The Housing Interpreter—Cultivating Richmond Communities

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Housing InterpreteR CURRENT TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE AND THE RICHMOND REGION A PUBLICATION OF THE RICHMOND ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

CULTIVATING

JUNE 2014

RICHMOND

COMMUNITIES

IN THIS ISSUE: • REALTORS® SUPPORT A DAY’S WORK FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING • GROW RVA EXPANDS ITS FARMERS MARKETS INTO NEW TERRITORIES • INTRODUCING RICHMOND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LEAGUE’S 2014 DESIGNER HOUSE DESIGNERS • RVA MAKES WAY FOR CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS

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Local REALTORS® Support a Day’s Work for Workforce Housing During the seventh annual Affordable Housing Awareness Week, local REALTORS® rolled up their sleeves and joined several local housing nonprofit partners to build, repair, and enhance residences for our neighbors in need.

Braving the particularly wet weather during

the last week of April, local REALTOR offices banded together to support the efforts of the seventh annual Affordable Housing Awareness Week (AHAW); including Virginia Properties, Joyner Fine Properties, the Long & Foster Grove Avenue office, and the Richmond Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors. ®

The week-long series of events, which kicked off on April 15th, is organized to increase awareness of affordable housing issues in Richmond and grow support for the Partnership for Housing Affordability’s mission to help ensure that area residents have a safe, affordable place to call home. Several local housing nonprofit partners organize various volunteer projects around the Richmond area to be completed throughout the week. The Partnership for Housing Affordability recruits volunteers each year to complete the projects, including many local REALTORS®.

“I think it is extremely important that all area residents have a roof over their heads,” said Cheryl Hamm, Vice President of Operations for Joyner Fine Properties. “We constantly state that housing is important and are encouraging people to buy, so why wouldn’t we be advocates for those who are in need?” Cheryl was the winner of the Richmond Association of REALTORS® “Broker Challenge” last year—bringing the most participants from her office to volunteer in an AHAW project. This year, Cheryl once again rallied members of her office to participate in a shift at the Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Christina Royal, Supervising Broker and Vice President for Virginia Properties, spent some time painting and landscaping at a home for veterans.

“Each one of us had a feel good morning,” Christina said. “We advocate for housing every day in our business and it is a privilege to be able to help someone improve their environment—especially our veterans. They have given so much, so we can enjoy the freedom of home ownership in this country.”

The Long & Foster Grove office brought two crews of REALTORS® to the Habitat ReStore to work two shifts on Wednesday. “Becky Spicer and Greg Davis served as co-chairs of our project, performing such jobs as organizing and rearranging goods for sale on shelves and some of our guys built a cabinet,” said Dawn Bradley, Managing Broker. “It was fun and fulfilling for our office to participate in AHAW,” she added.

Richmond Association of REALTORS® President Mark Joyner enjoyed a day of volunteering with his fellow Board of Directors members this week. “AHAW is a week we can all get together as REALTORS®, select a project and do something great and supportive for our communities,” Mark said.

The Central Virginia Women’s Council of REALTORS® helped organize and clean at the Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

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Virginia Properties teamed up with Neighborhood Housing Services of Richmond, Inc. for a project to help beautify a home for a local veteran.

“AHAW is a week we can all get together as REALTORS®, select a project and do something great and supportive for our communities.” - Mark Joyner

Joyner Fine Properties rolled up their sleeves in support of Affordable Housing Awareness Week.

Affordable Housing Awareness Week volunteers work at The Columns on Grove in support of the Better Housing Coalition.

GROWRVA EXPANDS ITS FARMERS MARKETS INTO NEW TERRITORIES A current ad announcing the Short Pump farmers market debut

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n 2007, the first “South of the James” farmers market debuted in Forest Hill Park, organized and managed by Richmond native Karen Atkinson, Founder & Owner of GrowRVA. The event immediately began drawing an average of 500 people each Saturday, with initially 30 vendors.

