Hundreds of income-based townhomes eyed on South Richmond site

The townhomes would rise on a wooded area south of Midlothian Turnpike. (Google Earth)

An out-of-town low-income housing developer is entering the Richmond market with a townhome project in the Southside. 

Standard Communities is planning to build a 236-unit for-rent townhome development at 250 E. German School Road. 

With its headquarters split between Los Angeles and New York, Standard Communities has a portfolio of 20,000 units across the country. Though it does build some market-rate housing, the company’s specialty is housing geared to lower income renters, and Vice President of Development Judd Ullom said that’s what they’re planning for its first Richmond project. 

The company is under contract to purchase a 12-acre wooded area just off Midlothian Turnpike near the Chippenham Parkway interchange. It’s planning townhomes that would each reach three stories, three or four bedrooms and total around 1,700 square feet. Plans also include a 500+ space parking lot. 

Ullom described the townhomes as “workforce housing” and said they’d be restricted to those earning up to 60 percent of the area median income. 

“We’re excited about this one because even within market-rate new construction (housing), there tends to be not enough family-sized housing, particularly at three bedrooms and above,” Ullom said. “So this would offer three- and four-bedroom townhomes and it would essentially be no different than a for-sale product.”

A drawing of the planned townhomes. (City documents)

Though Standard Communities has around a dozen developments around the state, this would be the company’s first in the Richmond region. 

“(Richmond’s) got a strong economy. We’re also excited by the prospect that Richmond is very proactive on the housing front and that they’re looking to facilitate more housing in the area,” Ullom said. 

Plans for the development were submitted in recent weeks and Ullom said they’re hoping to break ground around this time next year. Bowman is the project engineer and BSB Design is the architect. Ullom said they haven’t selected a general contractor. 

The Chippenham Parkway-Midlothian Turnpike area has drawn plenty of developer interest for affordable housing development in recent years. 

The 216-unit Urbana at Hioaks complex was recently built at 6850 Atmore Dr., and Lynx Ventures’s 218-unit Noon Hioaks apartments are nearing completion as well. A bit closer to Standard Communities’ plot is 6417 Midlothian Turnpike, where a Massachusetts-based developer is planning another 100+ income-restricted apartments. 

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