The future of the former Richmond Community Hospital appeared to take a sudden turn Tuesday, as Virginia Union University announced plans to fully preserve the building — hours after a lawsuit was filed over the college’s use of the site.

VUU announced a revised vision for the building, which will be incorporated into plans for new housing developments in the area. Earlier proposals had left only the hospital’s facade intact as part of a larger residential complex.

 This revamped design of the hospital site was released by the university Tuesday.
 

“We have listened closely as the community has spoken throughout this year,” VUU President and CEO Hakim J. Lucas stated in a press release. “People have acknowledged Richmond’s need for more housing options, while also wishing to protect the character of neighborhoods and expand amenities.”

“This plan accomplishes all of these goals. The engagement process has worked, and we can all be proud that the community has shaped this plan together.”

VUU’s recent announcement followed months of community criticism and controversy sparked by the announcement of VUU’s plans in February, including a heated meeting in August.

The press release came hours after former Richmond City Councilman Sa’ad El-Amin filed a lawsuit in Richmond Circuit Court against VUU, Lucas and VUU Board of Trustees Chair W. Franklyn Richardson in response to the initial plans for the building.

El-Amin was joined by others who have advocated for the building’s preservation and adaptive reuse for a press conference Tuesday afternoon on the building’s front lawn.

The lawsuit challenges VUU’s initial plan for the building partly through the college and building’s non-profit statuses. It argues that the proposed demolition and redevelopment would violate IRS regulations on self-dealing and restrictions on the use and disposing of charitable assets for non-profits.

The suit requests a declaratory judgment that VUU’s use and plan for the property are damaging a historic site, as well as an injunction to end any potential demolition and redevelopment and require VUU to preserve and protect the property.

“Since 1982, they’ve done nothing with this building, to this building or for this building,” said El-Amin, speaking alongside Save Community Hospital group co-founder Viola Baskerville, former pharmacist and pastor Leonard Edloe and radio host Gary Flowers.

The group, along with the lawsuit, highlighted both the legal concerns surrounding VUU’s earlier plans and the cultural significance of the hospital to Richmond. They argued that this cultural value would be lost if most of the building were demolished to make way for VUU’s housing development.

“This was the only place we could go to be treated with respect and dignity as human beings,” said Edloe, who was born in the hospital, received and contributed medical care there and was a member of the group that transferred the building to VUU after the hospital moved.

VUU’s announcement of the changes to their plans for the hospital came during the press conference on the lawsuit, and prompted some celebration from advocates. Baskerville expressed cautious optimism, emphasizing that VUU must clearly outline its intentions and involve the community in the planning and development process.

“It’s encouraging to hear those words, but again, the devil is in the details,” Baskerville said. “What’s the university’s concept of rehabilitation versus the spectrum of ideas that the community has come up with?”

Despite this, advocates were encouraged by the change and the influence of the lawsuit, which will proceed as planned, according to El-Amin.