Vecino Group and community partners will deliver transformative housing while honoring Gillespie-Selden heritage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u202f Cordele, Georgia – January 17, 2022<\/strong>:<\/em> \u202fOne of Cordele\u2019s most historic addresses is about to welcome a new generation to its 120-year-old legacy. Gillespie Gardens, a new housing development within the Gillespie-Selden Historic District, is scheduled to begin construction next month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Located on approximately five acres within the Gillespie-Selden Urban Redevelopment Area in Cordele, Georgia, Gillespie Gardens is the latest renovation proposal in the neighborhood revitalization project that the City of Cordele has been working on since 2008. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a vision of the site serving its community once more, the City\u2014with ample energy and leadership from the late Edward Beach\u2014applied for and received grant funding, established a revitalization plan for the area, created an active GICH (Georgia Initiative for Community Housing) community, removed blighted structures in the area and made sure that all historic buildings were listed on the National Register. All of this\u2014with the assistance of development partner Vecino Group\u2014created an opportunity for Gillespie Gardens to be one of the highest-scoring LIHTC Tax Credit developments of its application period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The historic site for which the neighborhood is known, The Gillespie-Selden Institute, is a complex of education and medical buildings that first opened as a school for African American children in 1902. In addition to the school, structures on the property have also included two hospitals and a church which served African Americans who were injured or homeless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA lot of people locally don\u2019t know any of the history of Gillespie Selden\u2014I am hoping that this is an opportunity for them to learn about its impact,\u201d explains Mary Beal, Cordele Historian. <\/strong>\u201cTeachers, seamstresses, brickmasons, nurses, bankers\u2014generations of people graduated from here.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The development involves the adaptive reuse of four historic buildings, all individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as the construction of one three-story building designed to complement the existing historic buildings and neighborhood. The 53 housing units at Gillespie Gardens will include a mix of efficiency and 1-, 2-, or 3-bedroom units serving individuals and families who are at or below 60% of the area median income. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Design for Gillespie Gardens\u2014both historic adaptation and new build\u2014was performed by Vecino Design, LLC. Construction for Gillespie Gardens will be overseen by Vecino\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Construction, LLC as General Contractor. Initial site work will begin in early February with an anticipated completion of construction by Summer 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Designed to serve as a central effort in the revitalization and transformation of the Cordele Historic District, this catalytic housing development is a collaborative effort between the Vecino Group, the City of Cordele, Blackshear Place Business & Events Center, and the St. Paul Presbyterian Church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGillespie Gardens will be a catalyst for the redevelopment of the West side\u201d says Dravian McGill, President of DCMS, who has long been an advocate for reviving Gillespie-Selden. \u201cThis will help to further housing and economic development across the street as well as reverse the blight.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jerome Outlaw, Chief Financial Officer of the St. Paul Presbyterian Church, has been an advocate for sharing the site\u2019s history of supporting the Black community. \u201cThese grounds are to be respected. The individuals who graduated from Gillespie love this school as if it were open today. This is something to connect to\u2014as Black people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Honoring the historical and cultural significance of the Gillespie-Selden Institute has been key for all stakeholders in the project. \u201cRespecting the communities we work with is essential to our mission at Vecino,\u201d said Rick Manzardo, President of the Vecino Group. \u201cFrom the very beginning, everyone involved with Gillespie Gardens has made celebration of this noble and historic place their first priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vecino Group and community partners will deliver transformative housing while honoring Gillespie-Selden heritage. \u202f Cordele, Georgia – January 17, 2022: \u202fOne of Cordele\u2019s most historic addresses is about to welcome a new generation to its 120-year-old legacy. Gillespie Gardens, a new housing development within the Gillespie-Selden Historic District, is scheduled to begin construction next month. Located […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":12440,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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