RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – An abandoned parking deck in downtown Richmond might not stand for much longer after plans for a new mixed-use apartment building to take its place were approved.
Chelsea Savage has lived next door to the parking deck, located on the corner of East Franklin Street and North 6th Street, for five years and says shortly after moving in, she and her neighbors noticed it was falling apart – literally.
“We had a very, very long time of bricks falling off and there was no one paying attention to it whatsoever,” said Savage. “It’s just very much unsafe and has been a blight for five years.”
Savage told 8News she and other tenants would voluntarily pick the bricks up off the street, worried about safety for pedestrians and drivers. The city eventually put up fencing, which blocks access to the crumbling parking deck
“Look up at the walls of the building and you can see portions of bricks that are just ready to fall, and whether they would stay in that fence or not, it’s always a gamble,” said Savage.
In late May, the city approved a development plan for a 181-unit mixed-use apartment complex, with a 10,000 square foot commercial space. The concept also features several rooftop amenities for residents, such as a terrace, gym, and cocktail bar. Virginia Atlantic Development, LLC is the would-be developer of the project.
The full approved plan can be seen below:
The Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review told 8News the existing parking structure is unsafe and must be demolished before new construction can take place on the site.
Savage says she is excited for the new development and has waited to hear the good news for a long time.
“I think all the tenants are very excited that, number one, the safety hazard will be taken down. And number two, that we’ll have again, some more breath of life downtown here,” said Savage.
A construction start date has not yet been announced.
