Cool Lane Commons officially opens in Eastern Henrico

, and Citizen Staff Reports

June 13, 2024 . 2:37 PM

2 min read

An 86-unit supportive housing apartment complex has officially opened its doors in Eastern Henrico County.

Officials from Virginia Supportive Housing, Henrico and the city of Richmond gathered June 11 to celebrate the opening of the Cool Lane Commons complex, located at 1900 Cool Lane adjacent to the county's border with Richmond. The complex is open to unhoused and low-income residents from the region. All units are at least 500 square feet and include private bathrooms and kitchens with full-size appliances.

The site was identified as VSH’s next local development project in March 2018. It once housed the Seven Hills Health Care Center but had been vacant since 2008. Fundraising included several rounds of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit applications, in 2019 and 2021, prior to the start of construction in May 2022. The project was completed in January.

“This is how you revitalize a neighborhood and build a better future for everyone. This is how you give those in our community the support and resources they need to be successful,” said Henrico Supervisor Roscoe D. Cooper III, Fairfield District. “Cool Lane Commons represents a collective win for our community and a great place for residents to call home.”

Henrico, Richmond and state officials joined those from VSH to celebrate the official opening of Cool Lane Commons with a ribbon-cutting. (Courtesy VSH)

The Cool Lane Commons complex also has a community room with laundry facilities, an office for the property manager, and a fitness room. The complex is also home to a 180-solar array that will offset about 20% of the building's energy needs.

Cool Lane Commons also serves as home to VSH’s administrative headquarters, known as the Bren Center – named after two of VSH’s original founders and earliest supporters, Karl and Jane Bren. The separate office space was funded independently from the apartments.

“Homelessness is solvable,” VSH Executive Director Allison Bogdanović said. “Supportive housing – like Cool Lane Commons, like our future building on Rady Street – is the solution. We know that ending homelessness is possible because we are doing it every day with support from partners like you.”