City Council to consider support for affordable housing on Snead, senior housing on Semmes

The agenda for tonight’s City Council meeting has a number of items specific to this side of the river:

• ORD. 2025-029 To amend Ord. No. 2021-079, adopted Apr. 12, 2021, which authorized the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $150,000.00 from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation; amended the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Special Fund Budget by creating a new special fund for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities called the Bellemeade Park Outdoor Educational Classroom Facility Special Fund; and appropriated the grant funds received to the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the new Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ Bellemeade Park Outdoor Educational Classroom Facility Special Fund by $150,000.00 for the purpose of funding the design, permitting, and construction of an outdoor classroom at Bellemeade Park located at 1800 Krouse Street in the city of Richmond, to change the permitted use of the grant funds and modify the name of the special fund to which the grant funds are appropriated.

  WHAT IT MEANS: The funds for Bellemeade were specifically to set up the outdoor classroom. Now that this is built, the new version gives them the ability to use the money for the “establishment of additional pollinator meadows, maintenance and improvements to walking trails, expansion of James River Park System programs, drainage work and site improvements to the community garden.”

• ORD. 2025-030 To amend Ord. No. 2024-193, adopted Jul. 22, 2024, which authorized the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Grant Agreement between the City of Richmond, Swansboro Place, LLC, and the Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond for the purpose of facilitating the construction of an affordable housing development located at 2008 Hull Street, for the purpose of modifying the location of the affordable housing development to include 2021 Decatur Street. (8th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: Adds 2021 Decatur Street to the housing development

• Ord. No. 2025-032 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Grant Agreement between the City of Richmond, Refuge Apartments, LP, and the Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond for the purpose of facilitating the construction of an affordable housing development located at 5015 Snead Road, 5009 Rear Snead Road, and 5015 Rear Snead Road, or a site resulting from any such consolidation of the aforementioned parcels. (9th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: The city is giving the developers a tax break on the project with the goal of increasing the amount of affordable housing. This specific project is limited to 60% of AMI for a minimum of thirty years.

• ORD 2025-042 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Grant Agreement between the City of Richmond, 1903 Semmes LLC, and the Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond for the purpose of facilitating the construction of an affordable housing development located at 1903 Semmes Avenue and 1905 Semmes Avenue. (5th District)

  WHAT IT MEANS: The city is giving the developers a tax break on the project with the goal of increasing the amount of affordable housing. This 20 unit project “shall restrict occupancy and rents to 40% AMI for two (2) applicable units, restrict occupancy and rents to 50% AMI for eight (8) applicable units, and restrict occupancy and rents to 60% AMI for ten (10) applicable units” for a minimum of thirty years.