February 20, 2019
Community Housing Partners’ signature real estate project in 2018, The Apartments at Kingsridge, is not only providing stable, affordable housing for families in the Richmond area—it’s also contributing to the local economy and utilizing innovative construction techniques.
Last fall, CHP completed the 72-unit, new multifamily complex in Henrico County, just east of the City of Richmond and west of Laburnum Avenue, a four-lane street with easy access to the area’s largest highway system, retail, and public transportation.
The Apartments at Kingsridge features three, three-story apartment buildings with two- and three-bedroom units, plus a clubhouse with a fitness center and nearby playground. The community includes 24 apartments that meet Universal Design standards and eight units that meet Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act with fully accessible roll-in showers. Due to the demand for such an apartment community in the greater Richmond area, the apartments were filled shortly after opening.
“CHP’s Real Estate Development team has a reputation for creating healthy, sustainable rental communities across several states. It has been exciting to be involved in a project in our own backyard,” said Todd Collins, Senior Development Officer at CHP, which headquarters its Real Estate Development work in Richmond, Virginia. “Now that we have completed Phase I of the Apartments at Kingsridge, we are already making plans to build Phase II in 2019.”
Kingsridge has had a significant impact on the local economy. According to the Housing Virginia Sourcebook economic impact calculator, the $9 million construction project created 166 short-term jobs and seven permanent jobs. It also generated an estimated $704,000 in gross fiscal revenues and almost $10.7 million in local economic growth for Henrico County and the surrounding area.
Sustainability in focus
Residents at the Apartments at Kingsridge will also benefit from living in a sustainable community thanks to innovative construction techniques. In addition to pursuing EarthCraft certification, CHP pioneered an HVAC system that filters the air. Using ducted mini-split Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs), the new system will replace traditional heat pumps and improve air quality for residents at a low cost.
“This is truly an amazing milestone,” said Jimmy Holland, formerly of CHP Construction and now Senior Project Manager with Peacock Holland Construction. “We are filtering the air in these new apartments at nearly hospital levels, we’re better poised to handle humidity and moisture issues in apartments, and we’re doing this at a comparable capital cost with diminished operating and energy expense for residents. This means better health, less waste, and no cost impact.”
The mini-splits replace the traditional heat pumps and are sized based on meticulous calculations of the apartment’s heating and cooling loads. The ERV provides increased conditioning and dehumidification of outside fresh air prior to introducing it into the apartments. These mini-splits include two-inch deep air filters designed to create improved air quality for CHP residents and operate efficiently.
A crucial partnership
The Apartments at Kingsridge also utilizes project-based vouchers awarded by the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) in 2016. The primary focus is to relocate residents from Creighton Court, a 504-unit public housing community in the City of Richmond slated for redevelopment. Located in Richmond’s East End, Creighton Court is only a few miles from the Apartments at Kingsridge. CHP accepted 18 project-based vouchers from families at the complex.
According to Orlando Artze, former interim CEO of RRHA, the housing authority manages about 4,000 apartments in Richmond, many of which are concentrated in the city’s East End. In the coming years, RRHA will be redeveloping its entire portfolio, including Creighton Court.
“While we are redeveloping these apartments, we want to give our residents various housing options, so we have entered into agreements with a dozen communities under development to accept project-based vouchers and give priority in leasing to our residents,” Artze said in a 2018 article about Kingsridge. He added that Kingsridge was the first development to enter into an agreement to accept these vouchers.
CHP’s work to provide affordable housing opportunities in the greater Richmond area will continue with Phase II of The Apartments at Kingsridge, which is slated to begin construction in 2019.