East End Revitalized

Richmond Redevelopment & Housing

By Erica Rascón on Jan 17, 2017 in People

Yardi client Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Association (RRHA) recently broke ground on the expansive Churchill North/East End Revitalization project.

East End Revitalization will include the demolition of the 504-unit Creighton Court public housing community. It will be replaced with a mixed-income community of nearly 1,000 energy efficient homes and apartments. Residents can choose between more than 40 townhomes, 240 market rate rentals, and public housing.

The new neighborhood will include more than 500 public housing units to replace those demolished at Creighton Court. All units will be converted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Rental Assistance Demonstration program.

The vacant Armstrong High School, the site of the project groundbreaking, is also being demolished. Upon completion, the 21-acre site will receive infrastructure redevelopment in preparation for housing.

Construction may take a decade or longer to complete but the momentum and enthusiasm are growing.

Mayor Jones says, “From this building will rise a phoenix of new possibility and transformation of persons who will be able to have better lives and better environments to live in.”

Tammy Grubb, Housing Choice Voucher Program Supervisor with RRHA shares the Mayor’s enthusiasm. “We’re revitalizing the entire corridor,” she says. “We’re looking forward to a beautiful transformation. We’re so excited about the new housing.

For Grubb, the housing is more than a shelter. She sees the new homes as stepping-stones towards a brighter future.

“It’s like our mission at Richmond Redevelopment, to assist in finding housing, to encourage our clients who use housing as a stepping stone to build themselves up and take advantage of the programs that they need to step up and become more self-sufficient.”

“We are also excited for the new opportunities that residents will have, personally and professionally,” says Grubb.

The highly anticipated project surmounted several hurdles to reach this point. The administrative team of Mayor Dwight C. Jones proposed the project 2013. The team applied for a $30 million grant from HUD but failed to secure funding.

Undaunted, the administration pressed on. By combining several funding sources, the project began to move forward: East End Revitalization funding includes 9 percent and 4 percent low-income housing tax credits as well as Vibrant Community Initiative (VCI) funds.

VCI projects supports local and regional community-based projects centered in affordable housing. Community and economic development features also characterize VCI initiatives.

The Community Builders, Inc. and City of Richmond partnered with the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority for this venture.