Tranquility at the Lakes II: Revitalizing Virginia Beach
VCDC is pleased to welcome Tranquility at the Lakes II to our portfolio.
Tranquility at the Lakes II (Tranquility II) is a new construction affordable housing community in Virginia Beach that will provide 38 apartment homes for low-income seniors. The community serves as a companion to Tranquility at the Lakes, completed in 2016, which offers 40 affordable senior apartments. Tranquility II will provide high-quality, affordable apartment homes for residents earning 60% or less of the area median income in an area where accessible and affordable homes are in high demand.
This development is an important part of a long-awaited revitalization plan for the Burton Station neighborhood in northwest Virginia Beach. Established by freed slaves over a century ago, the Burton Station community is rich in local history. Residents with deep ties to the land can point to roads named after their relatives, and many have settled into homes passed down from generation to generation. However, the neighborhood has also struggled for years with a lack of connection to basic utilities and services. Until recently, Burton Station exhibited characteristics of a rural neighborhood with older single-family homes and open fields lining a narrow-paved road bounded by ditches.
Long-time residents advocated for public improvements to support the sustainability of their community, leading to the neighborhood designation as a Strategic Growth Area by the City of Virginia Beach in 2009. Soon after, Seniors Unlimited Lifestyles, Inc., a mission-driven housing developer, began engaging residents to identify their needs. The group proposed a senior housing project, initiating a search for suitable land. This effort, which built support within the community and from the Virginia Beach City government, ultimately led to the development of Tranquility at the Lakes and now Tranquility at the Lakes II. The construction of the Tranquility at the Lakes developments is designed to better support this area’s aging population, build a stronger and healthier community, and help residents access high-quality services.
Tranquility II is being constructed next door to the original Tranquility at the Lakes development as a three-story, low-rise building. Five of the apartment homes at Tranquility II will be fully accessible for residents with physical disabilities, and all homes will incorporate universal design features. The building will encompass private balconies and patios, a community room, and offices for property management and resident services on the first floor. Residents will be able to enjoy common areas located on the second and third floors, along with laundry facilities on each floor. The building will be elevator-serviced for full accessibility. Residents will benefit from free individual Wi-Fi in each apartment, as well as in the community room and other common areas. The project will also include emergency call systems and on-site security services to promote resident safety.
Tranquility II is co-developed by Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation (‘VBCDC’) and Seniors Unlimited Lifestyles Inc. (SULI). VBCDC and SULI are both nonprofit organizations with missions to provide quality, affordable housing for low-income households.
VCDC has provided $4,988,151 in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Equity to support Tranquility II through our VCDC Housing Equity Fund 27. We can’t wait to see this community come to life and bring cherished homes to Virginia Beach residents!