Hickory Transformation

How it all started

It was ROUGHHHHH

Living Room

Bedroom 1

Office

Kitchen

The Finished Bathroom

Entryway

Exterior

Affordable Housing Project

NeighborWorks Columbus has a demonstrably strong and highly productive working relationship with the Land Bank Authority of Columbus, Georgia. By working together, these two local entities continue to accomplish much more across Muscogee County with greatly amplified successes for all, which in turn benefits the entirety of our consolidated city and county. 

As a non-profit, NeighborWorks Columbus strives to promote and provide access to fit and affordable housing and build assets for financial independence for all citizens of low to moderate income. As a public authority, the Land Bank Authority of Columbus returns vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent, and deteriorated properties to productive use by acquiring them, eliminating the liabilities, and transferring the properties to responsible owners in alignment with community goals and priorities.  

The specific subject of this document is single family housing unit within the Hunter Ridge Subdivision of Columbus, Georgia (Muscogee County). This particular new construction home, located at 6130 Hunter Ridge Circle, was made possible by a NeighborWorks Columbus partnership with Land Bank Authority of Columbus. Further contributing to the development of this new home was a Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP) matching grant made by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to NeighborWorks Columbus. 

Within the Hunter Ridge Subdivision, this drastically modern and highly efficient new home is by far the most recent construction in the immediate neighborhood. This new home at 6130 Hunter Ridge Circle already is successfully owner-occupied, and the new home stands where previously nothing more than an overgrown lot existed. Just as with any successful transformation, partnerships and cooperation across organizational lines are key. The new home on Hunter Ridge Circle is an excellent example of such a partnership spanning private, local, state, and federal resources. 

This project on Hunter Ridge Circle began by a transfer of ownership for the property from The Land Bank Authority of Columbus to CHI Asset Management (dba: NeighborWorks Columbus). This transfer of ownership, which was a first step to the project, took place on August 26, 2022. Then, on May 24, 2023, a NeighborWorks Columbus contract was awarded and signed to allow the initiation of construction. In slightly more than 6 months, construction concluded on December 07, 2023, with a City of Columbus Department of Inspections and Code Enforcement Certificate of Occupancy being issued. The new home was listed for sale shortly thereafter, and then on March 13, 2024, a real estate closing occurred resulting in the home being sold to its new owner.   

Not only does the City of Columbus and the Hunter Ridge Subdivision benefit from the completion and sale of this new home, but the sale of the home was especially significant to its buyer. The purchaser of the new home at 6130 Hunter Ridge is a first-time homebuyer, whose annual household income is less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Muscogee County. This homebuyer demonstrated their discipline by completing homebuyer education and counseling, plus by being prepared financially to purchase the home, and most importantly, to sustain their long-term ownership of the home for years to come.  

NeighborWorks Columbus thanks all of the partners, including the Land Bank Authority of Columbus, without whom, this newly constructed 3-bedroom and 2-bathroom home and its new homeowner would have never been united. With each home newly constructed and occupied by a well-deserving and responsibly-qualified citizen of Columbus, the quality of life for each of us improves as positive externalities are realized. The photographs on the following pages illustrate the new home’s exterior and interior.  

Vantage Point: Street Front View
Year Built 2023 | Square Feet: 1,171

6130 Hunter Ridge Circle, Columbus, Georgia 31907 (parcel ID # 014 001 083)

Vantage Point: Kitchen Interior View
Year Built 2023 | Square Feet: 1,171

Community Orchard

What was once home to trash, broken-down vehicles, feral animals, and a place for cars to turn around on a dead-end street, is now a beautiful and abundant fruit garden. The orchard is the brainchild of Bibb City residents Brad Barnes and his wife Jenn Collins, who have already renovated two houses in the area. The two say they have passions for creatively using tiny spaces for farming, feeding people, and making things pretty.

Though the property is on Anthony Street, it can be seen from the busy street of Second Avenue. It's between two buildings and the plot of land is estimated by Barnes to be around 50 feet by 60 feet.

"We had been looking at the property for quite some time wondering what could be done with it,'' Barnes said. The couple was not sure what the owner of the land would think, but when presented with the idea, John Barwick gave the land to the Land Bank Authority of Columbus, Georgia, and attorney Ken Henson donated his work on closing costs.

Members of Bibb City community and Trees Columbus came together on January 14 to put the orchard together. Trees Columbus provided the trees, and Lazy K Nursery in Pine Mountain donated the blackberries. Barnes said the land was hard clay, "like concrete," but Columbus Water Works tilled it for free and a former Georgia Power worker, Jody Foster, trimmed tree limbs hanging over the area. The Columbus Community Foundation awarded Dew Point Farm an On The Table Action Grant for $2,000 that allowed for a number of improvements -- including the fence with the gorgeous mural.

