Work continues to turn old elementary school into apartments and affordable housing

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) -Almost a year after the city of Richmond agreed to sell the old Oak Grove Elementary to Lynx Ventures, the developer has started reaching out to minority contractors to be a part of the project.

Monday night, an ordinance was introduced to city council to authorize the special use of the property known as 2200 Ingram Ave. for residential development.

While the project still needs to be approved, developers met with contractors outside of the school last week.

”The engagement is never too early,” Bernard Harkless, with Lynx Ventures, said. “Just because we have the drawings out for bid, it is still going to take time to be able to get contractors engaged, to get numbers in and all of those types of things, and then it takes time from when that happens to get started with construction.”

Harkless said the project will be up for bid starting this month to bring more affordable housing to Richmond’s south side.

“We have 243 units of affordable housing with a mix of ones, twos, and three bedrooms,” Harkless said. “We’ve partnered with the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust, and there will also be 15 affordable homeownership sites.”

While progress seems to be progressing, some are still against the move.

”A lot of people are not in favor of it because they don’t think it’s going to be conducive for these streets, which are already congested,” Frank Wilson, with the Oak Grove Civic Association, said.

Wilson said while he thinks they can’t stop development from happening, he wants contractors to agree to concessions, including lowering costs and not installing black top.

“We’re also asking that they set aside a portion for a community building,” Wilson said.

Councilwoman Reva Trammell said she’s heard from residents that they want the new development to happen.

”Go somewhere else and stop something. I’m sick and tired of people coming over here that really don’t live in the neighborhood to say we don’t want it,” Trammell said. “Then what the hell do you want?”

She said that while there is no timeline for the project, work needs to happen soon as the city continues to deal with issues at the property.

“Hopefully soon because we cannot keep taking the city’s tax dollars. We had a busted water line over here yesterday all the way to today [Wednesday] until Bobby Vincent got on it,” Trammell said. “We had someone dump the trash all out in front. Who got that up? Public works, taxpayers money, today.”

Developers hope to begin construction by the end of this year or the start of 2024.

The ordinance heads to the city’s planning commission on Sept. 18.