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In 1998, when Mechanicsville Commons became a candidate for HOPE VI funding, no one who could afford to live elsewhere would have chosen to live in this dilapidated 320-unit public housing project constructed in 1938. The housing project, built on fifteen acres just west of downtown in a historic neighborhood, was too costly to modernize. The brick, bunker-style design of the buildings (at a density of 24.6 units/acre) set them apart, isolating residents from the surrounding community. A disproportionately high rate of violent crime within the development was not only a problem for residents but also negatively affected the surrounding community which began to suffer from disinvestment. As part of the HOPE VI planning process, a Master Plan was created for a new, mixed-income neighborhood on the project site as well as for revitalization of the adjacent neighborhood. Funding from a combination of public and private sources is being used to redevelop the neighborhood based on the approved Master Plan. A new park, situated between two well-established community churches, forms an inviting gateway into the neighborhood. A total of 256 units are being rebuilt, 117 on-site and 138 on vacant lots throughout the neighborhood. The use of respected regional architectural patterns for these new houses ensures that they will blend gracefully into the traditional architectural patterns of the neighborhood. An aggressive off-site initiative creates a seamless transition between the project site and the adjacent neighborhood, removing the stigma of project living from residents. Where possible, the houses are designed to have a visitable entrance from the parking space, with a zero step entrance. In many cases, especially on the infill sites, the home sites are at a higher elevation than the street, but are accessible from the rear. The program also includes the rehabilitation of existing retail structures along an adjacent main street with some new construction of mixed-use buildings. The development has succeeded in triggering revitalization of the larger neighborhood, stimulating renovation and improvements in the surrounding area and renewed interest in renting and purchasing homes throughout the neighborhood.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY UDA PROJECT, PLEASE CONTACT US WESTBURY / PARK DUVALLE / MECHANICSVILLE COMMONS / FIRST WARD / CRAWFORD SQUARE / DIGGS TOWN PUBLIC HOUSING / RANDOLPH NEIGHBORHOOD |
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UDA