Information Charlottesville

The University of Virginia has asked a total of five entities to respond to requests for proposals to develop two sites for housing units that will be rented or sold to households with qualified incomes. 

“After careful evaluation of each respondent on the criteria outlined in the [Request for Qualifications], which included qualifications and experience, project approach, and financial/transaction approach, the review committee recommended inviting three teams be invited to respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for each of the two initial sites,” reads the website for the President’s Council on UVA-Community Partnerships.

The two sites are a two-acre site on Wertland Street. The other is a 12-acre site on Mimosa Drive known currently as Piedmont that is off of Fontaine Avenue. 

The Piedmont Housing Alliance has been asked to put in a proposal for both projects. The agency is currently redeveloping Friendship Court, building affordable apartments at Southwood, and is seeking financing for two projects on Park Street in Charlottesville. 

The two other entities asked to submit a proposal for Piedmont are Community Housing Partners (CHP) and Enterprise Community Development (ECD). 

CHP is based in Christiansburg and was founded in 1975 and has grown to be a provider of housing across the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest Virginia. ECD is based in Baltimore and their website claims the organization works on projects across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

The two other entities asked to submit a proposal for Wertland and 10th Streets are AHC and Preservation of Affordable Housing. 

AHC is based in Arlington and was also founded in 1975. They have worked on projects in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Preservation of Affordable Housing is based in Boston and their website claims they have worked on projects in 11 states and the District of Columbia.

All entities have until March 23 to turn in their proposal and the finalists will be selected in the summer. A site visit was held on January 30, according to Fred Missel, director of design and development for the University of Virginia Foundation. 

The developer will be responsible for preparing the plans and getting all of the necessary approvals, including archaeological studies. They’ll also have to have experience getting financing through Virginia Housing. 

Other development requirements include:

• Deliver a moderate to high-density mixed income housing community
• Offer a maximum number of affordable housing units, with an emphasis on creating mixed-income communities that include, but are not limited to, units in the 30 percent to 60 percent area median income range
• Coordinate with UVA/UVAF and local jurisdictions on the utilities and infrastructure that will serve the development, and coordinate on the design aesthetic that interacts with the surrounding community.
• Demolish the existing improvements as needed to accommodate the Project, with the exception of historic structures (applicable only at Piedmont).

The third site is at the University of Virginia Foundation’s North Fork Discovery site. That project has been delayed until after a rezoning process is completed in Albemarle County. No timetable for when that might happen.

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