Ronald Semel and Claudia del Valle on site. (Photo by Mike Platania)
The extensive changes planned for Virginia Union University’s campus as part of the recently unveiled master plan have also caught the attention of an inexperienced development duo looking to get in on the college’s growth.
Local couple Claudia del Valle and Ronald Semel plan to build a 20-bed “mini dorm” at 1800 Bath Street. The new building will be built on a vacant lot near the southwest corner of the VUU campus, which is in the early stages of construction. a long-term master plan worth US$500 million Effort.
Del Valle and Semel have backgrounds in occupational therapy and architecture, respectively. Del Valle said they recently decided to get into real estate on the side and thought the VUU area would be a good location.
“We started studying the master plan and they needed institutional (housing) there. We started thinking of ideas and we landed on this dorm,” del Valle said. “(VUU) is going to transform their campus and we’re excited to be a part of it.”
The property is less than a tenth of an acre and has been on the market on and off for the past few months. Del Valle said they pursued it for a while before it finally came up for auction.
“I tried to make an offer, but the seller just wouldn’t accept it. So I thought, ‘Okay, that’s it, it’s not for us,'” del Valle said. “The next day I saw it was up for auction.”
Del Valle and Semel eventually won the auction and purchased the property in May for $74,000.
A concept drawing of the planned building. (City documents)
They are now applying for a special use permit for the three-story building, which would also include basement apartments.Each unit would span an entire floor with five bedrooms.
“It’s exclusively for students,” said del Valle. “We are in contact with VUU to discuss how we can collaborate with the campus.”
Semel is the project architect. Del Valle said they hope to start construction in early 2025 and have everything completed for the fall 2026 school year.
“It’s a bit tight, but we’ll make it,” said del Valle about the schedule.
Del Valle said they are also pursuing other properties in the VUU area and in Manchester.
The VUU itself plans to make its campus much more dense. It recently announced plans to Renovation of the old Richmond Community Hospital near the intersection of Brook and Overbrook Road into hundreds of homes.
