Construction stalls, liens pile up at ‘cohousing’ project on Arthur Ashe Blvd.

Work on the cohousing development stalled earlier this year. The nearby Ace mixed-use project, visible in the background, remains under construction. (Mike Platania photos)

Construction of a sizable development along Arthur Ashe Boulevard has apparently stalled, leaving concrete columns and rebar jutting out from the ground. It’s also left several contractors wondering if they’ll get paid.

In recent weeks a series of mechanic’s liens were filed against the property at 1101 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., a 0.3-acre parcel where Washington, D.C.-based Outlier Realty Capital had started to build a six-story multifamily housing development. 

The liens, filed primarily by Henrico-based general contractor Breeden Construction, seek around $2 million for “labor and materials for the construction of a multifamily…apartment building and associated improvements,” city court records show. 

The filings started in late July, around the time that work on the development apparently ceased. A handful of roughly one-story-tall concrete columns currently stand on the site, as does a crane. But there’s been no noticeable activity at the property in recent weeks. 

In addition to being Outlier’s entry into the Richmond area, the building would be the first “cohousing” development in the Scott’s Addition area, wherein tenants would have their own bedrooms and bathrooms but share living rooms, kitchens and common areas with other residents. Outlier’s development is planned to house 148 bedrooms across 29 apartments. 

The status of the project and the reasons for it stalling are unclear. Outlier leadership did not respond to multiple calls seeking comment.

A spokesperson for Breeden declined to comment. 

The development has been in the works since the summer of 2020, and site work began early this year. Outlier bought the land for $1.2 million in 2021, around six months after Richmond City Council approved the project. 

A few subcontractors and suppliers also are claiming they’ve not been paid for their work on the development, including local electrician Tribble Electric and Georgia-based building material supplier White Cap Supply. 

The Ace is rising next door at 1117-1201 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

The dormancy at Outlier’s site stands in contrast to The Ace, a roughly $100 million development that recently topped out just to the north at 1117-1201 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

The Ace will reach eight stories and include nearly 300 apartments plus commercial space fronting Arthur Ashe Boulevard. Construction on The Ace began last fall and is scheduled to be completed in summer 2025, said a spokesperson for the project’s D.C.-based development team, Level 2 Development and SJG Properties. 

Breeden Construction is owned by Virginia Beach-based The Breeden Co., a prominent development firm that has been sitting on plans for a project of its own not far from the Outlier site. 

Breeden Co. in 2021 bought the former Cobb lumber site at 2300 Hermitage Road with plans to redevelop it into “Duplex Station on Hermitage,” a six-story mixed-use building that would include around 140 apartments and office space for Breeden Construction. 

However, work on Duplex Station has yet to begin. Breeden’s spokesperson didn’t respond to a question regarding the status of that project. 

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