Revitalizing Richmond’s East End

Nearly 22 acres that were formerly the site of Armstrong High School have been cleared to make way for Church Hill North, a wide-ranging redevelopment project that will roll out in five phases, beginning with 256 affordable new homes.

In 2016, the project received a $2.5 million Vibrant Communities Initiative award from VHDA and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for revitalization strategy planning. To develop the properties, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority has partnered with The Community Builders, a not-for-profit organization based in Boston. Construction will be completed in three phases:

• Phase One has been issued Housing Credits for the development of 60 mixed-income apartments and 45 homes for seniors, and VHDA has issued commitments for permanent financing.
  
  
• Phase Two, which has similar financing in the works, will add another 70 mixed-income multifamily homes, plus another 45 for seniors.
  
  
• Phase Three will add 36 single-family homes, to be built at one end of the site.

Church Hill North will offer a mix of one- and two-bedroom stacked apartments, one-story accessible bungalows, duplexes, townhomes and two-story detached homes. Two centrally located three-story buildings will be dedicated to senior housing, featuring mostly one-bedroom apartments.

Site plans include several amenities for the new residents, including a 20,000-square-foot community center and an Armstrong memorial garden to honor the property’s heritage. Approximately one acre is set aside for playgrounds and open space.

The project’s final phases will focus on total redevelopment of 30 acres nearby that are now occupied by the Creighton and Whitcomb Court apartment complexes. This will add another 1,000 new homes. The Community Builders estimate completion of all five phases to take eight to 10 years, at a total cost of over $100 million.

Church Hill North is destined to change the lives of thousands of Richmond residents for the better by putting more modern and affordable housing within their reach.