Developers hope to break ground in September on a 123-unit condo development off Vinson Highway.
The address is 179 Frasier Dr., which is in the general vicinity of the old Southside Elementary School. Frasier Drive actually begins as Youngblood Road, and the intersection of Youngblood Road and Vinson is located several blocks south of Johnnie McDade Grocery.
The final piece of the puzzle was a $2.2 million OneGeorgia Workforce Housing Investment Grant from the state government.
That grant was officially awarded last Friday. The total project cost is $18.36 million.
“We thank the greatest Governor in the United States, Brian Kemp, for recognizing the State of Georgia needs to facilitate the creation of affordable housing options for all the businesses coming to or expanding in Georgia,” wrote County Manager Carlos Tobar. “Baldwin County is grateful for this infrastructure grant that will help create these affordable homes in our community.”
The developers are Scott Clack and Ryan Whitelaw, who previously formed Frazier Drive Development LLC.
According to Tobar, all condos will be owner-occupied. The plan is to form a homeowners association to ensure none of the units are rented out. The purchase price is expected to be in the $179,000 range, added Tobar. Four of the units will be “donated,” and the recipients will be chosen through an application process.
Frasier Drive has rolling hills with plenty of hardwoods, some of the prettiest land in Baldwin County. Many of the original homeowners were Central State Hospital employees, back when Central State was “the world’s largest insane asylum.” Over the years, however, the neighborhood became more renter-occupied, and more homes fell into disrepair. The neighborhood is part of “Census Tract 9707.01, Block Group 1.” According to Census data, the poverty rate is 43.9 percent. The statewide poverty rate is 12.6 percent. Over 85 percent of households in that particular block group earn less than $50,000 per year, according to the Census Bureau. The statewide average is roughly 31 percent.