Two separate proposals to bring a combined 500 apartments to South Richmond

A nearly 7-acre site across from Fire Station 17 is being eyed for income-restricted apartments. (Mike Platania photos)

More than 500 apartments are in the works near the intersection of Semmes and Cowardin avenues in Richmond’s Southside, courtesy of two out-of-town developers. 

Dallas-based Trammell Crow Residential is planning to develop three apartment buildings totaling 260 units at 2000 Semmes Ave. and 418 Cowardin Ave., while Tennessee-based Elmington is planning roughly the same number of units at 2201 McDonough St.

Trammell Crow’s project would rise on a 5.3-acre plot that’s been eyed for a variety of uses over the years, including a Wawa, office space and retail outparcel. Elmington, meanwhile, is looking to build on a 6.7-acre parcel that was formerly a mobile home park, located downhill of Semmes Avenue and across from Richmond Fire Station 17. 

The new developments would flank Harper Associates’ Belle Heights townhome development. Harper Associates, which is based in Richmond, owns the land that Trammell Crow and Elmington are targeting for development. 

Renderings of the various buildings Trammell Crow Residential is planning. (City documents)

Trammell Crow touts itself as one of the largest developers in the United States, having built over 265,000 residences in its 40-plus year history. It’s a subsidiary of Crow Holdings, a real estate firm whose chairman, Harlan Crow, has made national headlines over the last year for the lavish gifts he’s given to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. 

According to a plan of development filed with the city last week, Trammell Crow’s project would consist of three separate mid-rise apartment buildings. Two of those would house 100-plus units and reach five and four stories at 1802 and 2000 Semmes Ave., respectively. A four-story, 48-unit building is planned for 418 Cowardin Ave. 

The property at 1802 Semmes Ave. was where now-defunct virtual reality startup Vytal Studios was once planning to convert a warehouse into office space. The Austin, Texas-based company had made a deal with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in 2021 to relocate its headquarters to the site, but that deal fell apart in 2022, and Vytal closed up shortly thereafter. 

The 418 Cowardin Ave. site is located on the corner with Semmes and once housed a gas station, Chinese restaurant and Lucky’s convenience store. Throughout the late 2010s the 1.7-acre site drew interest from the likes of Wawa and Chipotle, but ultimately sold to Harper Associates for $1.9 million in 2022.

Once set to become a Wawa, 418 Cowardin Ave. has sat vacant for years.

The new apartments would be under Trammell Crow’s “Alexan” brand, which its website describes as “unique, upscale communities” with “state-of-the-art amenities.” Plans show over 300 parking spaces planned across the three buildings. 

Dwell Design Studio is listed as the project architect, VHB is the engineer, and Nyfeler Survey is the surveyor. 

It’s unclear whether Trammell Crow has the land under contract or when it hopes to begin construction. The company did not respond to requests for comment, and Harper Associates’ leadership wasn’t available for comment by press time. 

Though it sits downhill of Belle Heights and Semmes Avenue, 2201 McDonough St. does not sit in a floodplain.

Down the street at 2201 McDonough, Elmington is looking to construct three buildings on a lot once eyed by Harper for a second phase of Belle Heights townhomes and later a proposed apartment project. 

Elmington is based in Nashville and builds single-family, multifamily, senior living and affordable housing. It counts more than 10,000 units in its portfolio and is active mostly in the Sun Belt. 

Its McDonough project would be for low-income residents through its Elmington Affordable subsidiary. The units would be available only to those earning about 60 percent of the area median income. 

The developer unveiled its plans at a community meeting last week held by Councilwoman Stephanie Lynch, at which Elmington senior associate Erik Smith said the firm has the land under contract. 

A site plan of Elmington’s proposed development. (Screenshot)

Each of the three buildings would reach five stories, though because they’d be downhill of Belle Heights and Semmes Avenue, the development team said that from street level they’d appear to be around three stories. The site is not in a floodplain. 

Smith said Elmington anticipates around 260 units for the project, with a ratio of around 1.2 parking spaces per unit. Elmington is pursuing a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to help finance the project, and Smith said the company expects tenants to pay around $1,100 per month in rent. 

The land is not currently zoned for residential uses, so Elmington is applying for a special-use permit to green-light the development. The company is working with Williams Mullen’s Megan Nedostup and Preston Lloyd on the SUP process and hopes to go before the Planning Commission sometime this summer. 

Neither Trammell Crow nor Elmington’s proposed developments have any commercial space, and each would be the developers’ first foray into Richmond. 

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