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This is the before picture
05/06/2015 8:22 AM by John M
Heirloom Restorations posted a sign yesterday on the long-vacant storefront/house at 821 North 25th Street saying “Restoration is on the Horizon”.
The building was recently identified as the future site of a new restaurant, and bookends the ongoing renovation of the entire block of O Street behind the building.
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821 North 25th Street (1950s)
I LOVE the idea of including an accessory dwelling unit in the back! It’s a creative way to add some more density to the neighborhood and make our alleys a little more visually interesting.
Thanks for posting this John!
David, if all goes well with Zoning the carriage house will have an affordable studio apartment above and below, much needed storage for the restaurant in the garage. Above the restaurant there will also be an affordable two bedroom apartment. More awesome people to call this little place on the Hill “home” 🙂
Deanna – Just curious as to your metric for affordable? I don’t have any stake in it either way/not trying to grill you on it or anything. Just curious.
Awesome, Deanna! So happy that sweet little mixed-use building is gonna get the TLC and imagination it deserves.
Go Deanna! I am loving your work on so many levels. Thank you!
I have lived down the block from this for almost 3 years and was at constant war with the City to do something with the property. I am thrilled this will finally be turned around since it has been a nexus of blight on the block. Just please tell me it will be a diner. We still need a basic diner. Nothing frou frou.
This will truly be an amazing change along 25th! Does anyone know if a restaurant has already committed to this spot yet? I think this spot would be cool for a Mexican restaurant like the Nacho Mama’s in Cary Town…. I know I would be their 24/7 for margaritas.
Looks great but wonder how the new roofline fits in with neighboring structures versus the original flat roof design?
Eric – the tin roof is actually a hip roof as drawn… it collapsed. There are 6 other examples of hip roofs on that side of the block. Street side it’s hard to see. Google Earth and the city Parcel mapper show all of them nicely. It will fit in just fine 🙂
BAF – I can only imagine coming home to this house on your pretty block all this time. I promise we’ll make it a beautiful, long standing, contributing & vibrant addition to the neighborhood. We’ll be cutting the grass and killing those weeds this week so don’t turn me in! 😉
Brandon – we have a restaurateur waiting in the wings.
Lee – no metric, just affordable.
Elaine – it IS sweet & full of potential!
Bill – BIG (((hug))) thanks!
@ Deanna – I guess what I meant is, are they going to be affordable in the sense that rent is around 25-33% of median income for the area? Affordable in the sense that you plan to take advantage of the Low-Income housing tax credit (unlikely due to the size of the project, I would think?) or accept section eight vouchers? Or just affordable in the sense that they will be small, efficient, and convenient and a little cheaper than the average home in the area?
In any event, I think we probably need ALL of those thing/definitions of affordable in the neighborhood, so good for you regardless! My curiosity stemmed from the fact that I am currently working on a zoning appeal for a small rehab project and have been asked that question and was left unsure of the appropriate response!
@ – Deanna – P.S. Just to be clear: I’m all for it, and think the building (and another new restaurant!) will be a great addition to the neighborhood! Thanks for your efforts!
This looke really nice. No doubts it is the betterment.
@9 Deanna:
Good news–there was someone clearing the scrub and grass this morning when I left for work! Thank you!
I hope I have the chance to meet you one day to thank you for all you are doing to make the neighborhood a better place to live.
One more thing…since you are doing such an awesome job on these properties, maybe you would consider tracking down 813 North 25th next! 🙂
@9 Deanna, I too am curious about affordable. What do you consider affordable – 30% of income, or 30% of market rate, or just what you deem affordable? Again, just curious. Thanks.
“Affordable” is whatever the person taking on the risk, effort & potential reward of this project deems it to be. Gosh folks, let’s applaud the good work being done in our neighborhood without poking holes. “Mind your business” comes to mind.
@ Bill 3 – as stated in my previous response to Deanna, I am currently planning a renovation project that needs zoning approval due to it’s age/nonconforming status. The subject of affordability has come up in discussion with neighbors and the city. It isn’t something that hasn’t particularly mattered in our case, but affordability can be a factor in receiving the support for an appeal. I have no idea what most folks would consider to be affordable in the area, hence my curiosity as to her definition – I think her opinion on the subject is interesting, since she’s done so much work in the neighborhood. Before I say anything else, I wish Deanna nothing but the best and think the rehab proposal looks great.
That being said – if there is a zoning appeal as she has suggested, then her immediate neighbors, the civic association, the board of zoning appeals and so forth have every right to ask because frankly it is THEIR business. I didn’t want to say that outright in my previous comment because I wouldn’t want to encourage the sort of NIMBY-ish behavior that might hold something like this up. (Seriously, folks, anything there would be an improvement, that should be obvious!) But having heard you suggest that maybe we should “mind our business”, Bill, it seems like it needed to be pointed out that other people do have a right to respectfully ask questions when someone requests permission from them to do something that they wouldn’t normally be allowed to do – which is essentially what is happening here (or in any zoning appeal). Without being disrespectfully told to mind their own business.
Again, please do not misunderstand me – I think whatever the developer wants to do with this place will be a great improvement over what is there already and see no reason why she shouldn’t receive zoning approval to do so.
Lee – My point is I don’t know that a community website such as CHPN is the proper forum for obtaining this information. I don’t know you, or Deanna for that matter, one bit, but perhaps that is why she declined to give provide a specific metric in her response.
Screw it, let’s just leave it the way it is for another 50 years. Keep the flat roof and the rent at zero dollars a month! rabble rabble rabble
Sean @ 18 – many thanks for the idea! But… we might as well go ahead and renovate the building at this point. I mean, we did put up the big sign, and cut the grass after all. “Rabble, rabble, rabble”… South Park fan?? love it! 🙂
I love CHPN. It is always an interesting venue to share on.
I was hoping that by putting up the sign we could create some excitement and most important, let the neighbors along the block know that the building was in good, caring and very capable hands. It’s great to be able to share that good things are on the horizon for the entire block now.
It’s taken a year and a half of very hard work putting the pieces together to get here. Finding the one heir to 821 N 25th was the last piece of the puzzle and nothing short of a miracle… and we did it!
We believed in restoring ALL of O Street from the start. There is so much value in restoring these irreplaceable parts of Richmond’s history and making them useful again. That’s part of what makes Church Hill so unique.
We have an incredible amount of work ahead of us. Neighbors and passers by with kind words, people honking horns giving my guys a thumbs up make the work easier. Positive feedback goes a long way when you’re tired and you know the journey is a long one.
I never thought the word “affordable” would create such a stir. Again, as I wrote, there is no metric, no measurement, no calculation so there was nothing I can relate to satisfy curiosity.
Lee – The zoning process is difficult to navigate the first time or two, every case is unique which makes it complicated, and the last thing you want to do is leave something out or make a mistake that might delay your project. I understand your need to inquire again. Persistence is a good thing. Please fee free to email me at info@heirloomRVA.com. If I can give you any direction I’m happy to do so.
BAF – Come on by and say Hi. I’d love to meet you!
Bill3 – thanks
Hi, Dea. We have an original 1850 wood mantel that we are happy for you to have. Use it now or later.
Deanna- Glad you got the reference. 🙂 I’m a huge fan of your work, keep it up, and thanks for being the first one in TOO MANY years to take on this particularly difficult mixed use building.