The Times Dispatch ran an article this past Tuesday on a proposed eight story apartment building for VCU students in nearby Monroe Ward.

From the article:

Gilbane Development Co. is seeking a special-use permit from the city for the 160-unit, 546-bedroom complex, which would include ground-floor retail space along Canal. The project also would include 195 parking spaces—about 1.2 per unit. That translates to a little more than one parking space for every three bedrooms.
The 1-acre site, between South Adams and South Foushee streets and bordering the Downtown Expressway, covers the southern half of the block and is currently an industrial-zoned parking lot. VCU’s Brandcenter is one block to the west, toward Belvidere Street.
Gilbane’s development could be finished sometime next year and would be the first new housing designed for VCU students in Monroe Ward since the university opened its 409-bed residence hall at Cary and Belvidere streets in fall 2008, said Reuban Rodriguez, VCU’s associate vice provost and dean of student affairs. The university has about 32,000 students but on-campus housing for only about 5,000.

Although not in Oregon Hill proper, there was some concern expressed at this past Tuesday’s Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association meeting that while this project could alleviate some VCU housing needs, it could also bring more traffic and parking issues to the neighborhood.