The 1.5-acre property is covered with surface parking and includes the movie theater-turned-church building and a retail strip. (Image courtesy LoopNet)
As an income-based apartment project gets going across the street, a local church led by a state delegate-elect is looking to add to Chesterfield’s housing stock through a collaboration with a national homebuilder.
Village of Faith Ministries, a Sandston-based church with a Southside location in the former movie theater at 11000 Hull Street Road, is planning a redevelopment of the property with nearly 200 apartments and 40 townhomes.
It’s working with D.R. Horton, a Texas-based homebuilder that’s listed as the contract purchaser of the property in plans that were filed with the county last month.
A site plan shows the apartment buildings closer to Hull Street Road with the townhomes behind them. (County documents)
The plans show the front half of the property closer to Hull Street Road would be filled with seven three-story buildings totaling 192 apartments, while the rear half that borders existing residential neighborhoods would be filled with the 40 townhomes.
The new development would replace a sea of parking lots and the existing church building, which was converted from the former Genito Cinema 9 complex, as well as a retail strip on the property that includes Mr. Pepe Mexican Restaurant.
The site is beside and behind the Food Lion-anchored Genito Crossing shopping center at Hull Street and Genito roads. A Truist bank branch and NTB tire shop fronting Hull Street Road are not included in the project.
The church’s Southside location is housed in the former Genito Cinema 9 complex. (Image courtesy LoopNet)
Village of Faith is led by Michael Jones, the current president of Richmond City Council who was elected last month to the Virginia House of Delegates.
Jones, the church’s senior pastor, said the project is aimed at increasing housing availability in the area, on a property that he said was always seen as an investment opportunity when Village of Faith acquired it in 2011.
Michael Jones
“The understanding long-term was that it was an investment for our congregation,” Jones said, adding that the church would relocate to another Southside location.
“One thing we know, in Richmond metro and especially Chesterfield, housing stock is a challenge,” he said. “We started looking four or five years ago to utilize our property. There was a project right adjacent to us, and we were approached and have been approached by a few different developers about doing a project on the back half of our lot.”
Noting that previous proposals conflicted with county building height restrictions, Jones added, “D.R. Horton came in and pitched a project, and I think it’s a good project. It’s going to be there to impact families in Chesterfield across a broad spectrum. We know that housing affordability is an issue, so if we can be part of the solution, that’s great.”
The plans don’t specify whether the apartments and townhomes would include any income-based units. Jones said that’s something D.R. Horton would ultimately determine.
The project would require a rezoning from existing commercial use to a residential multifamily district with a conditional-use planned development, according to county documents. The rezoning request is currently under review and is not yet scheduled to go before the Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors.
A rendering of the three-story apartment buildings. (County documents)
According to conditions that are proffered with the proposal, no more than 15 percent of the apartments would have three or more bedrooms. Two of the three-story buildings in the center of that section would each total 36 units, while the rest of the apartment buildings would total 24 units.
The apartments section would include a 4,200-square-foot clubhouse with a 1,500-square-foot pool, a dumpster/compactor, a dog park, and other amenities that could include a playground, pavilion, fire pit, outdoor game area or other options.
The townhomes, which would be grouped in seven clusters ranging from 4 to 8 units, would be located at the rear of the property to provide a transitional buffer between the apartments and the adjacent single-family and townhome neighborhoods. The development would also have 462 parking spaces.
The townhomes would be grouped in clusters ranging from four to eight units. (County documents)
A project description by Chesterfield planning staff states the property “is known for dumping and unattractive uses within the parking lot behind the church,” and adds that the property “is ripe for redevelopment.”
“This redevelopment will boost the surrounding area as a whole, but in particular, will boost the neighboring shopping center, and could aid in future redevelopment of the shopping center as well,” the description states.
In addition to D.R. Horton, the project involves engineering firm Koontz Bryant Johnson Williams, which drew up a conceptual layout. Jeff Geiger with downtown law firm Hirschler is representing Village of Faith in its rezoning request.
As contract purchaser, D.R. Horton would buy the property from Village of Faith after a rezoning is approved. The county has assessed the property at $1.26 million.
Jones said he hopes the project can get underway in the next 12 to 18 months.
The plans were filed just as site work has gotten underway on a new apartment building across Hull Street Road from the site. Local nonprofit Better Housing Coalition is developing Horner Run Apartments, a three-story building with 49 income-based units just south of the Hull Street-Genito intersection.
The 1.5-acre property is covered with surface parking and includes the movie theater-turned-church building and a retail strip. (Image courtesy LoopNet)
As an income-based apartment project gets going across the street, a local church led by a state delegate-elect is looking to add to Chesterfield’s housing stock through a collaboration with a national homebuilder.
Village of Faith Ministries, a Sandston-based church with a Southside location in the former movie theater at 11000 Hull Street Road, is planning a redevelopment of the property with nearly 200 apartments and 40 townhomes.
