The Macon-Bibb County Housing Authority, In-Fill Housing, Inc., and Macon-Bibb County government celebrated the official grand opening of Hunt School Village (990 Shurling Drive) with a ribbon cutting ceremony on July 21, 2017.
Hunt School Village is a beautiful new 60-unit affordable rental housing development for persons 62 and older. The approximately $12 million investment represents the first new senior family development in East Macon-Bibb in more than 20 years, and is providing much needed affordable housing to east Macon.
The former school administration building was converted into offices and community space for residents, and includes meeting rooms, kitchen, fitness center, computer center, and multi-purpose theater room. The two original classroom buildings were demolished to make way for two new 3-story buildings. These two new buildings each house thirty one and two-bedroom units.
Hunt School Village is a gated community with a gazebo, benches, pavilion, beautiful landscaping, and central laundry. All units include carpeted bedrooms, luxury vinyl tile living spaces, microwave, range, refrigerator, dishwasher, ceiling fans, fire sprinkler system, and washer/dryer hookups. All units are handicapped accessible and adaptable. The site is managed by a full-time manager and maintenance staff.
Henry A. Hunt Elementary School was named for a noted African-American educator who led efforts to educate minority youth in underserved areas of rural Georgia. Built in the 1950’s, the school served east Macon children until 2003 when it was permanently closed. The school then fell into disrepair and became a blighting influence on the surrounding community.
In November 2014, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) allocated $6,572,860 in federal and state Low Income Housing Tax Credits to the project. The sale of these tax credits yielded $10,700,000 in equity funds from Wells Fargo and Sugar Creek Realty. Additionally, Macon-Bibb County provided $450,000 from its Community Development Block Grant funds and $1,200,000 in HOME funds. The Macon-Bibb County Housing Authority has provided Section-8 rental assistance for all 60 units, thereby assuring affordability for fixed-income seniors.