performance parameters for maintenance and upkeep? Too often low income housing is a euphemism for substandard living conditions.
Thank you for highlighting this. What a mess. Low income should not be synonymous with shabby living conditions, especially when referencing new construction.
This looks pretty NICE!! Especially for low income.
This rendering is disappointing given how they don’t incorporate much green space. Nearly all of these apartments will look outside to a sea of pavement when they could likely make better use of the lot.
That’s a mosquito infected swamp thru there,you know the underpass underneath the tracks on Magnolia St always floods out