Harkins breaks ground on Charlottesville affordable housing project

Harkins celebrated the groundbreaking of the Friendship Court Redevelopment Phase I project in Charlottesville.

In partnership with the Piedmont Housing Alliance and National Housing Trust, with Grimm + Parker Architects and Timmons Group, Friendship Court’s redevelopment will be the largest construction of affordable housing for the area in over 20 years.

A multi-phased project, Phase 1 will consist of 106 units, including 35 stacked townhome-style units, a center corridor apartment building with 71 units, and a one-level structured parking garage. The project is one of the few Passive House projects in the Commonwealth of Virginia that is designed as a highly coveted, energy-efficient community, built to rigorous standards for insulation and energy use.

This will be the company’s third Passive House project in two years.

The community will positively impact residents that are partnering with the Piedmont Housing Alliance for affordable housing options. City officials say that this project is the most complex that they have ever constructed, a beacon of hope for an area with affordable needs incorporates a mixed-income resident approach to help break down the social and educational barriers faced by many Black and Afghan families in the community.

Friendship Court will offer better housing opportunities and a stronger connection to the surrounding area, including better access to employment and economic opportunities to enable families to be prosperous.

As part of Harkins’ 2025 Strategic Plan, its goal is to be resourceful and develop core business sectors in its current regions to allow the company to gain and maintain a footprint in its newly established Richmond & Tidewater region.

In December, Harkins welcomed Senior Project Manager Damion Pizarro, who will lead construction efforts in the region. With its recent completion of Jackson Ward Apartments and now the start of Friendship Court, the area will continue to be impacted by revitalization and will allow Harkins to continue to expand into the market.