Nonprofit Georgia Works recently completed its $14 million capital campaign to renovate the historic Odd Fellows building at 250 Auburn Avenue for its new headquarters.
The campaign was aided by the $1.25 million Eastside Tax Allocation District (TAD) Grant approved by Invest Atlanta’s Board in December.
“From a movie house to storefronts, the history of the Odd Fellows building has been one of empowerment,” Dr. Eloisa Klementich, CEO of Invest Atlanta, said. “It is so exciting to be a part of the building’s continuing legacy through its newest tenant, George Works, where men will have an opportunity to overcome barriers and to ultimately be the person they want to be.”
Georgia Works provides men experiencing unsheltered homelessness and those returning to the community from incarceration with room and board for up to one year (for a nominal fee) while they participate in transitional work and remain drug/alcohol free.
The holistic program also includes case management, workforce training, GED classes, wellness and life skills classes and help with a driver’s license and banking. After six to eight months, program graduates receive job placement assistance and access to low-cost transitional housing.
“We are going to move our programs, housing division and corporate offices there,” Darlene Schultz, Georgia Works president and CEO, said. “We will have the capacity for 160 participants and graduates to live in the building, plus the staff and four retail storefronts.”
Until the renovation is completed in March 2025, the nonprofit will continue to lease the second floor at Gateway Center, a converted jail facility.
The initial capital came from a $5 million Georgia Investment in Housing Grant, made possible by Gov. Brian Kemp’s use of federal CARES Act funds, per Schultz. Her team had scouted Lakewood Heights, Castleberry Hill, and Fulton Industrial Boulevard, but faced neighborhood opposition in their search for a building to include in the grant application.
Thankfully, the Odd Fellows building was already zoned for affordable housing and NPU-M voted to waive a City of Atlanta ordinance to allow Georgia Works to exist less than 2,000 feet from O’Hearn House, another supportive housing facility.
“We loved the building and explained that Georgia Works would be an asset to the community,” Schultz said.
In its 10 years of operation, more than 1,100 men have graduated from Georgia Works with a job and with 80 percent remaining in their apartments and jobs afterward.
“Being a graduate and alumni of the program I know firsthand the impact on the men… the feeling of ascending, belonging, actualizing, reforming, being relevant, healing and fulfilling hopes,” Steve McGoy, Georgia Works program graduate and current Director of Operations, said. “For me to go from a beneficiary to a person in position to grow and develop the program every day, says things about the program and its impact.”
Once Georgia Works purchased the building in early 2023, they set out to raise another $9 million to renovate it.
“We could not do this without Eastside TAD funds or the Atlanta Emerging Markets New Market tax credits and Truist Bank,” Schultz said. Many large Atlanta-based foundations also contributed.
Schultz said the interior demolition was completed with “no big surprises.” The effort then shifted to refurbish the Bell Street façade and windows of the 1912 landmark building. Once completed, work will resume on rebuilding the interior.
Plans are still underway for the four street-level retail spaces.
“Nobody’s locked in yet,” Schultz said. “The two retail fronts on Auburn Avenue – we know want a meat and three cafeteria style arrangement. We would extend very good lease terms to someone who offered discounted meals to our men. The other larger corner space – we want to be a bodega style store that sells nonperishables because the Sweet Auburn Market is across the street.”
Schultz’s team plans to canvas the neighborhood for their input and hopes all retail occupants will considering hiring program participants.
“Moving into this building is going to be transformative for us,” Schultz said. “It’s going to create a sense of community between our program and our graduates. My next goal is to have a Georgia Works for women – maybe down the street.”
