A new law, which goes into effect on July 1, 2023, instructs the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop and operate a Virginia Residential Sites and Structures Locator database “to assist localities in marketing any structures and parcels determined by the locality to be suitable for future residential or mixed-use development or redevelopment and that are under (i) public ownership, (ii) public and private ownership, or (iii) private ownership if the owner or owners have authorized the locality to market the structure or parcel for future residential or mixed-use development or redevelopment purposes.”

The bill creating the database requirement (SB 1114) is codified as § 36-139(29) of the Code of Virginia. The centralized database would be of interest to developers and builders and could bring attention to potential development opportunities that would otherwise go unnoticed or receive less attention.

Last Updated on July 1, 2023 by Ramin Seddiq