RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond's 48th Annual Greek Festival is drawing crowds to the Near West End, but it's also drawing attention to a proposal that could transform the neighboring church property into a mixed-use housing development.
Seventh Street Christian Church, located off Grove and Malvern, recently agreed to sell its property to a developer who plans to build 72 units made up of townhomes and condos. For decades, the church lot next to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral has served as overflow parking and event space during the Greek Festival, held every year next door.
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Long-time Richmond resident Victoria DeRoche, who has attended the festival for years, said she has concerns about possible traffic congestion, parking, preserving green space, and protecting the character of the surrounding neighborhood.
"I'm not against them doing housing here, but let's make sure that the housing is supporting the neighborhood, supporting the Greek church next door, and fitting into the community that's already here," DeRoche said. "At what point is Richmond still Richmond when we erase all of the landmarks and all of the integrity that has gone into the years that people spend doing things here?"
City Council member Andrew Breton said the proposal is still in its early stages and would require multiple rounds of review before anything is approved. He said while the neighboring church has graciously allowed festival parking for years, the city cannot require the property to remain a parking lot forever. Still, he said preserving the festival experience will be a top priority.
"My office is going to do everything we can to help the Greek church augment their own property with whatever other space we can help them find, that might include blocking off parts of Malvern Avenue, for example," Breton said.
Before any development can move forward, city leaders say the proposal will also undergo review by city staff, including potential traffic studies to evaluate how new housing could impact congestion in the already busy Near West End corridor. The proposal comes as Richmond continues to search for ways to increase housing.
"Hopefully we can find a proposal that is beneficial to the neighborhood and beneficial to the property owners," Breton said.
The proposed development still faces a lengthy city review process, and city leaders say they want community feedback before any final decisions are made. The organizer of the Greek Festival declined to comment on the project.
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