It’s working with D.R. Horton, a Texas-based homebuilder that’s listed as the contract purchaser of the property in plans that were filed with the county last month.
A site plan shows the apartment buildings closer to Hull Street Road with the townhomes behind them. (County documents)
The plans show the front half of the property closer to Hull Street Road would be filled with seven three-story buildings totaling 192 apartments, while the rear half that borders existing residential neighborhoods would be filled with the 40 townhomes.
The new development would replace a sea of parking lots and the existing church building, which was converted from the former Genito Cinema 9 complex, as well as a retail strip on the property that includes Mr. Pepe Mexican Restaurant.
The site is beside and behind the Food Lion-anchored Genito Crossing shopping center at Hull Street and Genito roads. A Truist bank branch and NTB tire shop fronting Hull Street Road are not included in the project.
The church’s Southside location is housed in the former Genito Cinema 9 complex. (Image courtesy LoopNet)
Village of Faith is led by Michael Jones, the current president of Richmond City Council who was elected last month to the Virginia House of Delegates.
Jones, the church’s senior pastor, said the project is aimed at increasing housing availability in the area, on a property that he said was always seen as an investment opportunity when Village of Faith acquired it in 2011.
Michael Jones
“The understanding long-term was that it was an investment for our congregation,” Jones said, adding that the church would relocate to another Southside location.
“One thing we know, in Richmond metro and especially Chesterfield, housing stock is a challenge,” he said. “We started looking four or five years ago to utilize our property. There was a project right adjacent to us, and we were approached and have been approached by a few different developers about doing a project on the back half of our lot.”
Noting that previous proposals conflicted with county building height restrictions, Jones added, “D.R. Horton came in and pitched a project, and I think it’s a good project. It’s going to be there to impact families in Chesterfield across a broad spectrum. We know that housing affordability is an issue, so if we can be part of the solution, that’s great.”
The plans don’t specify whether the apartments and townhomes would include any income-based units. Jones said that’s something D.R. Horton would ultimately determine.
The project would require a rezoning from existing commercial use to a residential multifamily district with a conditional-use planned development, according to county documents. The rezoning request is currently under review and is not yet scheduled to go before the Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors.
A rendering of the three-story apartment buildings. (County documents)
According to conditions that are proffered with the proposal, no more than 15 percent of the apartments would have three or more bedrooms. Two of the three-story buildings in the center of that section would each total 36 units, while the rest of the apartment buildings would total 24 units.
The apartments section would include a 4,200-square-foot clubhouse with a 1,500-square-foot pool, a dumpster/compactor, a dog park, and other amenities that could include a playground, pavilion, fire pit, outdoor game area or other options.
The townhomes, which would be grouped in seven clusters ranging from 4 to 8 units, would be located at the rear of the property to provide a transitional buffer between the apartments and the adjacent single-family and townhome neighborhoods. The development would also have 462 parking spaces.
The townhomes would be grouped in clusters ranging from four to eight units. (County documents)
A project description by Chesterfield planning staff states the property “is known for dumping and unattractive uses within the parking lot behind the church,” and adds that the property “is ripe for redevelopment.”
“This redevelopment will boost the surrounding area as a whole, but in particular, will boost the neighboring shopping center, and could aid in future redevelopment of the shopping center as well,” the description states.
In addition to D.R. Horton, the project involves engineering firm Koontz Bryant Johnson Williams, which drew up a conceptual layout. Jeff Geiger with downtown law firm Hirschler is representing Village of Faith in its rezoning request.
As contract purchaser, D.R. Horton would buy the property from Village of Faith after a rezoning is approved. The county has assessed the property at $1.26 million.
Jones said he hopes the project can get underway in the next 12 to 18 months.
The plans were filed just as site work has gotten underway on a new apartment building across Hull Street Road from the site. Local nonprofit Better Housing Coalition is developing Horner Run Apartments, a three-story building with 49 income-based units just south of the Hull Street-Genito intersection.
DR Horton…..they got a 1.13 out of 5 stars in BBB reviews. Also as the project will limit two and three bedroom units in it proffers and no income restricted units are mentioned (nor is any tax credits) so this sounds more a like a business deal to enrich the church and less about benefits to the community. Sounds like a DHI rental community is coming to RVA.
BBB is a load of bull crap anyways. I’m not trusting a rating system made by the Rothschilds.
OK forget the BBB how many national homeowners are facing several (and now class action) lawsuits for homes across multiple states in courts in which some entire subdivisions are suing the builder?
Not denying that. Quality of homes are definitely not what they used to be.
Are they getting huge tax breaks because the church is “non profit”?
They don’t need tax breaks I’m sure their income and profit from the sale will eother be tax exempt or at the same time they’ll be claiming it’s for the benefit of their mission even if it consider as unrelated “buainess” income.
It’s amazing how much wasted space on that lot was grown over parking lots. It’s good it’s being turned over into housing.
I think building vast parking lots that cover up multiple acres is the biggest waste of the earth.
Could not agree more.