"People in the community are excited about this, and we hope this will spur more activity," Collins said. "We would like to see orchards like this around the city." She long has had an interest in feeding the needy.

"My Mom grew up in the wake of the Great Depression, and she once told me that she knew she'd be rich if she could ever walk into a grocery store and buy whatever she wanted. That made a huge impression on me. It became my standard of wealth, too, and made me want to fight hunger any way I can," Collins said.

The Anthony Street Orchard features two pear trees, a persimmon tree, a fig tree, eight blackberry bushes, and wide planters filled with perennial herbs.

It is something from which the entire Bibb City community is benefiting. "There are just three rules," Brad Barnes said. Those rules: only take the fruit you need; do not sell anything you take; leave something for the next person.

To learn more about the work of Dew Point Farm, ways to get involved, or stay up to date, follow them here:

• Dew Point Farm's Website
• Our Substack Blog
• Facebook Page

Micro-Urban Gardens

In September 2019, Dew Point Farm purchased a small residential lot from the Land Bank Authority with the assistance of CDBG funding for a micro urban garden. Their aspiration was to grow food, people and community and grow they did.

Two years later, the City of Columbus demolished the dilapidated property next to the farm and in partnership with the Land Bank Authority, Dew Point Farm was able to purchase that lot and double the size of the farm.

But doubling the acreage isn’t saying much on these narrow-shotgun style lots. The farm went from 60 feet wide to 120 feet wide and walking paths and storage spaces were created. However, the thoughtful design, planning and care of the farmable space has produced an abundance only nature can provide. The farm is used to grow staple market-garden crops: tomatoes, peppers, turnips, collards, carrots, beets, eggplant, green beans, snow peas, sweet potatoes, and the like. Also, they dabble with dried beans, fennel, herbs for tea, and other crops as the mood strikes and space permits.

Aside from just liking farming, the farmers at Dew Point built it for two reasons: First, the city (the county! the country!) needs more growers; even farmers will tell you that.
Second, we are trying to combat food insecurity in various pockets of Columbus. Among the people we hope will buy our produce are folks who may not have consistent access to refrigerators. For them to consider buying fresh food, that food must be shelf-stable. We want much of our produce to be able to sit at room temperature for a few days, until they have a chance to cook it.

Produce is available for purchase by everyone at The Food Mill, but also allows SNAP or food-stamp customers to double their buying power. But full-price customers are not taking food away from others who need it. There’s plenty to go around.

Dew Point Farm Co-Founder Bradley Barnes says, “We are very thankful to the Land Bank Authority for the opportunity to use the land this way. Growing produce on a small urban farm isn't lucrative, and I'm not sure it would have been possible at all without the low cost of purchase thanks to the CDBG grant through the Land Bank Authority. But it's a labor of love for us, as we see our primary mission as getting nutritious, fresh, local food to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. We've grown about 1,000 lbs of vegetables each year, and once the fruit trees start bearing, those numbers will undoubtedly climb.”

To learn more about the work of Dew Point Farm, ways to get involved or stay up to date, follow them here:

• Dew Point Farm's Website
• Our Substack Blog
• Facebook Page

Glenwood Transformation

Background

This property, located in the Lindsay Creek Subdivision, was vacant, abandoned, and taxdelinquent for 12 years with over $16,000 owed in taxes and liens. The Land Bank acquired this property at a judicial tax sale in 2019.

City tax documents defined it as a single family residence, built in 1954 and boasting three (3) bedrooms and one (1) full bathroom.

Kande, LLC. purchased the property, via an auction and finalized the sale on August 25, 2022.

Original Floorplan

The original home consisted of everything except the Family Room (FR). At some time during the home’s history, the FR was created by enclosing the carport and an adjacent utility. The carport enclosure enabled the square footage to be calculated at over 1400 square feet.
The backyard was accessible via the master bedroom and the FR.

Revised Floorplan

Three major features of the redesigned home include an open living room / family room concept, a spacious master bedroom and adjoining master bathroom w/ double vanity sinks, and the addition of a laundry room. Other noteworthy changes include increasing the closet spaces in the two original bedrooms and a kitchen redesign (and movement) to provide more cabinet/storage space.

Summing it up...

The Glenwood Drive Project returned a habitable structure to the City’s tax rolls,removed a community eyesore, revived a neglected portion of a historic communityand exemplifies an effective public private partnership.

The rehabilitated home is up to code and boasts modern, updated features thatcreate a welcoming environment to occupants and increases property values of thesurrounding homes.