Since then, the crowd that attends the weekly market has grown to several thousands of patrons and over 100 vendors. It has become a destination, with not only fresh produce and meats but also fresh flowers, clothing, crafts, live music by local musicians and demonstrations by local chefs. The event’s vendor registration is also open to a few local nonprofits each week to provide them the opportunity to engage with the community.

“Instead of having any sort of middleman in the equation, farmers are directly coming to the market and customers have the opportunity to interface with the person who is actually growing it,” Atkinson said. “It’s the quality of the vendors that we have that makes it enjoyable. People have become accustomed to shopping this way.”

In late 2012, GrowRVA teamed up with the Urban Farmhouse Market and Café to begin a weekly farmer’s market just outside one of the restaurant’s new locations, in the Midlothian MillWorks development at the intersection of Woolridge and Coalfield roads. It is known as the “Midlothian Mines” market. This market opens in the afternoon; so, several vendors at the South of the James market pack up afterward and move on to the Midlothian Mines market.

This year, GrowRVA teamed up with Short Pump Town Center to expand westward with a new location just outside the mall, open 4p.m.-8p.m. Thursday evenings. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to provide quality locally raised products to this area of the county. Because we visit every farm and our markets are producer only, customers will have the unique experience of meeting farmers, bakers, and artists directly.

What a great way to support local business and have access to food that was just picked that morning,” Atkinson said.

GrowRVA also hosted a farmer’s market at the newest Urban Farmhouse location in Church Hill during its grand opening this March. “Due to the large success of the Urban Farmhouse grand opening event, we are planning on implementing this new tradition with GrowRVA through the farmer’s market season,” said Peyton Ware, with the Urban Farmhouse. There is now a Church Hill farmers market running Saturdays, 9am-12pm, and also each final Friday of the month, from 4pm-9pm at 310 North 33rd St. (Lava Lofts).

Here is a quick guide to GrowRVA and other farmers markets around the Richmond region:

17th Street Farmers Market

April through November at 100 North 17th Street Thursdays: fresh market (growers and bakers), 8:30am-2pm Saturdays: bohemian market (growers and handmade products), 9am-4pm Sundays: vintage market (antiques, collectibles, crafts), 9am4pm

Ashland Farmers Market

May through October at 121 Thompson Street Saturdays, 9am-12pm

Byrd House Market

May through October at William Byrd Community House, 224 South Cherry Street Tuesdays, 3:30pm-7pm

Church Hill Farmers Market

June through December at 310 North 33rd St. (Lava Lofts) Saturdays at 310 North 33rd St. (Lava Lofts), 9am-12pm (Also Fourth Fridays, 4pm-9pm)

Kids’ Market

May through November and December 6 at Forest Hill Park (Forest Hill Ave & 42nd Street) Last Saturday of each month, 8am-12pm

Lakeside Farmers’ Market

Year round at 6110 Lakeside Avenue Wednesdays, “dawn to dusk” and Saturdays, 8am-12pm

La Plaza Latino Market

May through October at Broad Rock Park (Boulevard and Warwick Road) Mondays, 4pm to dusk

Market at First Fridays

Year Round 311 West Broad Street Next to Quirk Gallery, (often offers artsy items, wine and cheese) First Friday of each month, 5pm-9pm

Midlothian Mines Farmers Market

May through December at 13849 Coalfield Commons Place Saturdays, 1pm-5pm

My Manakin Market

May through October at 68 Broad Street Road Saturdays, 9am-1pm

Short Pump Town Center Farmers Market

May through November at 11800 W Broad St. (On Restaurant Row, near Dick’s Sporting Goods) Thursdays 4pm-8pm

South of the James Market

May through December at Forest Hill Park (New Kent Ave & 42nd Street) Saturdays 8am-12pm

South of the James Winter Market

December 14 through April 26 at Forest Hill Park Saturdays 9am to noon

St. Stephen’s Farmers Market Year Round at 6000 Grove Avenue Saturdays, 8am-12pm

West End Farmers Market

April 26 through November 1 at 12450 Gayton Road Saturdays, 8am-12pm and April 30 through September 10 at 6100 Pouncey Tract Rd. Wednesdays, 9am-12:30pm

