A Look Back at 2018 with the Friendship Court Advisory Committee

The Friendship Court redevelopment plan made tremendous progress in 2018. The year was focused on reflection and collaboration with an eye toward the future by working with the resident-led Friendship Court Advisory Committee to further the redevelopment plan and hear from all residents.

Community Engagement

We kicked off 2018 with our Courtyard Conversations series with Friendship Court residents. During these conversations, the Advisory Committee, sought feedback and input from residents on a revised site plan framework so that the architects and engineers could start drawings for Phase 1 of the redevelopment. The series kicked off in mid-February with a community dinner and then five smaller sessions were held for residents to attend in February and March. After the community gatherings, Claudette, with the help of others, went door to door to solicit as much additional input as possible.

Refining the Redevelopment Plan

The commitment to a redevelopment plan with zero displacement of residents continued in 2018 and in early June we finalized the site plan framework that addressed significant community concerns from the 2016 preliminary master plan, including reducing the number of phases, moving the early childhood center to Phase 1, and including townhomes as well as multifamily apartment-style buildings. The revised plan aims to have all Friendship Court families in their new homes within seven years.

In September, we submitted the Phase 1 Site Plan to the City for review and approval in preparation for applying for Low Income Housing Tax Credits in March 2019. The goal is for the site plan to be approved in February.

Other 2018 milestones include:

• July: Section 8 renewal approved. In July we received notification that the new 20-year, Section 8 contract for Friendship Court was awarded. The Project-Based Section 8 operating subsidy received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) bridges the gap between the operating costs of the property and the available rental income.
• August: Advisory Committee selected Harkins Builders as General Contractor. The Advisory Committee chose Harkins Builders as the general contractor for pre-construction services for Phase One of the redevelopment. The process, which lasted throughout the summer of 2018, began with Piedmont Housing Alliance publishing a Request for Proposal (RFP), inviting qualified general contractors to apply. Piedmont Housing staff and the Friendship Court Advisory Committee reviewed proposals and conducted interviews with each builder interested in the work. Each firm went before the Advisory Committee and gave a presentation on their experience and a narrative on how they would approach the Friendship Court redevelopment.
• October: Plans for maintaining green space during development revealed. The Advisory Committee worked with architects Grimm + Parker and engineer Timmons Group to balance the need for high-quality outdoor spaces with a limited land area.
• November: Piedmont Housing recognized with Virginia Housing Award.  Recognized for its leadership in resident-led planning and design, Piedmont Housing Alliance was awarded a 2018 Virginia Housing Inclusive Communities Award for its work at Friendship Court at the annual Virginia Governors Housing Conference.

Looking ahead

In 2019, we look forward to finalizing floor plans, finalizing the building exterior architecture, and detailing the final components of Phase 1, including outdoor play and amenity spaces for the community. Further, we will apply for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) by the March deadline with the goal of beginning construction in early 2020.