New affordable housing complex in west Louisville honors late Urban League leader

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new affordable housing complex was unveiled in the city's west end this week in honor of the Louisville Urban League's former president and CEO, who passed away last year.

Named after the late Ben Richmond, who died in January 2024 at the age of 80, "The Richmond" apartment building was dedicated during a ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 26, according to our partners at Louisville Business First.

Richmond served as president and CEO of the LUL from 1987-2015, spearheading the construction of the league's $3 million Louisville headquarters on West Broadway. He also founded Rebuilding Our Urban Neighborhood Dwellings, or REBOUND Inc., a housing program that helps families obtain loans and renovates vacant properties in Louisville's west end.

Officials said the apartments are geared towards low-to-moderate income families. The complex has 15 units, and REBOUND said more than 50 families have already applied to rent them, according to LBF.

"This particular project is geared toward low- to moderate-income families," Dunlap said. "Because Ben had a passion for helping those who are the least among us."

REBOUND partnered with the LUL for the project, breaking ground last July.

The $4.3 billion complex, announced in December 2023, is located on West Market Street in Louisville's Russell neighborhood, next to REBOUND's headquarters. The Louisville Metro Housing Trust Fund invested $2 million in the project. Kevin Dunlap, president and CEO of REBOUND, said it took six months to raise the remaining funds to construct The Richmond, according to LBF.

"The Richmond is a very unique opportunity that we have here, and it's only fitting that we named it after Ben, because when he first moved to Kentucky, the first neighborhood was right here in the Russell neighborhood," Kevin Dunlap, REBOUND's president and CEO, said at Tuesday's dedication ceremony.

LUL President and CEO Lyndon Pryor, who took over as the league's leader in December 2023, said one of his first actions in the leadership role was signing on to launch the housing project.

"This certainly was the first big decision I made when I got into this seat almost three years ago. I felt like Kevin (Dunlap) was waiting on me," Pryor said. "We didn't have a dime between us. And so, I had to go to my board and say, 'Hey, we're going to spend $4 million. Is that OK?' And sure enough, my board trusted me and trusted us and got behind this project immediately."

The opening of the housing complex comes as Louisville works to address the city's housing needs. According to a 2024 housing needs assessment, Louisville needs more than 36,000 affordable housing units to meet the demand for its lowest-income residents. LBF reported the city's My Louisville Home housing strategy calls for 15,000 affordable housing units to be created or preserved by 2027.

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