South First Street Community

900-1000 South 1st St.

South First Street’s redevelopment will be conducted in three phases, bringing 175 new affordable units to CRHA’s portfolio.

South First Street Overview

Number of Units: 175

Phase 1 Amenities:

Community Center
Fitness Room
Office
Playground

Phase 2 Amenities:

Community Center
Office Room
Basketball Court
Playspaces

Built originally in September 1981, South First Street’s redevelopment process began in 2019. The property’s redevelopment will be conducted in three phases:

The first phase is almost complete and is expected to be entirely completed by the end of this summer. In the first phase, the “ballfield” at the south end of the property was replaced with a brand-new community center and 62 units in three new, affordable garden-style apartment buildings.

The existing public housing units will be developed into new townhouses and apartments in the second phase, which got underway with demolition in the summer of 2024.

Lastly, the third phase of redevelopment is currently in the planning stages but will be developed on a small, wooded lot at the corner of Hartman’s Mill Road and South First Street.

Redevelopment Process

The South First Street resident-engagement process formed the basis of our current approach to planning. The first phase’s planning process was extensive, and we quickly realized that incentives were needed for greater participation. With incentivization and constant polling, we identified residents’ desires and needs for redevelopment.

South First Street phase two was much more intensive than the first and with help from BRW Architects, weekly resident planners’ groups were formed. These meetings proved essential to promoting resident engagement, data collection, and assurance that we were listening to residents’ visions.

The Resident Led Master Planning of South First Street was documented in the three booklets below.

Booklet 1

Booklet 2

Booklet 3

South First Street October Update

South First Street Phase 1

Phase 1 of South First Street is up and running!

Fitness equipment has been installed and we have reconnected with our partners at Computers 4 Kids to resource the computer lab.

South First Street Phase 2- Demo Finished

In 2025 we will be beginning construction of 113 new townhomes and apartments for the second phase of South First Street redevelopment.

Phase One: Partnerships & Funding Sources

The redevelopment of South First Street Phase One has been made possible through key partnerships with Arnold Design Studio Architecture, Breeden Construction, the Public Housing Association of Residents (PHAR), the Affordable Housing Group, the Virginia Community Development Corporation, Red Light Management, South First Street Phase One, LLC.

Redevelopment is funded with various sources including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, the City of Charlottesville, the Affordable Housing Opportunity Fund, and loans and grants awarded to CRHA.