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Introducing the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League’s

2014 Designer House DESIGNERS

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his spring, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League (RSOL) selected its designers for the 2014 Designer House. Designers submitted proposals for a room of their choice to RSOL and one design was selected for each room. The selected designers will begin working on their designated rooms in August, when construction of the home will be completed. They will have one month to transform their space before the house is opened to the public. Designs are not restricted to any thematic conformation; so each space will be unique. Here is a glimpse of the selected designers for 2014: Susan Jamieson, Bridget Beari Designs Room: Foyer/Entry

Moyanne Harding*, Interiors by Moyanne

A rendering of what “Hampton Manor” will look like, when completed in August.

Georgia Kukoski, Closet Factory and Ryan Bundy, Dorothy Cook Interiors Room: His and Hers Master Closets

Room: Dining Room

Josh Goff, Commonwealth Curb Appeal

Patrick Malone, Jamie Coffey and Patti Ryan, Williams & Sherrill

Kathy Corbet*, Kathy Corbet Interiors, LLC

Room: Study

Room: Front Porch, Courtyard and adjacent entry Room: Game Room, titled Enchanted Forest

Linda Hunt, Creatively Yours Custom

Bev Benner and Pam Baldwin, Stedman House

Angela Elliott, Angela Elliott Interiors

Michael Maszaros, Cabin Creek Interiors

Rodney Berardi, Main Street Cabinets

Will T. Chambers, U-Fab Upholstery and Fabric Stores, Inc.

Room: Powder Room

Room: Breakfast Room, Kitchen and Planning Center Room: Kitchen and Planning Center: cabinets and surfaces

Steve Dash, Method Organized

Room: Pantry, Mud Room, and Utility Room

Nancy Hall*, Winter Bird Interiors Room: Bedroom 2 and Bath decor

Jennifer Stoner*, Jennifer Stoner Interiors Room: Living Room

Patrick Cicchetto, Summer Classics Home Room: Screened Porch

Gary Inman, Principal and Catherine Stanley*, Glavé & Holmes Architecture

Room: Bedroom 3 and Bath decor Room: Bedroom 4 and Bath decor

Room: 2nd Floor Sun Porch

Jonathan A. Williams*, Summer Classics Home, Jonathan Andrew Interiors Room: Back Deck

The month-long event will kick off at an on-site black tie “Gala at Hampton Manor” preview party on the evening of Friday, September 12th, 2014; then, the home will be open to the public Monday, September 15th, 2014, through Monday, October 13th, 2014. For updates and for information about tickets to the Gala, house tours, and special events, visit rsol.org.

Room: Master Bedroom

Richard Hendrick* and Kate Barnett, Custom Kitchens Inc. and Jill Erwin, Just Jill Erwin Interiors, LLC Room: Master Bathroom

* Denotes a previous RSOL Designer House designer This is a follow up to a story in the March 2014 edition of The Housing Interpreter. Click here to view the previous story.

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RVA MAKES WAY FOR CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS

Image courtesy of SportsBackers

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ecently, Richmond ranked as the 21st “fittest city” among 50 urban centers across the United States in the American College of Sports Medicine’s American Fitness Index™ report —just two spots down from Los Angeles, and outranking cities like New York, Charlotte, Miami, Tampa, Phoenix, Houston, and Dallas. With organizations in Richmond like SportsBackers at the helm to help fulfill the vision of transforming the region into the most physically active community in the nation, we are poised to climb to the top.

