Affordable Housing 'Victory' in Rockville

Local officials gathered in Rockville Thursday for a ceremonial dedication for Victory Court, a mixed-income community for residents who are 62 or older.

Archbishop of Washington Donald Wuerl and Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett today joined other community leaders for the ribbon cutting.

Victory Court, at 74 Maryland Ave., was built on county-owned land using tax-exempt Housing Opportunities Commission bonds purchased by Capital One bank. Montgomery County also is providing a loan, Patch has reported.

Developers and city leaders broke ground on the site in September 2012, though construction came after years of legal wrangling.

Concerns that the building’s size and scope would not fit in with the neighborhood character—and an argument that it was inconsistent with the city’s master plan—led to a lawsuit by a group of Rockville residents.

In January 2012, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals affirmed an October 2010 decision by the Montgomery County Circuit Court that upheld the city's zoning exception for the project.

The city argued that the exception was warranted because of the need for affordable housing.

Sixty-five of Victory’s 86 apartments will be offered at below-market rents.

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Caption: (from left to right) Herbert Zemil. Victory Court resident; Lillian Cruz, Deputy Director of Constituent Services, Office of Congressman Chris Van Hollen; Kayrine Brown, Director of Mortgage Finance, Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County; Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett; Victory Housing Board member Paul Johnson; Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington; Victory Housing President Jim Brown; Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Floreen; Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio; Rick Nelson, Director, Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs; and Edmund Delaney, Senior Vice President of Capital One Bank.

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Related:

Victory Court: Majority of Senior Apartments Leased Prior to Opening