Demolition on Semmes Avenue kicked off in earnest this past week as the vacant metal Alleghany Warehouse buildings in Swansboro were taken down.

The demolition comes on the heals of City Council’s vote in February to grant a special-use permit to Harper & Associates for a 106 unit townhome development at 1802 Semmes Ave in Richmond’s Swansboro neighborhood. Harper & Associates scrapped its original retail oriented plans for the site when it couldn’t secure an anchor grocery tenant. The current plan is for 106 new townhomes and approximately 4 acres of commercial space.

The area has gone through significant change lately. The adjacent lot at the bottom of a small ravine and just to the west of the Alleghany warehouse buildings was formerly a mobile home park. However, that lot now sits empty due to extensive flooding in June of 2018. All of the trailers on the lot were condemned and removed. It is yet to be seen what will become of the lot as its topographical challenges have presented persistent flooding problems over the years.

Just to the East of the Alleghany Warehouses at the intersection of Semmes and Cowardin Ave sits the former Citgo gas station lot. The old gas station was recently demolished amid rumors of a Wawa coming to the site. That plan did not materialize. The lot currently remains posted for sale.

It will be interesting to see what this stretch of Semmes Ave eventually becomes as redevelopment of the Swansboro area takes hold.