THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — The Thomasville Community Development Corporation hopes the old Balfour School site can help combat a housing shortage, but the process to make that happen is now on hold.
- The site spans 10 acres with three existing buildings; phase one would demolish one building, keep two, and add two new buildings for roughly 60 rental apartments priced according to residents’ income.
- Phase two could include 15–20 single-family homes, though plans are still preliminary and depend on zoning approval.
- Watch the video below to learn more about the proposed rezoning for the site and why the city has paused the process.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For over 15 years, this old school has been sitting empty while more than 250 people in Thomasville are on the waitlist for affordable housing.
I'm Layan Abu Tarboush, your Thomasville neighborhood reporter, checking on a plan that could turn the old Balfour School into housing, and why the city is slowing things down before giving the green light.
Affordable housing is a big issue in Thomasville. Families are struggling, some living in motels or unsafe conditions, and the local Housing Authority says over 250 households are waiting for a home they can afford.
One plan to address this is focused on the old Balfour School, which was built in the 1940s and served as an elementary school until 2007.
It's been abandoned for more than 15 years, and now the Thomasville Community Development Corporation, or TCDC, wants to put it back to use.
"We're looking for another opportunity to do something that we're getting ready to start at Douglas. We're going to take a high school or a school building that's been abandoned, and it's not in productive use, and we want to turn that building into something else. And that something else is multi-family apartments," said TCDC Executive Director Earl Williams.
Earl Williams tells me the site is about 10 acres with three buildings and a lot of open space.
Phase one would involve demolishing one smaller building, keeping two, and adding two new buildings, creating roughly 60 apartment units.
These apartments would be all for rent, with affordable pricing based on residents' incomes: about 30% of what someone earns.
Units could range from one to three bedrooms, and background and credit checks will ensure safety.
The TCDC is also looking at low-income housing tax credits to keep costs down.
Phase two could include single-family homes for families.
The final mix might be low-income and middle-income residents, creating a mixed-income community.
Williams says the development could also encourage neighborhood improvements, like upgrades to Northside Park and paving a nearby dirt road.
"We've been out in the neighborhood canvassing, knocking on doors, talking to people. We've had a town hall meeting that was hosted by the two local city councilmen for this district, Lucinda Brown and Terry Scott," said Williams.
Besides meeting neighbors, there was a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on January 5.
Neighbors raised concerns that there aren't enough details about the housing layout, how the project could affect the neighborhood, and the possibility that future developers might build something different if the rezoning is approved.
Because of these concerns, the request to rezone the property from R-1 to R-2 was tabled, meaning it was paused to get more information before any decision is made.
But everyone agrees on one thing: Thomasville needs more housing.
"Oh yeah, there's a need for houses. We have homeless in this community, folks that work but they can't afford to pay the rent. The rent is more than a mortgage payment," said City Council member Terry Scott.
Before TCDC can buy and develop the property, the city must approve the rezoning from R-1 to R-2.
"R-2 has a little bit more flexibility. You can have multi-family. When I say multi-family, I mean apartments. You can have town homes. You can have duplexes. You can have single-family homes as well. It gives a little bit more flexibility as to what we put at the site," said Williams.
If you want to stay updated on the Balfour School housing proposal, TCDC is holding a public workshop on Monday, January 20th at 4 p.m. at the municipal building.
In Thomasville, Layan Abu Tarboush, ABC 27
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