To help get us there, SportsBackers has launched a program called Bike Walk RVA to help make Richmond more bike and pedestrian friendly by: • working with the City of Richmond on development and implementation of a Bicycle Master Plan (a draft of the plan was released this April after nearly a year of development, and includes proposals for new shared lane markings, trails, and bike-walk streets); • working toward completion of the “Floyd Avenue Bicycle Boulevard” project; and • continuing to collaborate with Chesterfield and Henrico counties to make those areas more walkable/bikeable as well In late April, Bike Walk RVA announced its multiyear, regional campaign “Connect RVA” to make Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico, and Hanover better places for walking and biking to everyday activities by building 20+ miles of family-friendly bikeways by September of 2015. It has recently become an official legacy project of the Richmond

2015 UCI Road World Championships (more on that to come).

“We are pleased to be working closely with our local leaders to ensure that we show off a bikefriendly region to the rest of the world in 2015, and to create a network of bikeways that allow Richmond area residents to get where they need to go without requiring the use of a car—whether that’s to school, work, church, or the grocery store,” said Jon Lugbill, Executive Director of SportsBackers.

A few recent triumphs and current projects for the region will also help pave the way for Richmond to make the short list of the nation’s top fittest cities: The Virginia Capital Trail:

Just a little over a year from completion, the Virginia Capital Trail is well underway and will provide Richmonders and tourists with a world-class dedicated, paved trail for modes of non-motorized transportation that extends over fifty miles from Richmond to Jamestown, along the Scenic Route 5 corridor. The project has been over two decades in the making.

Richmond 2015:

On September 21, 2011, Richmond was awarded the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road World Championships, which will be held September 19-27, 2015. The event is held annually in an international city chosen by the UCI through a competitive bidding process similar to the Olympic Games. The event—also known as the “Worlds”— draws the same cyclists as the Tour de France and is the only time, other than the Olympics, the cyclists

race for their country and not their trade teams. Every five years a city outside of Europe is chosen to host the event and Richmond was chosen as the first American city to host since 1986. The Worlds is expected to draw around 6,000 accredited representatives (including 1,000 athletes); 450,000 spectators (55 percent of whom are projected to come from outside Central Virginia); and a television audience of 300 million viewers worldwide.

The economic impact is estimated to be $158.1 million—from both event staging and visitor spending—and the event is estimated to generate $5.0 million in state tax revenue. Based on recent World Championship events, Chris Chmura (President, Chief Economist, and Principal of Chmura Economics & Analytics) estimates that over 1,000 journalists, representing 500 media outlets from 35 countries will come to Richmond to cover the competition.

In addition to economic stimulation, tax revenue, and media attention, hosting the event promises to leave a legacy of cycling culture with the Greater Richmond region. “The Connect RVA project is a perfect example of the kind of legacy that we had hoped would emerge as a result of hosting the World Championships and a benefit for the entire community for years to come,” said Tim Miller, COO of Richmond 2015, in a press release.

Richmond Regional Ride Center (RRRC):

The RRRC is a collaborative effort to create a system of trails and onroad bicycle facilities to be designated as a Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). According to the IMBA, communities designated as a Ride Center are clearly identified as being the best place to go mountain biking, and see an increase in visitors and quality of life for residents through improved opportunities for outdoor recreation. The IMBA promotes designated Ride Centers through its multimedia communications. There are currently only 17 Ride Centers worldwide.

The RRRC is working to rehabilitate 15 miles of existing mountain bike trail at Pocahontas State Park and construct an additional 20 miles, to provide more than 70 collective miles of off-road cycling between Pocahontas and the existing world-class trails in the James River Park System.

The RRRC would be the first Ride Center located in an urban environment, and uniquely plans to include facilities that will cater to individuals with disabilities.

What does all of this mean for residential real estate in the Richmond region? Higher walk scores.

In addition to health and quality of life enhancement for local residents, developing designated areas for biking and walking will conceivably raise walk scores for surrounding properties.

Walk Score® is a popular tool that provides ratings between 0 and 100 to quantify the walkability of any address. (The lower the score, the more cardependent the property’s residents are likely to be.) It is used by multiple listing services and other real estate information providers to help consumers find a place to live that suits their walkability preferences. Generally, properties with high walk scores are in high demand among homebuyers, and this makes a

high walk score a strong selling point.

The growing interest and involvement in building infrastructure that will promote increased and diversified mobility within the Richmond region bodes very well for the fitness of its residents and its housing market alike.

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