Tindall Heights transformation to begin in May

When the first section of Macon’s Tindall Heights opened in 1940, it was considered state-of-the-art: Electricity, water and natural gas were included in the $2.50 weekly rent.

In that era more than two decades before integration, Tindall Heights was Macon’s first public housing complex built for blacks while the similarly styled Oglethorpe Homes was available to whites. A flier from that time details the features of the apartments that were built during the “separate but equal” days of segregation.

But over the years, both housing developments became obsolete and were labeled by federal housing officials as substandard.

About 15 years ago, Oglethorpe was demolished to make way for Tattnall Place, a 97-unit mixed-income development in the Beall’s Hill neighborhood. Now it’s Tindall Heights’ turn. On May 9, various Macon-Bibb County and housing leaders will converge on the complex near Little Richard Penniman Boulevard for a ceremony marking the start of demolition.

About a dozen units will be torn down to make way for Tindall Senior Towers, which will feature a pair of three-story buildings and a community center. The goal is to begin construction of the towers in the fall, Macon Housing Authority CEO June Parker said. She expects the work to be complete sometime next year.

The transformation of Tindall Heights — which will happen in four phases and cost at least $45 million to complete — could mirror what’s happened at Tattnall Place, which has improved the overall community, Parker said.

“We knew it would take a little longer, but we have seen what a success Tattnall Place has made in that area, and we can now see the same results (around Tindall),” she said.

Housing officials have pushed for funding to replace the aging Tindall Heights housing project for years.

After failing to receive federal HOPE VI grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2009 through 2011, officials began looking to tax credits as a solution, Parker said.

“We knew this was something that needed to be done,” she said. “We had to offer better housing, and this was how we could do it.”

The process of relocating 392 families that lived in Tindall has involved offering one-on-one assistance through relocation specialists. Residents like Annette Stephens and Sara Johnson are among those moving out as part of the second phase of the project.

In the first phase, 119 people were relocated. Of those, 99 of them received a Section 8 voucher, and another 20 decided to move into other public housing units. It’s been critical that residents are made aware of having options of where they want to move, Parker said.

“We work closely with residents to make sure their needs are met,” she said.

Johnson began her search for a new home with the help of her niece who drove her to different apartments. She also took advantage of a van service for people living in public housing.

“The van was a big help for people that don’t have their own transportation,” she said.

Johnson was able to find a new apartment off Gray Highway.

“It’s more convenient since I’m moving close to Kroger, and I’ll be able to take my time to walk there,” she said. “I kind of got stuck (at Tindall). I’m very excited to move to a better environment.”

For Stephens, while finding a new place to live had its stressful moments, the overall process went well, she said.

Like Johnson, Stephens also is moving to an apartment off Gray Highway and received a Section 8 voucher.

“Different complexes would tell you to call back or say ‘we’re not taking anyone else’ or ‘we don’t have any one-bedroom apartments.’ But I was able to find a place I like,” said Stephens, who has lived at Tindall Heights for two years.

The housing authority will apply this summer for low-income tax credits to build 64 townhouses, the redevelopment’s second phase.

“Those (tax credits) are very competitive. You get one shot a year,” said Bruce Gerwig, president of In-Fill Housing, a nonprofit agency under the umbrella of the housing authority. “We’ll apply in June and hopefully hear good news in November.”

The final two phases of the Tindall transformation would involve building 130 more units of multi-family housing. Once that is done, the overall number of units at the Tindall complex would have dropped from 412 to 270. If each of the next three phases receives tax credits, it would be about five years before the new development is finished, Parker said.

Once the area has been revitalized, current residents who meet the authority’s eligibility criteria would be able to return.

The plan is for 8.5-acres of commercial development to surround a section of the new development, offering potential jobs and places to shop that would tie well into the nearby improvements around Mercer University and the Second Street Corridor connector aimed at bridging the school with downtown, Parker said.

The commercial properties could offer “opportunities for jobs within walking distance of homes,” she said.

“We’re so fortunate of all the work going on in the surrounding neighborhood and the impact it’s having,” Parker said.

This story was originally published April 30, 2016 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Tindall Heights transformation to begin in May."