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Town manager outlines grant plan to redevelop garment factory into workforce housing
Summary
The town manager said a Virginia Housing workforce housing grant will support demolition and phased rebuilding of the garment factory site; staff expects demolition costs of about $650,000, target rents of $900–$1,200 and tenant income eligibility of approximately 80%–150% of area median income.
Town Manager Mister Campbell told the council that the town is working with Virginia Housing and a developer to redevelop the old garment factory into workforce housing, and that the town’s portion of the grant will help cover demolition and make the project economically feasible.
Speaking to the council, the manager said units under the program would likely rent between $900 and $1,200 per month and be two‑ and three‑bedroom units. "Our part of the grant is making this economically feasible to do by paying for a large portion of the demolition of the building, which the last estimate I heard was $650,000," the manager said. He described the grant as workforce housing rather than a Section 8 voucher program and said Virginia Housing indicated the program would allow renter incomes between 80% and 150% of area median income for the project.
The manager described a phased construction plan to build about eight units at a time, fill them, then build the next phase; he estimated full build‑out could take as long as five years depending on financing and construction sequencing. He also said the project and recent rezoning items discussed at the meeting could produce about 100 new rooftops in a five‑year window across multiple projects, improving the town’s ability to attract businesses and services.
Council members and staff said the project will require additional agreements, developer plans and follow‑up reporting to complete demolition, engineering and phased construction.
