Former Armstrong High School site
Cityscape: Slices of life and scenes in Richmond
6/21/2019, 6 a.m.
Call it a brand new look for the site of the former Armstrong High School in the 1600 block of North 31st Street in the East End, where these nearly complete apartments now line the street. In all, 105 units are under construction in the first phase of what is called Church Hill North, including 60 family units and 45 senior apartments. Over time, 256 units, including some single-family homes, are to be part of the new mixed-income community. The Community Builders, a Boston-based nonprofit, is the master developer for this latest urban renewal effort of City Hall and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The project’s projected total cost: $23 million to $26 million, not including additional taxpayer-supported spending, according to the city, of about $9 million that was used to clear away the old school building and prepare the site for construction. Expected to be ready for occupancy later this year, the project is the first step toward redeveloping Creighton Court, just across Nine Mile Road. When the project is completed, residents of Creighton are to fill a large number of the apartments, clearing the way for RRHA to contract with a private partner to eventually demolish or renovate the 504-unit public housing community. At this point, the work in Creighton Court is more of a vision and has yet to gain full financing. Some Creighton Court residents already have been moved to other privately owned apartment complexes that have agreed to accept government subsidies under the Section 8 or Housing Choice Voucher program.