When families arrive at Ronald McDonald House, they can count on comfortable accommodations, laundry facilities, and hot meals – all covered by donations to the nonprofit organization.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) is opening Arthur M. Blank Hospital on North Druid Hills Road in Brookhaven in 2024. Ronald McDonald House will follow in late summer 2025 with a ground lease from CHOA on the same campus.
At last week’s groundbreaking, Ronald McDonald House officials said with an initial cost of approximately $65 million, the house will include 98,000 square feet, featuring 60 guest rooms and 10 transplant suites. It has been designed to add 42 guest rooms as funding is secured.
Ronald McDonald House was first established in Atlanta 45 years ago, said Tracy Atwater, president and CEO of Atlanta RMHC.
“Ronald McDonald House Charities is a global organization. The Atlanta house, originally on Houston Mill Road, was the fourth house in the world, so we are celebrating our 45th anniversary in 2024,” Atwater said.
While volunteering recently, Atwater met a father who was choosing between paying the mortgage and traveling for his child’s surgery before discovering Ronald McDonald House.
“We hear a lot of those sorts of stories. If you’re an hourly worker and you came to be with your child, you don’t have vacation time,” she said. “Families are grateful. He said if it weren’t for Ronald McDonald House, the family wouldn’t be here.”
The new house will feature a communal kitchen and dining area, a playroom and indoor playscape, an arts and crafts area, a wellness center, and a
large meeting space. Outdoor family spaces will connect with CHOA’s campus walking trails.
Brookhaven City Councilmember John Funny said he was looking forward to welcoming Ronald McDonald House to his district.
Nearby, the city of Brookhaven is redesigning the intersection of I-85 and North Druid Hills Road, making the area more vehicle and pedestrian friendly.
